Elasticsearch Troubleshooting and Frequently Asked Questions
Instructions for troubleshooting Elasticsearch issues with the ElasticPress plugin on your Pantheon WordPress site.
This documentation describes support for Elasticsearch that is under active development and is available to customers who are participating in our Beta program.
Troubleshooting
ElasticPress cannot connect to the host
- Verify that Elasticsearch has been activated in the Pantheon Dashboard or via Terminus.
- If you are in the Beta phase, confirm that the EP constants are properly defined in
wp-config.php. - Check the ElasticPress Status Report for connection errors and details.
- Use the ElasticPress WP-CLI command
wp elasticpress statusto check connectivity from the command line (terminus wp <site>.<env> -- elasticpress status).
Search results are outdated or missing content
- Run a full index sync from the ElasticPress dashboard or via WP-CLI (
terminus wp <site>.<env> -- elasticpress sync). - If you recently published or updated content, allow a moment for the sync to complete before testing.
Site performance has not improved after enabling Elasticsearch
- Ensure ElasticPress features are actually enabled under ElasticPress > Features in WordPress admin.
- Check that
ep_integrateis not set tofalseon your critical queries. - Use the ElasticPress Status Report (under ElasticPress > Status Report) to verify that queries are being routed to Elasticsearch.
Plugin activation errors
- Ensure you are running a supported version of WordPress and PHP.
- Deactivate other search plugins that may conflict with ElasticPress.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to pay extra for Elasticsearch?
Access to Elasticsearch is included for sites on Performance plans and above.
During the Beta phase, the Elasticsearch add-on is able to be activated via Site Settings in the Pantheon Dashboard. There is no need to submit a form to participate in the Beta.
| Feature | Elasticsearch | Apache Solr |
|---|---|---|
| CMS Support | WordPress | WordPress, Drupal |
| Plan Availability | Performance, Elite (not Sandbox) | Sandbox (dev only), Performance, Elite |
| Plugin | ElasticPress | Solr Power (WordPress), Search API Solr (Drupal) |
| Fuzzy Search | Yes | Limited |
| Instant Search | Yes | No |
| Autosuggest | Yes | No |
| Faceted Search | Yes | Yes |
| WooCommerce Support | Yes | No |
WP_Query Offloading | Yes | Yes |
| Related Content | Yes | Manual |
| Status | Beta | Generally Available |
What plugin do I use?
Use the open-source ElasticPress plugin from WordPress.org. Pantheon does not require a custom plugin — ElasticPress is the standard WordPress integration for Elasticsearch.
Can I use Solr and Elasticsearch at the same time?
Yes. Solr can be enabled at the same time as Elasticsearch to support migration. However, it is not recommended to actively use both in production simultaneously.
Do I get a dedicated Elasticsearch instance?
Pantheon uses shared Elasticsearch clusters. For high-value enterprise sites requiring total isolation, dedicated clusters may be provisioned upon request and approval.
Do I get all the features of ElasticPress?
Yes. All features available in the ElasticPress plugin are supported on Pantheon's Elasticsearch integration, including features that are specific to ElasticPress.io.
Can I use ElasticPress AI features?
Yes, you can use ElasticPress AI features with your own API keys. Pantheon does not provide API keys or built-in AI integration at this time.
Does each environment get its own Elasticsearch endpoint?
Yes. Every environment on your site — Dev, Test, Live, and Multidevs — receives its own Elasticsearch endpoint. This ensures that indexing and searching in one environment does not affect another.