Add ACF Data to wp_search

Last modified: January 13, 2020

Snippets

Sometimes most of the data on your posts or pages is built entirely by ACF. However, when searching your site for words that are used in the ACF fields results in a “no search results” response. There is a simple solution to that.

Add the following to your functions.php file.

<?php

/**
 * [list_searcheable_acf list all the custom fields we want to include in our search query]
 * @return [array] [list of custom fields]
 */
function list_searcheable_acf(){
  $list_searcheable_acf = array("title", "sub_title", "excerpt_short", "excerpt_long", "xyz", "myACF");
  return $list_searcheable_acf;
}


/**
 * [advanced_custom_search search that encompasses ACF/advanced custom fields and taxonomies and split expression before request]
 * @param  [query-part/string]      $where    [the initial "where" part of the search query]
 * @param  [object]                 $wp_query []
 * @return [query-part/string]      $where    [the "where" part of the search query as we customized]
 * see https://vzurczak.wordpress.com/2013/06/15/extend-the-default-wordpress-search/
 * credits to Vincent Zurczak for the base query structure/spliting tags section
 */
function advanced_custom_search( $where, &$wp_query ) {

    global $wpdb;
 
    if ( empty( $where ))
        return $where;
 
    // get search expression
    $terms = $wp_query->query_vars[ 's' ];
    
    // explode search expression to get search terms
    $exploded = explode( ' ', $terms );
    if( $exploded === FALSE || count( $exploded ) == 0 )
        $exploded = array( 0 => $terms );
         
    // reset search in order to rebuilt it as we whish
    $where = '';
    
    // get searcheable_acf, a list of advanced custom fields you want to search content in
    $list_searcheable_acf = list_searcheable_acf();

    foreach( $exploded as $tag ) :
        $where .= " 
          AND (
            (wp_posts.post_title LIKE '%$tag%')
            OR (wp_posts.post_content LIKE '%$tag%')
            OR EXISTS (
              SELECT * FROM wp_postmeta
                WHERE post_id = wp_posts.ID
                  AND (";

        foreach ($list_searcheable_acf as $searcheable_acf) :
          if ($searcheable_acf == $list_searcheable_acf[0]):
            $where .= " (meta_key LIKE '%" . $searcheable_acf . "%' AND meta_value LIKE '%$tag%') ";
          else :
            $where .= " OR (meta_key LIKE '%" . $searcheable_acf . "%' AND meta_value LIKE '%$tag%') ";
          endif;
        endforeach;

          $where .= ")
            )
            OR EXISTS (
              SELECT * FROM wp_comments
              WHERE comment_post_ID = wp_posts.ID
                AND comment_content LIKE '%$tag%'
            )
            OR EXISTS (
              SELECT * FROM wp_terms
              INNER JOIN wp_term_taxonomy
                ON wp_term_taxonomy.term_id = wp_terms.term_id
              INNER JOIN wp_term_relationships
                ON wp_term_relationships.term_taxonomy_id = wp_term_taxonomy.term_taxonomy_id
              WHERE (
          		taxonomy = 'post_tag'
            		OR taxonomy = 'category'          		
            		OR taxonomy = 'myCustomTax'
          		)
              	AND object_id = wp_posts.ID
              	AND wp_terms.name LIKE '%$tag%'
            )
        )";
    endforeach;
    return $where;
}
 
add_filter( 'posts_search', 'advanced_custom_search', 500, 2 );

Taken from here.

Now if you search your site, your search results will include ACF data.

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