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Using Sphinx Search with MODX Evolution for Better Full-Text Search

A historical performance article about moving beyond AjaxSearch for serious relevance and speed.

Once catalogs and content sets grew, the limits of built-in or snippet-based search became obvious. This article is worth preserving because it points to a clear outside-the-box answer from that era: use Sphinx as the real full-text engine and let Evolution consume the results.

Why teams looked beyond AjaxSearch

  • better relevance
  • faster search on larger datasets
  • less dependence on fragile in-page fulltext workarounds

Why this matters historically

It documents an important truth about old Evo projects: once search quality really mattered, teams often had to bring in a dedicated engine. That is a valuable timeline marker for the platform’s scaling story.

Why this belongs in the timeline

Search quality is one of the clearest markers of when a project outgrows simple in-page solutions. Sphinx is part of that scaling history for Evolution sites.

Newer post

Fixing TinyMCE Upload Errors After a Hosting Move by Correcting MODX_BASE_PATH

A migration-related TinyMCE upload failure caused by a broken base path after moving an Evolution CMS site.

Older post

Cleaning Up a Mass-Mailing Compromise on MODX Evolution 1.0.5

A historical security incident post about malicious mailer uploads inside an old Evo installation.