Ivory Search: Our Complete Review
If you build or manage any content-rich WordPress website, then you already know just how crucial functional search is.
The only effective way I have found to provide a search function that delivers quick, accurate results to WordPress site visitors is to use a search plugin. This is because WordPress’s default search function is limited in capabilities and often cannot index much of the content visitors look for.
Ivory Search is one of the most widely installed WordPress search plugins that genuinely improves the quality of search results. Even with its free version, the difference it makes is noticeable.
In this article, I offer an in-depth review of Ivory Search, covering its key features and performance, ease of use, pros, cons, and what other users say about the plugin. If you have been considering Ivory Search for your WordPress search needs, this review will help you decide whether it’s worth installing.
Ivory Search Quick Links
What is Ivory Search
Ivory Search is a plugin that replaces WordPress’s frustratingly limited search with advanced features that improve content visibility.
At its core, Ivory Search makes it easy to create multiple customized search forms, allowing you to perform different types of searches across your website. For example, you could create specific search forms for your blog page, shop archive page, and knowledge base.
You can add the search forms you create almost anywhere on your site, including the header, footer, sidebar, widget area, navigation menu, pages, and posts, all using their respective shortcodes.
Ivory Search is available in both free and Pro versions. From my experience with the plugin, I can say that the free version is feature-rich and can handle most basic search needs for WordPress sites.
The Pro version offers more advanced search features, including searching WooCommerce products by SKU, keyword stemming, and support for searching images, attachments, and other media files.
I installed Ivory Search on my staging site, which runs a typical WordPress setup, to review its features and evaluate how effectively they perform in real-world scenarios.
I added a few blog posts to create a small blog archive, several custom post types with custom fields, and WooCommerce products with categories, tags, and SKUs.
With my content set up, I created individual search forms for each content type, each with its own rules for what to exclude, include, and display. I inserted the search forms using shortcodes on the blog archive page, the custom post type page, and the WooCommerce shop archive page.
As I tested the search forms, I focused on their performance in keyword accuracy, partial matches, and search relevance. I also noted how intuitive the interface and overall setup process were, as well as any friction points I encountered. Everything you’ll read below is based on this hands-on experience with the Ivory Search plugin.
Key Features & Performance
Unlimited Custom Search Forms
The ability to create an unlimited number of uniquely customized search forms was one of the features I was most eager to explore when I installed Ivory Search.
The idea of replacing the default WordPress site-wide search form with more flexible, individually designed search forms that make it easier to filter specific content types just made sense.
From the plugin’s dashboard, I was able to create new search forms for all my desired use cases. The configuration interface is tab-based and easy to understand. Though I’ll admit that the number of configuration options displayed initially can feel overwhelming.
Once I got my bearings, it only took a couple of minutes to build each custom search form.
With all the forms added to the site, I spent some time testing the quality of the results and whether there was any impact on site performance. Search results were quite accurate, with only a few small tweaks needed to fine-tune things. Performance also remained stable even with all the forms active at once.
I’d say this feature is extremely valuable for a content-heavy or multipurpose site where tailoring the search experience to user intent is key. It is one of the key reasons the plugin made our list of best WordPress search plugins.
Advanced Search Controls & Filters
Another Ivory Search feature I appreciate is the granular control it offers users over what each search form indexes and displays. I could choose whether to include or exclude specific posts, pages, products, and even media files from search results.
Beyond content targeting, Ivory Search also provides keyword-level control. I had options that let me restrict searches to match post titles, content, or excerpts. This feature allowed me to customize my search algorithm and enhance the relevance of search results.
In practice, the feature worked flawlessly. I tested my custom post type search form, excluding all other post types from the results and an entire category, and received exactly what I expected on the first try.
This detailed filtering capability is a major advantage for sites with mixed content, where some elements don’t need to appear in search results for specific content types.
WooCommerce Search Integration
Without a plugin like Ivory Search, WordPress’s default search is almost useless for filtering WooCommerce products. It completely misses product SKUs, attributes, and stock status.
When creating a custom search form for WooCommerce products on my staging site, I set it to target only the product post type and to search by product title, taxonomies, and related custom fields.
I also configured the form to filter by attributes such as color and style, and ensured that out-of-stock products were excluded from search results.
In my frontend tests, search results were definitely more relevant than the standard WordPress search and displayed using WooCommerce’s native search results page styling. This was great because I didn’t have to spend extra time fixing layout issues or theme conflicts that might have come up from using a custom display.
AJAX Search Functionality
Ivory Search features built-in AJAX live search that can be enabled with a toggle and quickly set up in minutes.
While configuring the plugin for testing on my staging site, I was given options to select which content to show in the AJAX search results dropdown. I also got to set other options, like how the search button should behave when clicked and the minimum number of characters required to start an AJAX search.
The AJAX functionality performed smoothly on my staging site, with no noticeable lag. It made browsing content more enjoyable and seamless. It’s exactly the kind of search experience visitors would expect on a modern website.
Custom Post Type & Taxonomy Support
One reason you might need to install a search plugin on your site is to let visitors filter through custom post types and taxonomies without seeing the “no results found” message that’s common with the default WordPress search.
Ivory Search helped me easily create custom forms that powered search for my “Pets” custom post type and its taxonomies. When I tested the search form on the frontend, the results were accurate and relevant.
If you are building your WordPress site with the Oxygen Builder or another tool where custom post types are key to the site structure, this feature is very useful.
Ease of Use
In my experience, Ivory Search does extremely well with the powerful features it offers, while maintaining an overall ease of use. Although the plugin is feature-rich, it follows a logical structure that makes configuring search forms straightforward.
After installing and activating it through the standard WordPress plugin installation process, I was able to access its interface to configure its settings and create a search form.
Since the forms I created were fairly simple, the process was very easy, and I didn’t need to refer to the plugin’s documentation. I just configured all relevant settings, tab by tab, saved my forms, and then added them to my website’s sections using shortcode and widgets.
If you’re creating forms with more advanced search features, things may seem a bit overwhelming as you explore the many settings in the different tabs. However, it remains quite manageable once you get familiar with the interface and understand the overall layout. The documentation is also always available for reference.
Ivory Search Pricing
Ivory Search uses a freemium model, offering a free version that’s available for download from the WordPress.org plugin repository. This version is feature-rich and includes all the core search customization features that the plugin provides.
The premium version is divided into two plans: Pro and Pro Plus, each with different payment options based on the number of sites and the payment term a user selects. Here’s a breakdown:
| Plan Name | Site Licences | Price (Annual) | Price (One-Time) |
| Pro | 1 | $19.99 | $99.99 |
| 5 | $39.99 | $179.99 | |
| 25 | $149.99 | $299.99 | |
| Pro Plus | 1 | $49.99 | $189.99 |
| 5 | $89.99 | $279.99 | |
| 25 | $249.99 | $499.99 |
The premium version offers advanced WooCommerce search features, custom-field search, and priority support, among other features.
For most sites, the free version is sufficient to enhance visitors’ search experience, so I recommend starting with it before upgrading.
Ivory Search Pros & Cons
Pros
- The free version of the plugin provides many useful features.
- I appreciated the convenience of having AJAX functionality integrated into the plugin.
- It offers robust support for searching WooCommerce products.
- It allows you to create unlimited custom search forms for almost any type of search on your website.
- It supports searching for custom post types and custom fields.
Cons
- The interface can feel slightly overwhelming initially.
- You need CSS knowledge for advanced styling customizations.
- Advanced search features are locked behind a premium subscription.
- There is no built-in search analytics. It depends on Google Analytics for site search tracking.
What Real Users Say About Ivory Search
On the WordPress.org plugin repository, Ivory Search has an impressive rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars based on over 1,000 user reviews. This high rating demonstrates how valuable the plugin is for most users, who use it to enhance their site’s search experience.
Many of them praise its flexibility, which allows them to create multiple custom search forms and precisely control which content gets indexed and appears in search results.
I also noticed many positive reviews regarding the plugin’s compatibility with WooCommerce and custom post types. Additionally, some users highlighted the quality of support from the plugin developer, appreciating the quick responses whenever issues arose.
The main criticism of the plugin is the large number of configuration settings, which can quickly become overwhelming, especially for less-technical users.
However, the volume of positive reviews far outweighs the negative ones. It’s safe to say that, based on the feedback, Ivory Search’s level of polish and support, especially for a freemium plugin, is unmatched.
Final Verdict: Is Ivory Search Right for You?
It is very clear that Ivory Search is a leading WordPress search plugin. The fact that it offers a free version with genuinely helpful features for improving WordPress search sets it apart.
If you’re looking for an affordable way to improve your WordPress search without an immediate financial commitment, then Ivory Search is a great choice. Its features and interface are user-friendly once you become familiar with them, and its performance remains responsive across a range of content types.
The only area where it falls short is in more advanced features, such as comprehensive search analytics and sophisticated relevance scoring. If you need those, you’ll want to consider a more advanced search plugin.
However, if you run a blog, a content-rich website, or a WooCommerce store and want dependable, adaptable search without paying a premium, Ivory Search delivers. I suggest starting with the free version. It’s likely enough to meet most of your site’s search requirements without the need for an upgrade.
Common Questions About Ivory Search
What is Ivory Search?
Ivory Search is a plugin that makes it easy to create multiple customized search forms to replace WordPress’s limited search function, improving content visibility and the overall search experience for site users.
Is the Ivory Search plugin free?
Yes. The Ivory Search plugin offers a free version that includes all its core features, which can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin repository. However, there is also a pro version that offers additional features, including advanced WooCommerce search, custom field search, and priority support.
What is the best search for WooCommerce?
– Elevated Product Search for WooCommerce
– Advanced Woo Search
– SearchWP
– Ivory Search
– Fibo Search
Further Reading
