Search Modal Block
A customizable search modal block that adds an elegant and accessible search experience to your WordPress site.
Use with caution
Search Modal Block works, but test it on a staging site before relying on it in 2026. It runs on 70+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 4 months ago, and scores 60/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (70+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
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 Search Modal Block stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| block | >100 |
| modal | #14 |
| popup search | #43 |
| search | >100 |
| search form | #99 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 5 from 3 reviews
About Search Modal Block
From the official readme · v1.3.0Description
The Search Modal Block enhances your WordPress site with a modern, popup search interface that’s both beautiful and functional. Built specifically for the block editor (Gutenberg), it provides a seamless way to add search functionality to any part of your content.
Key Features:
- Clean, minimal design that works with any theme
- Fully responsive layout
- Accessibility-ready with ARIA labels and keyboard navigation
- Customizable text elements:
- Search input placeholder
- Search button text
- Screen reader labels
- Focus-visible support for better keyboard navigation
- Seamless integration with WordPress search
Perfect For:
- Minimalist themes needing an elegant search solution
- Sites wanting to improve their search UX
- Accessibility-focused websites
- Any WordPress site using the block editor
Development
This block is built using the WordPress Create Block tool, ensuring compatibility with modern WordPress standards and practices. The source code is available in the plugin’s /src directory.
Building from Source
To build the plugin from source:
- Clone the repository
- Install dependencies with
npm install - Run
npm run buildto build the production files - For development, use
npm run startto start the development server
The build process uses @wordpress/scripts to compile and minify the JavaScript and CSS files. The source code for the compiled files in the /build directory can be found in the /src directory.
Development Dependencies
- @wordpress/scripts: ^32.4.1
- @wordpress/eslint-plugin: ^25.4.1
- @wordpress/stylelint-config: ^23.40.1
- eslint: ^9.39.4
The complete source code is available on GitHub: https://github.com/philhoyt/search-modal-block
Credits
This plugin uses the following third-party libraries:
- MicroModal – A lightweight, configurable modal library for web applications.
Installation
- Upload the plugin files to the
/wp-content/plugins/directory, or install the plugin through the WordPress plugins screen directly. - Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ screen in WordPress.
- Go to the block editor and search for “Search Modal Block” in the block inserter to add it to your content.
Frequently asked questions
How do I customize the search button appearance?
The search button inherits your theme’s colors by default. You can customize its appearance using your theme’s custom CSS or the WordPress site editor.
Changelog
1.3.0
- Changed the search field to type=”search” for the native clear control and more accurate semantics
- Added block deprecations so blocks added in earlier versions keep working after updating
- Updated MicroModal to 0.7.0
- Tested up to WordPress 7.0
1.2.0
- WordPress 6.9
- Fixed form action URL to work correctly on subdirectory and multisite installations
- Improved accessibility with proper ARIA labels and modal title
1.1.0
- Added ability to upload custom icons for the search button
- Added icon size controls with preset sizes (S, M, L, XL) and custom size option
1.0.1
- Include assets for .org
- Include src for .org
1.0.0
- Initial release with search modal block functionality
- Customizable placeholder text, button text, and label text
- Responsive and accessible design
- Integration with WordPress search functionality
- Focus-visible support for enhanced keyboard navigation
Screenshots
For developers
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Best Search Modal Block alternatives
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FAQ
Search Modal Block: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 17, 2026
Is Search Modal Block free?
Yes. Search Modal Block is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Search Modal Block safe to use in 2026?
Search Modal Block works, but test it on a staging site before relying on it in 2026. It runs on 70+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 4 months ago, and scores 60/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Search Modal Block?
Search Modal Block is active on 70+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 1,736 times since it launched in November 2024. It was downloaded 108 times in the last 30 days.
Does Search Modal Block work with WordPress 7.1?
Search Modal Block is officially tested up to WordPress 7.0.7, while the latest release is 7.1.3. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
What PHP version does Search Modal Block need?
Search Modal Block requires PHP 7.4 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.
When was Search Modal Block last updated?
The latest version, 1.3.0, was released on June 18, 2026 (4 months ago).
Who makes Search Modal Block?
Search Modal Block is developed and maintained by philhoyt.
What are the best alternatives to Search Modal Block?
The most popular alternatives to Search Modal Block are Spectra Legacy (1M+ installs), Breadcrumb NavXT (800K+ installs) and PDF Embedder (300K+ installs).
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