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WP Extended Search

By Sumit Singh

E-commerce & Shopping /

WP Extended Search Review - In-Depth Analysis

WP Extended Search enhances WordPress search functionality. It allows searching in post meta, taxonomies, and author names. Customize search behavior and create multiple search settings.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.9/10

User Rating

4.9/5 (based on 72+ reviews)

Active Installations

20,000+

Update Frequency

Below Average It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

1 / 10 (Very Low Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

WP Extended Search is a lightweight and powerful search plugin.

With this plugin you can customize WordPress search to search in Post Meta, Author names, Categories, Tags, or Custom Taxonomies via admin settings. You can control the default behavior of WordPress to search in the post title, post content, and post excerpt.

Apart from customizing default search behavior, you can create multiple search settings, and then you can assign these settings to custom search forms. For custom search forms, you have the option to choose from a widget, shortcode, PHP function, or HTML.

This plugin allows you to search in selected meta keys, categories, tags, or custom taxonomies. You can also search in the post author name and include or exclude any public post type. Control whether to search in title, content, excerpt, or all. It is compatible with WooCommerce, allowing you to search in product SKU, attributes, variations, and custom fields.

Create unlimited search settings to use with custom search forms, and add search forms using a widget, shortcode, or PHP function. You can exclude old content from search results, customize the number of posts displayed, and adjust the SQL relation between search terms. Additionally, you can limit attachment results by mime type and ensure the plugin is translation ready and compatible with WPML.

Comparing to Alternatives

WP Extended Search is a focused plugin that enhances WordPress search functionality with support for custom post types and fields. Compared to other search plugins, it offers a straightforward and effective solution without added complexity.

Top alternatives

WP Extended Search

Strengths

Supports custom post types and custom fields
Simple to set up and use
Improves default WordPress search significantly
Lightweight and efficient

Weaknesses

No pro version with advanced features
Limited to search enhancements only
Lacks integration with external search services

User Sentiment Analysis

User feedback highlights the plugin's effectiveness and ease of use, with many praising its impact on search functionality.

Positive highlights

"I have been searching for over a week for a plugin like this. Its awesome!" - Julian Muslia
"Works SUPER good, keep up the great work" - bestwin
"Works brilliantly! Simple to set up and supports custom post types and custom fields created with Pods." - james4311
"Fantastic plugin, got me out of a serious issue I was having with search functionality." - karll10
"Wordpress default search is absolutely terrible. This plugin dramatically improves the search capabilities." - Mark

Common complaints

Weaknesses

No advanced features beyond basic search enhancement
No paid version limits access to premium support or features

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users looking to improve WordPress search with a lightweight, easy-to-configure plugin that supports custom post types and fields.

Not ideal for

Those needing advanced search features, integrations with external search engines, or premium support options.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version offers robust search enhancements including support for custom post types and fields, providing significant improvement over default WordPress search.

Final Verdict

WP Extended Search is a reliable and straightforward plugin that effectively enhances WordPress search capabilities, especially for sites using custom post types and fields.

While it lacks a pro version and advanced features, its free offering delivers excellent value for users seeking a simple yet powerful search improvement.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free WP Extended Search plugin.

Advanced Search

Category Search

Tag Search

WooCommerce Search

Screenshots

FAQ

Yes, It is. When WooCommerce is active you will see a new checkbox in setting “Optimize for Products Search” select it and then the search results will use the default WooCommerce template or the template from your theme.