Ivory Search is a free WordPress plugin that extends the default search with options that are genuinely useful without the cost of premium alternatives. It lets you configure which post types appear in search results, whether custom fields are searchable, WooCommerce product search improvements, and search form customisation – all through a straightforward admin interface. For sites where Relevanssi feels like overkill but default search is clearly inadequate, Ivory Search is worth evaluating.
What Ivory Search Adds Over Default Search
The default WordPress search searches post titles and content for all post types. Ivory Search adds configuration for: which post types are included or excluded from results, whether to include or exclude specific post statuses, custom field search (search post meta values), WooCommerce product search improvements (SKU, product tags, short description, product attributes), and the ability to create multiple named search configurations with different parameters.
These additions address the most common search complaints without requiring a paid plugin or complex indexing setup. For sites without extensive custom field data and without ACF-dependent content, Ivory Search often covers what is needed.
Step 1: Create a Search Configuration
Go to Ivory Search -> Searches -> Add New. Ivory Search uses a “Search” concept – named configurations that define what is searched. The Default Search applies to the standard WordPress search form (the ?s= parameter). You can create additional searches and use them in specific search forms via shortcode.
In the search configuration, find the “Post Type” section. By default, Ivory Search includes all public post types. For a site where you want to exclude specific post types from search (e.g., exclude WooCommerce products from the blog search, or exclude pages from results), uncheck the types to exclude.
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Step 2: Enable Custom Field Search
Find the “Custom Fields” section in the search configuration. By default, custom fields are not searched. Enable custom field search and select which meta keys to include. Ivory Search shows a list of all meta keys present in the database – select those relevant for search.
For a site with ACF fields: select the field names that contain searchable content. Avoid selecting fields that contain IDs, timestamps, or other non-textual data – including these in search results in irrelevant matches.
Step 3: WooCommerce Settings
If WooCommerce is active, Ivory Search adds a WooCommerce-specific configuration section. Enable searching by product SKU, short description, product tags, and product attributes. These additions significantly improve WooCommerce product search without the cost of a premium plugin. For stores where customers often search by SKU or specific product attributes, enabling these options immediately improves search hit rate.
Step 4: Exclude Specific Content
Configure exclusions in the search settings: exclude posts by ID, exclude posts with specific taxonomy terms, or exclude posts older than a certain date. These exclusions prevent outdated, irrelevant, or private content from appearing in search results without deleting it from the site.
Comparing Ivory Search to Relevanssi Free
Both are free. Ivory Search is simpler to configure with a more accessible UI. Relevanssi provides better relevance ranking – results are ordered by relevance rather than date. For a site where search result ordering matters (content discovery, documentation), Relevanssi free’s relevance ranking is the better choice. For a site where the main problem is missing content types or custom fields, Ivory Search’s configuration options address the issue with less setup complexity.