This is How to Add the orderby Field to Your WordPress Search Form
As a WordPress site owner, you know the importance of having a robust search functionality on your website. A well-designed search form can greatly enhance the user experience, making it easier for visitors to find the content they're looking for.
However, one common issue that many WordPress users face is the inability to add an "orderby" field to their search form. This field allows users to sort the search results by various criteria, such as date, title, or popularity. Without this feature, your visitors may be left frustrated, as they can't easily find the most relevant content.
In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore step-by-step how you can add the orderby field to your WordPress search form, empowering your users to find the information they need more efficiently.
Understanding the Importance of the orderby Field
The orderby field in a WordPress search form is a crucial feature that can significantly improve the user experience on your website. By allowing visitors to sort the search results, you're giving them more control over the information they're presented with.
For example, let's say you run a blog that covers a wide range of topics. Your visitors may be interested in the most recent articles, the most popular ones, or even the ones with the highest rating. By incorporating the orderby field, you can give them the ability to sort the search results accordingly, making it easier for them to find the content they're looking for.
Additionally, the orderby field can also help with your website's SEO. When users are able to easily find the content they need, they're more likely to stay on your site and engage with your content. This can lead to lower bounce rates, higher time on page, and ultimately, better search engine rankings.
Step 1: Understanding the WordPress Search Form
Before we dive into the implementation process, it's important to understand the structure of the default WordPress search form. The search form is typically generated using the get_search_form()
function, which outputs the following HTML code:
<form role="search" method="get" id="searchform" class="searchform" action="https://example.com/">
<div>
<label class="screen-reader-text" for="s">Search for:</label>
<input type="text" value="" name="s" id="s" />
<input type="submit" id="searchsubmit" value="Search" />
</div>
</form>
As you can see, the search form consists of a text input field (name="s"
) and a submit button. This is the basic structure that we'll be building upon to add the orderby field.
Step 2: Creating the orderby Field
To add the orderby field to your WordPress search form, you'll need to modify the get_search_form()
function. You can do this by creating a custom search form template and hooking it into the WordPress system.
-
Create a Custom Search Form Template
-
In your WordPress theme's root directory, create a new file called searchform.php
.
-
Inside this file, copy the default search form code (shown in the previous step) and add the following orderby field:
<form role="search" method="get" id="searchform" class="searchform" action="https://example.com/">
<div>
<label class="screen-reader-text" for="s">Search for:</label>
<input type="text" value="" name="s" id="s" />
<label class="screen-reader-text" for="orderby">Order by:</label>
<select name="orderby" id="orderby">
<option value="">Select an option</option>
<option value="date">Date</option>
<option value="title">Title</option>
<option value="modified">Modified</option>
<option value="comment_count">Comment Count</option>
<option value="rand">Random</option>
</select>
<input type="submit" id="searchsubmit" value="Search" />
</div>
</form>
-
Hook the Custom Search Form into WordPress
-
In your theme's functions.php
file, add the following code to override the default get_search_form()
function:
function my_custom_search_form($form) {
$form = get_template_part('searchform');
return $form;
}
add_filter('get_search_form', 'my_custom_search_form');
-
This code will tell WordPress to use your custom searchform.php
file instead of the default search form.
Now, whenever you call the get_search_form()
function (either directly or through the search widget), your custom search form with the orderby field will be displayed.
Step 3: Handling the orderby Parameter in the Search Query
Now that we have the orderby field in the search form, we need to ensure that it's correctly handled in the search query. We'll do this by modifying the pre_get_posts
action, which allows us to manipulate the main WordPress query.
-
Add the orderby Parameter to the Search Query
-
In your theme's functions.php
file, add the following code:
function my_search_orderby($query) {
if ($query->is_search() && $query->is_main_query()) {
$orderby = isset($_GET['orderby']) ? $_GET['orderby'] : 'date';
$query->set('orderby', $query->get('orderby', $orderby));
}
return $query;
}
add_action('pre_get_posts', 'my_search_orderby');
-
This code checks if the current query is a search query and the main query. If so, it retrieves the value of the orderby
parameter from the URL and sets it as the orderby
parameter in the main query.
-
Validate the orderby Parameter
-
To ensure that the orderby
parameter is valid, you can add the following code to the my_search_orderby
function:
$valid_orderby = array('date', 'title', 'modified', 'comment_count', 'rand');
if (in_array($orderby, $valid_orderby)) {
$query->set('orderby', $orderby);
} else {
$query->set('orderby', 'date');
}
-
This code checks if the orderby
parameter is one of the valid values (date, title, modified, comment_count, rand). If it is, the parameter is set in the main query. If not, the query is set to order by date.
Step 4: Displaying the Search Results
Now that you've added the orderby field to the search form and handled the parameter in the search query, it's time to display the search results.
In your theme's search.php
file, you can use the standard WordPress loop to display the search results. For example:
<?php if (have_posts()) : ?>
<h1>Search Results</h1>
<?php while (have_posts()) : the_post(); ?>
<article>
<h2><a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>"><?php the_title(); ?></a></h2>
<p><?php the_excerpt(); ?></p>
</article>
<?php endwhile; ?>
<?php the_posts_navigation(); ?>
<?php else : ?>
<h1>No Results Found</h1>
<p>Sorry, but your search did not return any results. Please try again with different keywords.</p>
<?php endif; ?>
This code will display the search results, with the option to sort them by the selected orderby parameter.
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Conclusion
In this comprehensive guide, we've shown you how to add the orderby field to your WordPress search form. By allowing your users to sort the search results, you're providing them with a more intuitive and user-friendly search experience, which can ultimately lead to better engagement and conversion rates on your website.
Remember, the key steps are:
- Create a custom search form template with the orderby field.
- Hook the custom search form into WordPress.
- Handle the orderby parameter in the search query.
- Display the search results with the selected sorting order.
By implementing these steps, you'll be well on your way to enhancing the search functionality on your WordPress site. If you have any further questions or need additional assistance, don't hesitate to reach out to the team at Flowpoint.ai. We'd be happy to help you identify and fix any technical errors that may be impacting your website's conversion rates.