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ACF: Better Search

By Mateusz Gbiorczyk

Site Structure & Navigation / Search Filtering & Facets

Reviewed by Omar Dabbas

Trusted WordPress expert with 20+ years of experience evaluating plugins for the WP ecosystem.

ACF: Better Search Review - In-Depth Analysis

Enhance WordPress search with Advanced Custom Fields. This plugin improves search accuracy by allowing searches on custom fields.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.76/10

User Rating

4.9/5 (based on 165+ reviews)

Active Installations

40,000+

Update Frequency

Very Good It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

5 / 10 (Medium Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

This plugin adds to default WordPress search engine the ability to search by content from selected fields of Advanced Custom Fields plugin.

Everything works automatically, no need to add any additional code. The plugin does not create a search results page, but modifies the SQL database query to make your search engine work better.

Additionally you can search for whole phrases instead of each single word of phrase. As a result, search will be more accurate than before.

We modified the code of search engine. Content search is now faster by about 75% depending on the level of complexity of searched phrase!

We spend hours working on the development of this plugin. Technical support also requires a lot of time, but we do it because we want to offer you the best plugin. We enjoy every new plugin installation.

If you would like to appreciate it, you can provide us a coffee. If every user bought at least one, we could work on the plugin 24 hours a day!

Please also read the FAQ below. Thank you for being with us!

Comparing to Alternatives

ACF: Better Search is a specialized plugin that enhances search functionality by integrating Advanced Custom Fields data, making it distinct from general search plugins.

Top alternatives

Relevanssi – A Better Search ( WPS: 7.07)

Strengths

Seamlessly integrates with ACF to include custom fields in search results.
Extremely easy and quick to set up with minimal configuration.
Reliable performance with fast search results.
Active support and quick updates from the developer.
Allows selective searching within specific ACF field types.

Weaknesses

Limited to sites using Advanced Custom Fields plugin.
No pro version available, limiting advanced premium features.
Has a past medium-level security vulnerability, though fixed promptly.
Less feature-rich compared to some broader search plugins.

User Sentiment Analysis

With a near-perfect 4.9-star rating from 165 users, feedback is overwhelmingly positive, highlighting ease of use and effectiveness. Negative reviews are minimal and do not indicate major issues.

Positive highlights

'Great plug in, very quick and easy set up, working within minutes.' – amyskea
'Great, works perfectly. Fast.' – mkdes
'Excellent little plugin that allows default search to return results based on stored ACF values.' – jamieplexus
'Lots of ACF Fields? This works!' – hommealone
'Great plugin from a great plugin author with responsive support.' – matthewmorete

Common complaints

Weaknesses

Past medium severity CSRF vulnerability fixed in version 3.3.1.
No advanced premium features due to lack of pro version.
Limited to users who utilize ACF plugin for custom fields.

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Ideal for WordPress users who heavily utilize Advanced Custom Fields and want to enhance their site's search functionality to include custom field data effortlessly.

Not ideal for

Not suitable for users who do not use ACF or require a more comprehensive search solution with advanced premium features and broader compatibility.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version offers full functionality to integrate ACF fields into search results with easy setup and reliable performance.

Final Verdict

ACF: Better Search is a highly effective and user-friendly plugin that significantly improves search capabilities by including Advanced Custom Fields data. Its ease of setup and reliable performance have earned it excellent user ratings and praise.

While it lacks a pro version and had a past security vulnerability that has been addressed, it remains a valuable tool for sites using ACF. Users seeking broader search features or not using ACF should consider alternatives like Relevanssi.