Better User Search
Better User Search is a must have plugin if you’re running WooCommerce. Without it, you’re stuck trying to remember every customer’s username.
Consider an alternative
Better User Search shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 700+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 11 years ago, and scores 39/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (700+ active installs)
- No update in 10 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 4.4 (latest is 7.1)
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & support
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where Better User Search stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| admin | >100 |
| backend | >100 |
| search | >100 |
| user | >100 |
| users | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 5 from 15 reviews
About Better User Search
From the official readme · v1.1.1Description
Better User Search is a must have plugin if you’re running WooCommerce. Without it, you’re stuck trying to remember every
customer’s username.
Better User Search is used to improve the user search functionality in the admin/backend.
WordPress by default only allows you to search for users by username/nicename. Using Better User Search, you will be able
to search by first name, last name, email address and any custom user meta field that already exists in the user meta table.
On top of that, there is an “OR” feature provided. Just include the word “or” (case-insensitive) in your search query
and the plugin will search for any user that matches at least 1 of the search terms.
“OR” Search Example:
Let’s find all WooCommerce customers in Texas or Florida. To do this, first make sure that billing_state and shipping_state
are setup in the Better User Search settings. Now head to the Users page and type “TX or FL” into the search field.
It really is that simple!
Special characters like quotes are escaped, problems with the query may appear when trying to search for other non-alphanumeric characters.
Installation
- Upload the better-user-search folder to the /wp-content/plugins/ directory
- Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress
- Visit ‘Settings > User Search’ and adjust your configuration.
Changelog
Better User Search is now enabled on the WooCommerce customer search on the orders page!
1.1.1
- Fix: PHP notices – thanks @SooBahkDo
- Notes: Added WordPress 4.4.2 compatibility
1.1.0
- Feature: Auto detect WooCommerce for default searchable meta keys
- Fix: Bug when using “or” keyword multiple times in search query
- Fix: PHP error for “get_current_screen” when updating to 1.0.5 – thanks @mqfell
- Fix: Cleanup leftover plugin data when uninstalling
1.0.5
- Feature: Better searching for WooCommerce customers on the orders page
1.0.4
- Improvement: Optimized MySQL query when populating the plugin’s searchable meta keys table
1.0.3
- Fix: Now compatible with “Admin Columns Pro” plugin – thanks @mqfell
1.0.2
- Fix: Optimized search algorithm to be faster
- Fix: MySQL collation error when using WordPress 4.2 or later
Screenshots
For developers
Is this your plugin? Show off the numbers.
Add a live badge to your site, docs or GitHub README. It updates on its own — no account needed.
Best Better User Search alternatives
All admin plugins →
FAQ
Better User Search: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Sep 27, 2026
Is Better User Search free?
Yes. Better User Search is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Better User Search safe to use in 2026?
Better User Search shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 700+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 11 years ago, and scores 39/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Better User Search?
Better User Search is active on 700+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 12,943 times since it launched in February 2015. It was downloaded 111 times in the last 30 days.
Does Better User Search work with WordPress 7.1?
Better User Search is officially tested up to WordPress 4.4.34, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
When was Better User Search last updated?
The latest version, 1.1.1, was released on February 3, 2016 (11 years ago).
Who makes Better User Search?
Better User Search is developed and maintained by dale3h.
What are the best alternatives to Better User Search?
The most popular alternatives to Better User Search are Loginizer (1M+ installs), Redux Framework (900K+ installs) and Admin Menu Editor (300K+ installs).
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