Is SearchWP the Right WordPress Search Plugin for You?
If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably experienced your fair share of frustrating moments with WordPress’s built-in search feature. It performs poorly when searching for most content on websites, unless it’s post and page titles, content, and excerpts.
This frustration led me to look for the ideal plugin to improve the search experience on the websites I manage. SearchWP is one of the highly regarded WordPress search plugins I came across during this process.
After testing it to understand its features, performance, and ease of use, I thought I’d share some of my insights. If you’ve been wondering whether SearchWP is the right WordPress search plugin for you, this article will provide all the key information you need to decide.
SearchWP Quick Links
What Is SearchWP?
SearchWP is a premium search plugin widely used across thousands of WordPress sites. It is designed to provide a more relevant, customisable, and powerful search experience for users by replacing the default WordPress search.
SearchWP indexes much of the content that the default WordPress search typically overlooks, such as custom fields, PDF files, taxonomies, and e-commerce data.
The plugin also provides many other valuable search-enhancing features (which I will discuss shortly), along with an intuitive user interface that makes it straightforward to use. It does, however, have a learning curve, especially if your search configuration is complex.
To test SearchWP, I installed the plugin on a clean WordPress staging site with a lightweight theme and no prior search enhancement settings. I did this to ensure my evaluation of the plugin is not affected by external factors, such as conflicts with plugins or themes on a production site, which can lead to performance issues and skew test results.
Next, I created and added datasets to run the search tests. These included WooCommerce products with SKUs and attributes, blog posts with Advanced Custom Fields, and a few indexed PDFs.
I began by benchmarking the default WordPress search to establish a baseline for search relevance. Then I set up custom search algorithms and search forms, and adjusted settings such as keyword weighting and custom field indexing to improve search relevance. The forms were subsequently added to the site and tested.
Throughout the process, I monitored key aspects such as indexing speed, search result accuracy, relevance ranking, and performance impact. This gave me a clear understanding of SearchWP’s strengths and weaknesses beyond surface-level feature claims.
Key Features & Performance
Custom Search Engines
The ability to create customised search engines (or algorithms) for different areas of a WordPress website is one of SearchWP’s main features that I was most eager to try out.
I like the idea of offering unique search experiences tailored to each page’s content, so site visitors are always presented with the most relevant results.
I configured two custom search algorithms during testing to handle different content types I added to the staging site. The first was a product-only search engine in which Products, Product Categories, and Product Tags were the only selected Sources.
The second was a blog-specific search algorithm that only searched through posts and their Advanced Custom Fields.
I then added both engines to the custom search forms I had created and inserted those forms into the relevant pages on the staging site for blog posts and WooCommerce products.
From the outset, there was a noticeable difference in the quality of search results displayed on each page compared to the default search function. This feature is indeed valuable for setting up searches that require more targeted results.
Relevance Weighting System
One of the steps involved in creating a custom search engine that returns relevant, accurate results is to properly set up the weighting system for content elements.
This feature determines which content elements should dominate the search algorithm. The higher the weight assigned to an indexed element, the higher it appears in the search results.
I used the slider-based controls to assign a weight to each attribute under each Source. For example, the SKU and Title attributes under Product were given the maximum weight, while Description was given the minimum. This automatically resulted in more accurate product search results.
I appreciated the visual feedback as well. It allowed me to quickly adjust the sliders and immediately test searches to see how the ranking system improved.
Content Indexing Capabilities
Like most good search plugins, SearchWP’s greatest advantage is its ability to index a wide variety of content that WordPress’s default search function completely overlooks.
After completing the onboarding steps and setting up my custom search engines, I confirmed that the plugin had successfully indexed all my content. This included my WooCommerce product attributes, SKUs, custom field data, and even text from PDF files.
WordPress’s default search only indexes posts and pages. SearchWP overcomes this limitation by indexing most content, such as custom post types, comments, users, document files, and shortcode outputs, among others.
The best part, in my opinion, is that SearchWP manages indexing and re-indexing automatically. This saves you the hassle of manually re-indexing content whenever changes are made.
However, there are still some cases where you may need to click the button manually to rebuild the index. Ultimately, it ensures that only the most recent and relevant content is presented to search visitors at any given time.
WooCommerce Integration
Even though WooCommerce includes a built-in product search function, it is rather limited in speed and functionality. This makes SearchWP’s WooCommerce support a valuable feature for users like me.
I tested it extensively with variable products and had no issues finding products by attributes such as size, color, SKUs, product categories, or customer reviews. It didn’t matter if I inputted partial SKU numbers in the search bar; SearchWP always returned relevant results.
I should mention that the integration is not built-in and requires installing the WooCommerce add-on separately for it to work. But that’s not much of an inconvenience when you consider the increased product discoverability that your site benefits from once it’s installed.
Live AJAX Search
Just like an add-on is needed to use SearchWP’s WooCommerce integration, the live AJAX search feature was built as a separate plugin that users can install to see relevant search results as they type in the search bar.
I installed the plugin and enabled live search, which automatically added the function to the search forms I had previously created.
The real-time suggestions appeared immediately after typing three characters, displaying relevant results without needing a page refresh.
I also appreciated the ability to customize the layout, theme, visual style, and position of the live search.
My staging site’s performance stayed solid during testing; the AJAX requests didn’t noticeably slow things down.
However, on high-traffic sites, this feature might increase server load. I recommend monitoring your site’s performance when using the live AJAX search alongside other resource-heavy plugins.
Search Analytics
SearchWP’s built-in search statistics dashboard is another one of my favorite features of the plugin. It tracks what site users search for, helping you identify content gaps you might otherwise miss.
I reviewed the search statistics for each search engine I set up and saw both the most popular queries and those that returned no results; none in my test case.
For advanced search tracking, I installed SearchWP’s Metrics add-on. This is designed to provide even more data, such as searches per user, clicks per search, and detailed actionable insights. The data can be exported to CSV for further analysis. However, I didn’t have enough search data in my test case to observe it in action.
I believe search statistics and metrics are very useful for content strategy and SEO. Identifying failed searches proved invaluable; it’s essentially free keyword research from your actual audience.
Ease of Use
SearchWP strikes a good balance between power and usability, though the overall setup can feel a bit more demanding than that of basic search plugins.
Once I’d purchased and downloaded it, I installed it using the standard WordPress plugin installation steps: upload the zip file, activate it, and enter the license key.
The initial configuration wizard guided me through creating my first search engine, but I found I needed to refer to the plugin’s documentation to understand the indexing options and the concept of weighting.
The user interface is sleek and modern, but there’s definitely a learning curve if you are unfamiliar with search mechanics. However, once I had grasped the core concepts, setting up additional search engines was straightforward.
Overall, I’d rate SearchWP as intermediate difficulty. Beginners can get basic functionality up and running quickly, but maximizing its potential requires time and some technical understanding.
SearchWP Pricing Tiers
SearchWP offers three annual licensing plans. Below is a breakdown:
| Plan Name | Site Licenses | Price |
| Standard | 1 site | $99 |
| Pro | 3 sites | $199 |
| All Access Bundle | 100 sites | $399 |
All tiers include the core search functionality, with higher tiers offering more advanced features. Extensions and one-year of support are also included in each plan.
There’s a 14-day money-back guarantee, which is useful for users who try it and aren’t satisfied. However, I prefer a free trial that lets me test compatibility and features before making a purchase.
SearchWP Pros & Cons
Pros
- I appreciate that SearchWP indexes nearly all content types, including PDF files, custom fields, and WooCommerce products, which the default WordPress search often misses.
- The deep-level of search customizability through custom search engines and forms makes for a better search experience.
- I found the accuracy of the search results displayed in SearchWP forms impressive.
- SearchWP is very developer-friendly and provides detailed documentation to help you explore all its features.
Cons
- It does not offer a free version for initial testing before subscribing to a paid plan.
- There’s a learning curve required to fully utilize the plugin’s features.
- Custom form styling requires custom CSS to match site’s branding and aesthetic.
- It is overkill for small WordPress sites or blogs with limited search needs.
What Real Users Say About SearchWP
SearchWP’s review landscape creates a challenge for potential buyers. As a premium-only plugin, it has no reviews on WordPress.org, where many plugin users typically leave unfiltered feedback.
I also couldn’t find it on popular third-party review platforms like Trustpilot, G2, or Capterra. This means there’s no way to access truly unbiased reviews from real users, which would provide a more balanced view of the overall user experience.
Granted, there are testimonials listed on the SearchWP website, but they are naturally curated and overwhelmingly positive. This leaves prospective buyers relying mainly on the 14-day money-back guarantee to test the plugin’s features and determine if it’s the right fit for their WordPress search needs.
Final Verdict: Is SearchWP Right for You?
Based on my review of SearchWP, it is clear that it is a very powerful WordPress search plugin. It performs as advertised and does so very well. It elevates WordPress search from barely functional to genuinely useful.
The starting price of $99 might seem high, but I believe it’s worth every penny for content-heavy websites and large WooCommerce stores that rely on custom fields and require highly effective search to convert visitors.
However, I cannot recommend SearchWP universally. The lack of independent user reviews is somewhat concerning; the learning curve for beginners can be steep; and the absence of a free trial or demo means you have to purchase the plugin somewhat blindly, despite the money-back guarantee.
I believe SearchWP is worth installing if you manage a medium to large website, use Advanced Custom Fields extensively, need to search PDFs and custom post types, or want to offer custom search experiences based on the page a user visits. Essentially, if search is key to your success.
On the other hand, if you have a smaller site, a limited budget, or only need basic search improvements, free alternatives will likely suffice.
Common Questions About SearchWP
How much does SearchWP cost?
SearchWP’s plans start at $99 per year for one site, including all standard search features, extensions, and support. There’s also a Pro plan costing $199 per year that licenses up to three sites, and an All Access Bundle plan at $399 per year for use on up to 100 sites.
How do I install SearchWP?
You can install SearchWP by following the usual steps for adding any WordPress plugin. Once you have the ZIP file, go to your WordPress admin dashboard, navigate to Plugins, and click Add New. Upload the plugin ZIP file, install it, and then activate it.
What is the difference between SearchWP and Relevanssi?
The main difference between SearchWP and Relevanssi is that SearchWP is a premium-only plugin with a modern user interface and advanced search features, such as custom search engines for tailored experiences, while Relevanssi is a freemium plugin that focuses on relevance-based search but isn’t as user-friendly and has a steeper learning curve.
Further Reading
