Post Meta Searcher
When activated, forces any WordPress Search Query to query against post meta data as part of the search criteria. This also enables you to search against custom fields without the need of specifying any meta keys.
Consider an alternative
Post Meta Searcher shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 100+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 13 years ago, and scores 32/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (100+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 12 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 3.7 (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 Post Meta Searcher stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| advanced search | >100 |
| custom field search | >100 |
| custom search | >100 |
| meta search | >100 |
| search | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 5 from 4 reviews
About Post Meta Searcher
From the official readme · v1.2Description
When activated, forces any WordPress Search Query to query against post meta data as part of the search criteria. This also enables you to search against custom fields without the need of specifying any meta keys.
For example, if you have a custom field named “Colour” or something similar on your posts, running a search for “Blue” will return any posts with “Colour” set to “Blue”. This is just one example. The plugin will work with any field.
Installation
- Upload the
post-meta-searcherfolder to the/wp-content/plugins/directory - Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress
Changelog
No upgrade notice necessary
1.2
- Fixed bug causing non default prefixed posts table to be queried incorrectly
1.1
- Small security update
1.0
- Initial release of plugin
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 Post Meta Searcher alternatives
All advanced search plugins →
FAQ
Post Meta Searcher: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Sep 29, 2026
Is Post Meta Searcher free?
Yes. Post Meta Searcher is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Post Meta Searcher safe to use in 2026?
Post Meta Searcher shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 100+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 13 years ago, and scores 32/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Post Meta Searcher?
Post Meta Searcher is active on 100+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 5,020 times since it launched in July 2013. It was downloaded 56 times in the last 30 days.
Does Post Meta Searcher work with WordPress 7.1?
Post Meta Searcher is officially tested up to WordPress 3.7.41, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
When was Post Meta Searcher last updated?
The latest version, 1.2, was released on December 6, 2013 (13 years ago).
Who makes Post Meta Searcher?
Post Meta Searcher is developed and maintained by lukerollans.
What are the best alternatives to Post Meta Searcher?
The most popular alternatives to Post Meta Searcher are WP Extended Search (20K+ installs), Smart Search & Product Filt… (1K+ installs) and WPCasa Advanced Search (600+ installs).
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