The search radius can only be set by the administrator, in the control panel.
This was done largely for usability reasons. When users perform location searches, their primary objective is to enter a point of origin and obtain results. Anything that detracts from that goal increases the chances a user will not find what they are looking for and abandon the search.
For example, a locator with a radius dropdown on the user interface is set to some default value. The user comes to the locator, enters a postal code, doesn't get any results back, they may conclude there are no locations near them, and perhaps leave the page. Assuming the user sees the dropdown after the first failure, they are likely going to select the largest radius in the dropdown and start over.
From a usability standpoint, you can never assume the user will even see the dropdown, and you can never predict what radius is relative to their needs.
The LiteRadius locator is designed so the search radius and the number of results returned work together. With a large radius, say 600 miles, a user search will almost certainly return a result on the first try.
If on the other hand if you have a specific business need to provide users control over the radius search, that function would need to be coded into the program. Please contact us at
info@escaperadius.com if you require further information on custom programming.
