Ivory Search

Quick take

Ivory Search is useful when one WordPress site needs more than one search behavior. You can create unlimited search forms, configure each form separately and place them in menus, headers, sidebars, posts or other content areas. This Ivory Search review sees the free version as unusually capable, while the paid plans mainly unlock deeper WooCommerce, media and result-control features.

Best fit: Ivory Search makes the most sense for WordPress sites needing multiple search forms with different inclusion and exclusion rules. A different tool will usually make more sense for very simple sites that only need one basic default search form.

What Ivory Search changes

Ivory Search extends default WordPress search and lets you build separate search forms for different content. One form can focus on posts, another on WooCommerce products, and another on a custom post type or media library. Each form can have its own inclusions, exclusions and placement.

The plugin supports Ajax search, an inverted index-based search engine, custom fields, taxonomies, images and attachments, search analytics, stop words, synonyms and multilingual setups. It can also replace or enhance the site’s default search rather than forcing every form into a separate workflow.

Features that matter

The strongest free capability is the unlimited-form model. You are not limited to one global search definition, which is useful on sites with distinct areas such as documentation, products, blog content and member resources.

Free also covers WooCommerce product search, custom fields, taxonomy terms, approved comment content, date rules, password-protected content controls, Ajax search and several display placements. Version 5.5.18 specifically fixed incompatibility with WooCommerce features including HPOS/custom order tables.

Ivory Search Free vs Pro

The free Starter plan is enough for many sites. Pro adds result ordering, author and post-status controls plus more exclusion rules. Pro Plus adds WooCommerce SKU and variation search, keyword stemming, file-type search and out-of-stock product exclusions.

Trade-offs to check

The flexibility means there are many settings to reason about. When several forms target overlapping content, document which form controls which area so future editors do not accidentally create conflicting search rules.

Styling also depends partly on the active theme. Ivory Search provides customization options, but the final search appearance can still be influenced by theme CSS.

The Ivory Search Free vs Pro decision depends mostly on how specific your search rules need to become. As a WordPress search plugin, the free version already supports unlimited forms, Ajax results and broad content targeting.

For Ivory Search pricing, Pro is inexpensive compared with many search suites, but Pro Plus is the more relevant upgrade for WooCommerce SKU and variation search. This WordPress search plugin can stay on the free tier when those deeper controls are not required.

Ivory Search pricing

Ivory Search Starter is free. For one site, the current annual pricing is $19.99/year for Pro and $49.99/year for Pro Plus. The official pricing page also offers one-time payment options, but annual pricing is the clearer comparison point for ongoing updates and priority support.

Pricing checked September 10, 2026.

PluginSuggest verdict

This Ivory Search review recommends starting with the free version if your main problem is controlling what different search forms include or exclude. The upgrade case is strongest for stores needing SKU and variation search or sites that need more advanced result ordering and filtering rules.

Ivory Search FAQs