Searching textarea custom fields

  • Hi again, I think I’ve almost got everything sorted out. Really appreciate the help and support.

    One other thing I’m stumped on – I have a few custom fields that are simple textareas (wysiwyg areas where the client can write a description of an item in the database). I am trying to set the search up to look in those custom fields for any keyword matches. The dropdown/checkbox/radio options don’t work for this, since I don’t know in advance what the client will be writing in each description – it could be anything. So I need the search to simply look for keyword matches within those fields.

    Is this possible? I know I can add a string search, but that seems to only look through wordpress post content/titles, not my custom fields.

    Thanks again!

    https://www.ads-software.com/extend/plugins/advance-wp-query-search-filter/

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)
  • Plugin Author TC.K

    (@wp_dummy)

    Yes, you are right, string search won’t search through custom field.
    There are two ways that I can think of to solve this problem.

    1. Easy way
    Add those meta field value in your post content.

    2. Complicated way
    Add text field to meta field input. This need to customize the plugin. However, only one text field for one meta field is allowed.

    Thread Starter jordanwarner

    (@jordanwarner)

    Appreciate the help. When you say “add those meta field values in your post content”, do you simply mean to remove them from custom fields and have them be in the normal wordpress “the_content” area? Or is there another way to add the meta field values to the post itself but keep them as custom fields?

    Thanks!

    Plugin Author TC.K

    (@wp_dummy)

    It depends, you can keep the meta field value and in the mean time copy it to your post content. This is the easiest way.

    is there another way to add the meta field values to the post itself but keep them as custom fields?

    Probably Yes, I have no idea how it can be done though.

    Thread Starter jordanwarner

    (@jordanwarner)

    Okay, thanks again for the help!

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)
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