Limiting WordPress Search Results: A Guide

Improving Your WordPress Search Results: Tips and Tricks

If you’ve ever used the default search function on a WordPress site, you know that it’s not always the most effective. Fortunately, there are several ways to improve your search results and make it easier for visitors to find what they’re looking for. In this article, we’ll explore some of the best methods for limiting search results by category, excluding pages from search results, limiting search results by post type, changing the number of search results displayed, and using plugins to improve your search functionality.

Limiting Search Results by Category

If your site has multiple categories or sections, it can be helpful to limit search results to specific categories. Here are two methods for doing so:

1. Using a Hidden Input Field in Your Searchform.php

This method involves adding a hidden input to your searchform.php file with the category ID for the value. For example, if you want to limit search results to the “WordPress Themes” category (which has an ID of 5), you would add the following code to your searchform.php file:

This will ensure that all search results are limited to the “WordPress Themes” category.

2. Adding a Query Statement to Your Search.php File

Another option is to add a query statement to your search.php file that includes or excludes specific categories. For example, if you want to include categories with IDs 1, 2, and 3 in your search results, you would add the following code:

$paged = ( get_query_var(‘paged’) ) ? get_query_var(‘paged’) : 1;

query_posts( “s=$s&paged=$paged&cat=1,2,3” );

?>

If you want to exclude a specific category (such as one with an ID of 7), you would use negative IDs:

$paged = ( get_query_var(‘paged’) ) ? get_query_var(‘paged’) : 1;

query_posts( “s=$s&paged=$paged&cat=-7” );

?>

Excluding Pages from Search Results

By default, WordPress includes both posts and pages in search results. However, you may want to exclude pages from your search results to make it easier for visitors to find relevant content. Here are two methods for doing so:

1. Using a Function

One way to exclude pages from search results is to add a function to your functions.php file that sets the post type to “post” for all search queries:

// Remove pages from search results

function exclude_pages_from_search( $query ) {

if ( $query->is_search() && $query->is_main_query() && ! is_admin() ) {

$query->set( ‘post_type’, ‘post’ );

}

}

add_filter( ‘pre_get_posts’,’exclude_pages_from_search’ );

2. Using a Conditional in Your Search.php File

Another option is to add a conditional statement to your search.php file that excludes pages from the loop:

if ( have_posts() ) : while ( have_posts() ) : the_post();

// Exclude pages from the loop.

if ( is_search() && ( $post->post_type==’page’ ) ) {

continue;

}

?>

You can also exclude specific pages or posts by adding their IDs to an array:

// Exclude specific posts/pages from search

function myprefix_exclude_pages_from_search( $query) {

if ( $query->is_search() && $query->is_main_query() && ! is_admin() ) {

$exclude_ids = array( 7, 19 , 21 ); // Array of the ID’s to exclude

$query->set( ‘post__not_in’, $exclude_ids );

}

}

add_filter( ‘pre_get_posts’, ‘myprefix_exclude_pages_from_search’ );

Limiting Search Results by Post Type

If you have custom post types on your site, you may want to exclude them from search results or limit search results to a specific post type. Here are two methods for doing so:

1. Excluding a Custom Post Type from Search Results

To exclude a custom post type from search results, simply add the following argument when defining your custom post type:

‘exclude_from_search’ => true

This will ensure that your custom post type is not included in search results.

2. Using a Hidden Field in Your Search Form

Alternatively, you can use a hidden field in your search form to limit search results to a specific post type. For example, if you want to limit search results to your “portfolio” custom post type, you would add the following code to your search form:

Changing the Number of Search Results

By default, WordPress displays the number of search results defined under Settings > Reading. However, you can change the number of search results displayed using the following code:

// Alter search posts per page

function myprefix_search_posts_per_page( $query) {

if ( $query->is_search() && $query->is_main_query() && ! is_admin() ) {

$query->set( ‘posts_per_page’, ’10’ );

}

}

add_filter( ‘pre_get_posts’, ‘myprefix_search_posts_per_page’ );

This code will set your search results to 10 per page, but you can change the number to whatever you want. To display an unlimited number of search results, use -1.

Using Plugins to Improve Your Search Results

If you want to take your search functionality to the next level, there are several plugins available that can help. Here are three options to consider:

1. WP Extended Search

WP Extended Search allows you to customize your search results by meta, categories, tags, terms, title, and more. You can exclude specific post types from search, exclude posts that are older than a specific date, customize the ordering of search results, and more.

2. Ivory Search

Ivory Search allows you to create custom search forms with options to configure each form separately. You can create a custom search for a specific post type or exclude certain content from your search results.

3. Relevanssi

Relevanssi is the most advanced option, offering many features to improve your WordPress site search function. You can easily restrict searches using the plugin’s indexing options, select category restrictions/exclusions, add specific post ID exclusions, and much more. There is also a premium version of this plugin available for even more features.

In conclusion, improving your WordPress search functionality is essential for providing a better user experience and helping visitors find the content they’re looking for. By using the tips and tricks outlined in this article, you can customize your search results to meet your specific needs and make it easier for visitors to find what they’re looking for.

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