Better Search Pro for Tunable WordPress Search

How Better Search Pro changes WordPress search

Better Search replaces the default WordPress search. Better Search Pro adds controls for ranking results and matching search terms. Sort results by relevance or date, adjust the weight of titles and content, and set a minimum relevance threshold. You can also choose searchable public post types and fields, including excerpts, metadata, authors, tags, taxonomies, and comments.

Indexing and matching

Better Search adds MySQL FULLTEXT indices to the wp_posts table for post content, post titles, and combined title and content searches. On multisite installations, activation adds the required indices to each blog. These indices support relevance-based search and are required for its full functionality.

• Fuzzy matching can account for wording beyond exact matches.
• Search can include post slugs, with configurable relevance weights for various content areas.
• A LIKE-based fallback is available as an option.
• REST API integration connects search to WordPress REST search responses and live-search suggestions.
• Optional recency weighting is available and disabled by default.

Search tools for visitors

AJAX Live Search can show suggestions as visitors type in a search form. A popular-search heatmap can show common queries in a widget or shortcode. The profanity filter removes selected words from queries, including partial and complete matches.

You can adapt result presentation with a custom template file and CSS styles. Basic search integration does not require editing code or creating a custom search template. The plugin includes its own caching system and works with WP Super Cache and W3 Total Cache.

Optional AI answers and language support

Better Search Pro includes optional AI answers grounded in Better Search results, with source links, cached answers, usage limits, and a content gaps report.

The plugin works with WPML and Polylang. With TranslatePress, caching recognizes the active language and keeps language caches separate. TranslatePress translates displayed results with the page but does not create a separate search index for translated text. Better Search Pro translates REST search responses and live suggestions using the active TranslatePress language. Search-term highlighting can split a title's markup and prevent TranslatePress from translating the complete title; disable highlighting if titles remain in the default language.

Installation and setup

Install and activate the plugin on your WordPress site. On multisite, activation adds the required FULLTEXT indices to each blog. Then review the search options, including searchable fields, relevance controls, templates, styles, and optional capabilities such as live search and the profanity filter.