Server-Side Google Search
This plugin adds Google Custom Search to your website, but unlike other plugins operates on the server side, thus eliminating the need for JavaScript and keeping the page size small.
Consider an alternative
Server-Side Google Search shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 10+ sites and was last updated 11 years ago, and scores 23/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (10+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 11 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 4.3 (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 Server-Side Google Search stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| >100 | |
| google custom search | >100 |
| google search | >100 |
| SCE | #5 |
| Server-Side Google Search | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
About Server-Side Google Search
From the official readme · v1.0.3Description
This plugin adds Google Custom Search to your website, but unlike other plugins
operates on the server side, thus eliminating the need for JavaScript and
keeping the page size small.
The admin interface is based on that used by the [WP Google Search plugin]
(https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-google-search/)
The interface with the Google API is based on Digital Collection Search by Jason Clark for Montana
State University.
Available languages
- English
- Spanish (incomplete)
Development
This plugin uses wp-cli and PHPUnit for testing.
The tests require runkit for mocking functions.
-
Grab the latest source from github:
$ git clone git@github.com:aptivate/server-side-google-search.git
-
Install wp-cli
- Install PHPUnit
-
Set up runkit:
$ git clone https://github.com/zenovich/runkit.git
$ cd runkit
$ phpize
$ ./configure
$ sudo make install
Add the following lines to /etc/php5/cli/php.ini:
extension=runkit.so
runkit.internal_override=1
-
Install the test WordPress environment:
cd server-side-google-search
bash bin/install-wp-tests.sh test_db_name db_user ‘db_password’ db_host version
where:
** test_db_name is the name for your temporary test WordPress database
** db_user is the database user name
** db_password is the password
** db_host is the database host (eg localhost)
** version is the version of WordPress (eg 4.2.2 or latest)
- Run the tests
phpunit
Installation
- Upload the plugin to the
/wp-content/plugins/directory. - Activate it through the Plugins menu in WordPress.
- Register your Google Custom Search Engine and get your Google Search Engine ID and API key here: https://www.google.com/cse/
- Enable the plugin and enter the Google Search Engine ID and API key (Settings -> Server-Side Google Search)
- If necessary, add the default search widget to the sidebar where you want to see it
- Put the Server-Side Google Search widget on the sidebar where you want to see the results
- Your theme will need to override the page that displays the “Nothing Found”
message when the search results are displayed.
Example of how to add custom metadata to search results
In your header.php:
<!--
<PageMap>
<DataObject type="post_metadata">
<Attribute name="modified_date" value="<?php the_modified_date( "M d, Y", '', '', true ); ?>" />
</DataObject>
</PageMap>
-->
In your functions.php:
function add_modified_date( $metadata, $item_data ) {
return $metadata . sprintf(
'Last modified on: %s',
$item_data['pagemap']['post_metadata'][0]['modified_date']
);
}
add_filter( 'ssgs-add-post-search-metadata',
'add_modified_date', 10, 2 );
Changelog
First version
1.0.3
- Removed deprecation warnings for WordPress 4.3
- Fixed potential bug where sort argument wasn’t being preserved in links
- Updated test infrastructure to use wp-cli
- Documentation updates
1.0.2
- Added filter to allow custom metadata in search results
1.0.1
- Made display of URLs in search results optional (displayed by default)
- Right aligned sort options in search results
1.0.0
- First version
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 Server-Side Google Search alternatives
All google plugins →
FAQ
Server-Side Google Search: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 6, 2026
Is Server-Side Google Search free?
Yes. Server-Side Google Search is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Server-Side Google Search safe to use in 2026?
Server-Side Google Search shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 10+ sites and was last updated 11 years ago, and scores 23/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Server-Side Google Search?
Server-Side Google Search is active on 10+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 2,439 times since it launched in January 2015. It was downloaded 54 times in the last 30 days.
Does Server-Side Google Search work with WordPress 7.1?
Server-Side Google Search is officially tested up to WordPress 4.3.34, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
When was Server-Side Google Search last updated?
The latest version, 1.0.3, was released on August 17, 2015 (11 years ago).
Who makes Server-Side Google Search?
Server-Side Google Search is developed and maintained by Aptivate.
What are the best alternatives to Server-Side Google Search?
The most popular alternatives to Server-Side Google Search are Site Kit by Google (5M+ installs), Google for WooCommerce (800K+ installs) and GA Google Analytics (400K+ installs).
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