Introducing Better Search v4: Revolutionize Your WordPress Site Search

I’m excited to announce the release of Better Search version 4, bringing powerful new search capabilities to WordPress websites! This major update also introduces Better Search Pro designed to help you provide your site visitors with the most relevant and intuitive search experience.

Live Search: Find Results in Real-Time

Say goodbye to traditional search experiences. The new live search feature provides instant results as you type, creating a dynamic and responsive search interface. You can enable this in the Settings screen. Users will see relevant content suggestions appearing in real-time, reducing the time and effort needed to find precisely what they want. This should work across most search forms on your site independent of your theme.

This feature improves user engagement by providing immediate visual feedback and making content discovery more intuitive.

Advanced Features in Better Search Pro v4

Fuzzy Search: Forgive Typos and Misspellings

Typing isn’t always perfect, and I get that. The fuzzy search feature in Better Search Pro understands this, offering intelligent search capabilities that can handle misspelt search terms. Currently optimised for English words, this feature uses advanced algorithms to match search terms even when users make typing mistakes. Now, searching for “technolgy” will still return results for “technology”, ensuring no content remains hidden due to simple typing errors.

You can enable this in the Search tab and choose the weight to give fuzzy searches in the overall algorithm. Better Search Pro’s fuzzy search has been designed with performance in mind, however, it can be resource-intensive for long phrases. Learn more about how Fuzzy search works.

Multisite Network Search: Cross-Site Content Discovery

For WordPress multisite networks, searching across multiple sites has never been easier. Network administrators can now select specific sites to include in network-wide searches. This granular control allows for seamless content exploration across your entire network while maintaining the flexibility to exclude certain sites. Whether you’re managing a corporate network or a multi-blog platform, this feature ensures users can find relevant content across your entire digital ecosystem. Read about how you can enable Multisite Search in Better Search Pro.

Relevance Threshold: Precision in Search Results

Not all search results are created equal. The new relevance threshold setting allows you to fine-tune your search results, ensuring only the most pertinent content appears. You can filter out marginally related or low-quality results by setting a minimum relevance score. This means users get more focused, high-quality content that precisely matches their search intent. Find this setting in the Search tab.

Enhanced Search Options

• Post Slug Searching: Search extends beyond post titles and content to include post slugs, expanding your content’s discoverability.
• REST API Integration: Enable Better Search within the WordPress REST API, allowing for more flexible and powerful search implementations across different platforms and applications.
• FULLTEXT Index Management: Easily create and manage MySQL FULLTEXT indexes directly from the plugin settings, optimizing search performance with just a few clicks.

Integrating with Freemius for purchases, analytics and continuous improvement

To make purchasing and managing Better Search Pro seamless, we’ve partnered with Freemius, a trusted platform for selling WordPress plugins. Freemius provides a smooth checkout process, secure payments, and subscription management. With automatic updates and flexible licensing, getting started with Pro has never been easier.

With Better Search v4, we’re introducing an optional opt-in for analytics. By sharing usage data, you’ll help us better understand how our plugin is used, enabling us to improve features and deliver a superior experience. Your data remains secure, and opting in is completely optional.

Technical Under-the-Hood Improvements

• Refined core query management with Better_Search_Core_Query
• Improved filter handling for better compatibility
• Admin notices to help you manage FULLTEXT indexes
• Seamless integration with WordPress block templates and themes

How to Get Better Search v4

• Free Version: Available directly from the WordPress plugin repository
• Pro Version: Unlock advanced features through our Freemius-powered premium offering

Ready to Upgrade?

Better Search Pro is the ultimate solution for making your WordPress search smarter and more user-friendly. Explore our pricing plans and take your search to the next level today!

Celebrate the Launch of Better Search v4 with an Incredible Black Friday Deal! Get Better Search Pro at a massive 40% off for the first year. Don’t miss our sitewide plugin bundle sale – save big on the tools that will transform your WordPress site!

Let us know what you think of Better Search v4 and Pro in the comments below.

Happy searching! 🔎