--- a/src/pyams_content/features/search/portlet/__init__.py	Tue Jan 08 16:15:45 2019 +0100
+++ b/src/pyams_content/features/search/portlet/__init__.py	Wed Jan 09 12:15:30 2019 +0100
@@ -40,6 +40,11 @@
     force_canonical_url = FieldProperty(ISearchResultsPortletSettings['force_canonical_url'])
 
     @staticmethod
+    def has_user_query(request):
+        params = request.params
+        return params.get('user_search', '').strip() or params.get('tag', '').strip()
+
+    @staticmethod
     def _get_items(request=None, limit=None, ignore_cache=False):
         context = get_parent(request.context, ISearchFolder)
         if context is None:
@@ -59,7 +64,7 @@
                                            request=request)
 
     def get_items(self, request=None, limit=None, ignore_cache=False):
-        if not (self.allow_empty_query or request.params.get('user_search', '').strip()):
+        if not (self.allow_empty_query or self.has_user_query(request)):
             yield from iter(((), 0),)
         else:
             check, items = tee(SearchResultsPortletSettings._get_items(request, limit, ignore_cache))

--- a/src/pyams_content/features/search/portlet/interfaces.py	Tue Jan 08 16:15:45 2019 +0100
+++ b/src/pyams_content/features/search/portlet/interfaces.py	Wed Jan 09 12:15:30 2019 +0100
@@ -14,11 +14,10 @@
 
 from zope.schema import Bool
 
+from pyams_content import _
 from pyams_i18n.schema import I18nTextLineField
 from pyams_portal.interfaces import IPortletSettings
 
-from pyams_content import _
-
 
 class ISearchResultsPortletSettings(IPortletSettings):
     """Search results portlet settings"""
@@ -33,6 +32,9 @@
                              required=True,
                              default=True)
 
+    def has_user_query(self):
+        """Check if user entered custom search arguments"""
+
     force_canonical_url = Bool(title=_("Force canonical URL?"),
                                description=_("By default, internal links use a \"relative\" URL, which tries to "
                                              "display link target in the current context; by using a canonical URL, "