Create basic and advanced custom IDX Broker search forms that can be placed on your own website pages, giving you more control over form fields, layout, and styling.

Overview

Custom forms allow you to build your own IDX Broker search experience instead of relying only on the default IDX search pages.

With a custom form, you can control:

Which fields appear
Field labels
Input types
Dropdown values
Placeholder text
Styling
Page placement
Search destination

Custom forms are commonly used for:

Homepage search boxes
Landing pages
Neighborhood pages
Custom buyer search experiences
Simplified search forms
Advanced search tools

Important Notes

Note: IDX Broker Support does not support custom form creation or troubleshooting.

Custom forms require familiarity with:

HTML
Form fields
URL query parameters
IDX Broker search URLs
Browser developer tools

Create a Basic Custom Form

A basic IDX Broker custom form needs four main parts:

A <form> HTML tag
An action URL
Search inputs
A submit button

Basic Form Example

<form action="https://YourIDXBrokerSubDomain.com/idx/results/listings" method="get">
  High Price: <input type="text" name="hp"><br>
  Low Price: <input type="text" name="lp"><br>
  <input type="submit" value="Submit">
</form>

Example Action URL

https://search.yourdomain.com/idx/results/listings

The action URL should point to the IDX results page for the account.

How the Form Works

When a visitor submits the form:

The form sends search parameters to the IDX results page
IDX Broker reads those parameters
Matching listings are displayed on the results page

Example parameters:

Field	Description
`hp`	High price / maximum price
`lp`	Low price / minimum price
`bd`	Minimum bedrooms
`tb`	Minimum total bathrooms

Key Points

The action URL should begin with the IDX Broker subdomain.
The form must pass valid IDX search parameters.
Custom forms can be placed on non-IDX pages.
IDX Broker Support does not troubleshoot custom form code.

Finding IDX Broker Field Names

Forms need valid IDX Broker field names to work correctly.

You can find field names by:

Inspecting an existing IDX form with browser developer tools
Reviewing the results page URL after running a search
Checking Preferences → MLS Settings → Core Fields
Checking Preferences → MLS Settings → MLS Advanced Fields
Using the IDX Broker API to retrieve available MLS search fields

Core Fields vs. Advanced Fields

Core Fields

Core fields are standardized fields mapped by IDX Broker.

These fields are generally more consistent across:

MLSs
Property types
Search pages

Because of this, core fields can usually be used when searching across multiple MLSs or multiple property types.

Examples include:

Field	Description
`lp`	Minimum price
`hp`	Maximum price
`bd`	Minimum bedrooms
`tb`	Minimum bathrooms
`zipcode`	ZIP code
`city`	City
`county`	County

Advanced Fields

Advanced fields are MLS-specific.

Each MLS may use different field names for similar data. For example, one MLS may use subdivision, while another may use legalSubdivisionName.

Advanced fields are best used when searching:

A specific MLS
A specific property type
A known field/value structure

Common Query Logic

IDX Broker search URLs use the following logic:

Separate Fields Use AND Logic

Example:

?lp=300000&hp=600000&bd=3

This means:

Minimum price is 300,000
Maximum price is 600,000
Bedrooms are 3+

All criteria must apply.

Multiple Values for the Same Field Use OR Logic

To pass multiple values for the same field, append [] to the field name.

Example:

&a_buildingDesign[]=Manufactured&a_buildingDesign[]=Mobile

This searches for listings where the building design is either:

Manufactured
Mobile

Advanced Field Prefixes

Advanced field prefixes determine how the field is searched.

Prefix	Field Type	Example
`a_`	List, quick list, yes/no, text	`&a_status[]=Active`
`k_`	Keyword search	`&k_area=Aloha+Marina`
`amin_`	Minimum value	`&amin_bedrooms=3`
`amax_`	Maximum value	`&amax_sqft=2500`
`aw_`	Wild text	`&aw_address=Pearl`
`csv_`	Comma-separated values	`&csv_airConditioning[]=Heat+Pump,Window`

Additional Useful Fields

Field	Description	Example
`pt`	Property type	`&pt=sfr`
`idxID`	MLS ID	`&idxID=a001`
`bd`	Minimum bedrooms	`&bd=3`
`tb`	Minimum bathrooms	`&tb=2`
`lp`	Minimum price	`&lp=300000`
`hp`	Maximum price	`&hp=700000`
`srt`	Sort order	`&srt=newest`
`zipcode`	ZIP code	`&zipcode[]=97401`
`city`	City ID	`&city[]=15047`
`county`	County ID	`&county[]=853`
`woh`	Listings with open houses	`?woh`
`wvt`	Listings with virtual tours	`?wvt`
`savedName`	Saved link query	`?savedName=Eugene-Properties`

Sort Options

Value	Sort Order
`newest`	Newest listings
`oldest`	Oldest listings
`pra`	Least expensive to most expensive
`prd`	Most expensive to least expensive
`bda`	Bedrooms low to high
`bdd`	Bedrooms high to low
`tba`	Bathrooms low to high
`tbd`	Bathrooms high to low
`sqfta`	Square feet low to high
`sqftd`	Square feet high to low

IDX Broker Property Types

Value	Property Type
`sfr`	Single Family Residential
`mfr`	Multifamily Residential
`com`	Commercial
`ld`	Lots and Land
`rnt`	Rentals
`mh`	Mobile Homes
`ri`	Rental Income
`bo`	Business Opportunity
`frm`	Farms
`lse`	Lease
`othr`	Other

Create a Custom Form Using JavaScript

The following example uses JavaScript and Vue to help generate form code dynamically.

This example is intended for development/testing purposes.

<html>
<head>
<script src="https://unpkg.com/vue"></script>
<script>
function loadDoc(endpoint) {
  var key = document.querySelector('#apiKey').value;
  var url = 'https://xcm8q62sz2.execute-api.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/beta/' + endpoint;

  var xhttp = new XMLHttpRequest();
  xhttp.open("GET", url, false);
  xhttp.setRequestHeader("Content-type", "application/json");
  xhttp.setRequestHeader("accesskey", key);
  xhttp.setRequestHeader("outputtype", "json");
  xhttp.send();

  var response = JSON.parse(xhttp.responseText);
  return response[2]['url'];
}
</script>
</head>

<body>
<div id="app-1">
  <div id="codeIn" class="ib">
    <textarea id="tex" v-model="rawHtml"></textarea>
  </div>

  <div id="codeOut" class="ib" v-html="rawHtml"></div>
</div>

<div id="app2">
  <p>
    <button type="button" onclick="loadDoc()">Request data from API</button>
  </p>

  <p id="demo">
    API Key: <input id="apiKey"/>
  </p>

  <h2>Create Form</h2>

  <div id="create">
    <p>
      <input type="button" value="Opening form tag with action url" onclick="create('action')"/>
      <input type="button" value="All basic fields" onclick="create('basic')"/>
      <input type="button" value="Input" onclick="create('input')"/>
      <input type="button" value="Submit" onclick="create('submit')"/>
    </p>
  </div>

  <h3>Generated code:</h3>
  <div id="suggestCode"></div>
</div>

<script>
var app1 = new Vue({
  el: '#app-1',
  data: {
    rawHtml: '<!-- Add form html below, Preview area to the right-->'
  }
});

function create(step) {
  switch(step) {
    case 'action':
      var actionURL = loadDoc('systemlinks');
      document.querySelector('#suggestCode').innerText =
        '<form action ="' + actionURL + '" method="GET" target="_blank">';
      break;

    case 'basic':
      document.querySelector('#suggestCode').innerText =
        '<input type="text" name="lp" id="searchIDX-lp" value="" class="searchIDX-input" />\n' +
        '<input type="text" name="hp" id="searchIDX-hp" value="" />\n' +
        '<select id="searchIDX-bd" name="bd" class="searchIDX-select" autocomplete="off">\n' +
        '<option value="">Any Number</option>\n' +
        '<option value="0">Studio</option>\n' +
        '<option value="1">1+</option>\n' +
        '<option value="2">2+</option>\n' +
        '<option value="3">3+</option>\n' +
        '<option value="4">4+</option>\n' +
        '<option value="5">5+</option>\n' +
        '</select>\n' +
        '<select id="searchIDX-tb" name="tb" class="searchIDX-select" autocomplete="off">\n' +
        '<option value="">Any Number</option>\n' +
        '<option value="1">1+</option>\n' +
        '<option value="2">2+</option>\n' +
        '<option value="3">3+</option>\n' +
        '<option value="4">4+</option>\n' +
        '<option value="5">5+</option>\n' +
        '</select>\n' +
        '<input type="text" name="sqft" id="searchIDX-sqft" value="" />\n' +
        '<input type="text" name="acres" id="IDX-acres" value="" />\n';
      break;

    case 'input':
      document.querySelector('#suggestCode').innerText =
        '<input type="text" value="test" />';
      break;

    case 'submit':
      document.querySelector('#suggestCode').innerText =
        '<input type="submit" />';
      break;
  }
}
</script>

<style>
.ib {
  display: inline-block;
  width: 40%;
  padding-left: 10px;
}

#codeIn {
  position: relative;
}

#codeOut {
  position: fixed;
}

textarea {
  box-sizing: border-box;
  width: 100%;
  height: 50%;
}
</style>
</body>
</html>

Query Length Limitations

Long custom search URLs may run into browser or application limits.

Microsoft products historically limit URLs to approximately 2,083 characters. Long IDX search URLs may not work properly in some versions of Outlook or Internet Explorer.

To shorten long queries, use comma-separated values where supported.

Example:

&csv_airConditioning[]=Heat+Pump,Window

Instead of:

&a_airConditioning[]=Heat+Pump&a_airConditioning[]=Window

Multi-MLS and Multi-Property Type Searches

Only core fields should be used when searching across:

Multiple MLSs
Multiple property types

Advanced fields are MLS-specific and property-type-specific, so they may not work reliably across multiple MLSs or property types.

No-Commingling MLS Results

Some MLSs do not allow commingling.

When this applies:

Results from that MLS may appear in a separate tab
Map Search may not allow searching all MLSs together
The first tab may include only MLSs that allow commingling

Best Practices

Use Core Fields When Possible

Core fields are more reliable across MLSs and property types.

Inspect Existing IDX Forms

Use browser developer tools to identify working field names and values.

Test All Form Submissions

Confirm that each field passes the expected parameter and returns the correct results.

Avoid Overly Long URLs

Limit the number of fields and selected values where possible.

Do Not Expose API Keys Publicly

Any API-based form builder should avoid exposing API keys in public-facing code.

Additional Resources

IDX Broker API Documentation
Browser Developer Tools
HTML Form Documentation
JavaScript Form Handling Documentation

Overview

Important Notes

Create a Basic Custom Form

Basic Form Example

Example Action URL

How the Form Works

Key Points

Finding IDX Broker Field Names

Core Fields vs. Advanced Fields

Core Fields

Advanced Fields

Common Query Logic

Separate Fields Use AND Logic

Multiple Values for the Same Field Use OR Logic

Advanced Field Prefixes

Additional Useful Fields

Sort Options

IDX Broker Property Types

Create a Custom Form Using JavaScript

Query Length Limitations

Multi-MLS and Multi-Property Type Searches

No-Commingling MLS Results

Best Practices

Use Core Fields When Possible

Inspect Existing IDX Forms

Test All Form Submissions

Avoid Overly Long URLs

Do Not Expose API Keys Publicly

Additional Resources

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