Hi!
1. Can you please check the FTP details? I cannot seem to log-in. I would like to debug the query to see why the exclusions does not take effect. Thank you very much.
4. It happens because of how the theme search feature is constructed. It uses a background layer that covers the search bar, and clicking on it will close the search overlay. This simple custom CSS will resolve it:
[html].cc {
z-index: -1 !important;
}[/html]
For the search results override to work, the search needs to be made via the ajax search pro form, as if you have more than one search instances, the plugin would not be able to tell which configuration to use to override the results.