Are you looking for a way to create multiple search templates for custom post types? While there’s probably a plugin for this, we have created a quick code snippet that you can use to create multiple search templates for custom post types in WordPress.
Instructions:
Search template
Create a new file called search.php and add the following search template. Change the $search_refer= CUSTOM_POST_TYPE to the names of your post types. You will also need to change the template path to the corresponding template you wish to display results.
<?
/* Template Name: Search Results */
$search_refer = $_GET["post_type"];
if ($search_refer == 'CUSTOM_POST_TYPE') { load_template(TEMPLATEPATH . '/template_one-name.php'); }
elseif ($search_refer == 'CUSTOM_POST_TYPE') { load_template(TEMPLATEPATH . '/template_two-name.php'); };
?>
Display search results
Add this query_post just above the loop in the search templates that you create. Don’t forget to change the CUSTOM_POST_TYPE for each of your templates.
<?php
$args = array(
'post_type'=> 'CUSTOM_POST_TYPE',
's' => $s,
'paged' => $paged,
);
query_posts($args);
?>
Search form
Add this HTML to the template you wish to display the search form. You will need to change the CUSTOM_POST_TYPE name to the post type you wish to search. You will need to create a new form for each custom post type or use a select menu to set the post_type.
<form id="searchform" action="<?php bloginfo('home'); ?>/" method="get">
<input id="s" maxlength="150" name="s" size="20" type="text" value="" class="txt" />
<input name="post_type" type="hidden" value="CUSTOM_POST_TYPE" />
<input id="searchsubmit" class="btn" type="submit" value="Search" />
</form>
Note: If this is your first time adding code snippets in WordPress, then please refer to our guide on how to properly add code snippets in WordPress, so you don’t accidentally break your site.
If you liked this code snippet, please consider checking out our other articles on the site like: 43 best photography themes for WordPress and how to create a contact form in WordPress.
Hi, Thanks for this tutorial.
I’m trying to create a custom search form to place in the sidebar of my website’s blog section. I want the search form to only look within ONLY posts (standard blog posts, not a custom post type) – and to ignore any other content, eg.pages. Is it possible to adapt this method to suit what I’m trying to do?
I’ve had a go but with no luck.
Many thanks
Hey Sally,
Try this tutorial on how to filter post types from search results. Hope you’ll find it helpful 🙂
Purr purr purrrrfect )
Perfect. Thanks!
Sorry for the noob question, but is there a way to take a level further and to only search a custom meta_field within the custom post type? I’ve been searching for days and this is the closest script I could find. Right now it searches the titles and content of the post, but I’ve got a ton of custom fields for the CPT and only want to the user to search specific field. Thoughts?
is it possible to adapt these instructions to search a custom taxonomy instead of a custom post? Trying to return a separate search for each custom taxonomy and I’m not quite figuring it out. Thanks!
i had some syntax errors, elseif without semicolon at the end, after that all worked fine 🙂
if search value is empty , example: ?s=&post_type=products it always returns me results in default template, no metter which post_type I have in search string? any fix for that?
For example: ?s=+&post_type=products THIS WILL WORK, open in search-products.php
this: ?s=&post_type=products WILL NOT WORK, open in search-post.php
I would think your best bet would be to use javascript to require something in the field before they are able to search.
I would think your best bet would be to use javascript to require something in the field before they are able to search.
I would think your best bet would be to use javascript to require something in the field before they are able to search.
if search value is empty , example: ?s=&post_type=products it always returns me results in default template, no metter which post_type I have in search string? any fix for that?
For example: ?s=+&post_type=products THIS WILL WORK, open in search-products.php
this: ?s=&post_type=products WILL NOT WORK, open in search-post.php
if search value is empty , example: ?s=&post_type=products it always returns me results in default template, no metter which post_type I have in search string? any fix for that?
For example: ?s=+&post_type=products THIS WILL WORK, open in search-products.php
this: ?s=&post_type=products WILL NOT WORK, open in search-post.php
Life saving article,thank you, i was struggling finding a good solution, this helped a lot
No problem glad that we could help!
Brilliant. Thank you. you ROCK!
No problem glad you like the snippet!
Brilliant. Thank you. you ROCK!
I was using a child-theme. I had to use { load_template(get_stylesheet_directory() . ‘/template_one-name.php’); }
Thanks for the tip! Works perfect…
I love the idea behind this so clever.
I do have an issue with pagination though. So renders it sorta useless unless I display all results with a ‘showposts’=>999,
OH SNAP… so I had been working on this for an hour or so b4 i gave up and commented… and then i figured it out…
Changed the query_posts arg to this
‘bio’,
‘posts_per_page’ => 10,
‘paged’ => $paged,
);
query_posts($args);
?>
That returns to me a blank page.. Any help?
Well done Sir. Great tip.
Thanks very much! you’ve just made my morning.
Is this only for custom post types?
The code works fine in 3.4.2, but I had to change “post_type” to “posttype”.
Thanks a lot! 🙂
Not working for me in 3.3.1. The $s variable is possibly not getting any value. Any suggestions?
Ill test things out in a recent version of wordpress just to make sure although you should not have any issues. I would also suggest updating to 3.4. Ill post back here with the results.
Tested things out and appears to be working fine, did you create the custom template files and have everything setup correctly ?
I get a server error trying to implement this 🙁
what is the error you are getting ?
alright, this is what i did for a fall-back:
1. i created a folder within my template files called “search”. –> TEMPLATEPATH .’/search/’
2. then created custom post templates using WordPress default search.php code.
eg. : search-xxxxx.php where xxxxx is the custom post type.
3. place all search-xxxxx.php custom post templates in the newly created search folder.
4. rename default WordPress search.php to –> default-search.php
5. create a new search.php and put the following code:
6. wer’re basically calling a function called custom_search_template().
7. lets define that function in the file fuctions.php :
function custom_search_template() {
$search_refer = $_GET[“post_type”];
if ( isset($_GET[“post_type”]))
{
if (file_exists(TEMPLATEPATH . ‘/search/search-‘ .$search_refer. ‘.php’))
load_template(TEMPLATEPATH . ‘/search/search-‘ .$search_refer. ‘.php’);
else
{
load_template(TEMPLATEPATH . ‘/search-default.php’);
}
}
else
{
load_template(TEMPLATEPATH . ‘/search-default.php’);
}
8. Finally the search form:
<form id="searchform" action="/” method=”get”>
Select Post Type
Business
News
LABEL
9. Basicaly when you use this form to submit a search querie,
WordPress gets name=”post_type” –> ie: $_GET[“post_type”];
The function then checks if $_GET[“post_type”] has been set,
if so then loads a template file based on $search_refer = $_GET[“post_type”]
from the /search/ folder we created. ie. search-xxxxx.php —> search-$search_refer.php
if no template called “search-$search_refer.php” exists then the function uses default-search.php to display search results.
10. Please commemt if im mistaken.
function custom_search_template() {
$search_refer = $_GET[“post_type”];
load_template(TEMPLATEPATH . ‘/search/search-‘ .$search_refer. ‘.php’);
}
I have a problem with pagination, when custom post type search result is more than 5.
Any advices?
I tried this on the arg array
‘bio’,
‘posts_per_page’ => 10,
‘paged’ => $paged,
);
query_posts($args);
?>