# Theme component to add a new search source

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/theme-component-to-add-a-new-search-source/173484
**Category:** Development
**Created:** [December 16, 2020, 12:28pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/theme-component-to-add-a-new-search-source/173484 "2020-12-16T12:28:44Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![chrispanag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/chrispanag/32/105853_2.png) [@chrispanag](https://meta.discourse.org/u/chrispanag)
#### Post date: [December 16, 2020, 12:28pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/theme-component-to-add-a-new-search-source/173484/1 "2020-12-16T12:28:44Z")

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I’m thinking of developing a **theme component** to integrate a search engine from another site with my Discourse instance. This search engine has an API that can be queried with the necessary parameters.

The idea is **to modify the search dialog to add a checkbox that when it is checked, the search dialog will search on another source** :

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/3X/5/d/5d9631f3560ec82496a908fc1e78249c17cca8e6.png)

Is this feasible with a theme component? Or is this plugin territory?  
As I’m new in Discourse development, are there any pointers/best practices on how I could achieve this?

Thank you a lot in advance 🙂

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### Author: ![osioke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/osioke/32/238946_2.png) [@osioke](https://meta.discourse.org/u/osioke)
#### Post date: [December 16, 2020, 2:14pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/theme-component-to-add-a-new-search-source/173484/2 "2020-12-16T14:14:43Z")

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> [@chrispanag](#):
>
> Is this feasible with a theme component? Or is this plugin territory?

If it would work with client side logic, then a theme component is fine. If it requires server side logic to be rendered, then you’d need a plugin.

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### Author: ![chrispanag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/chrispanag/32/105853_2.png) [@chrispanag](https://meta.discourse.org/u/chrispanag)
#### Post date: [December 16, 2020, 2:23pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/theme-component-to-add-a-new-search-source/173484/3 "2020-12-16T14:23:40Z")

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Thanks @osioke, that’s what I was thinking too… Any pointers/best practices on how I could achieve this?

I will soon give it a try myself and most probably I will return with more specific questions…