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How to Make Custom Fields Searchable

Content stored in custom fields (ACF fields, Meta Box fields, or standard post meta) can be made searchable: pick the fields under Elevated › Site Search › Settings › Advanced Options › Content to Index › Custom Fields and save. The index rebuilds automatically and the field values start matching searches.

Table of Contents

Step 1: Open Content to Index

Navigate to Elevated › Site Search › Settings, expand Advanced Options, and locate the Custom Fields selector inside Content to Index.

The Content to Index section with the Custom Fields selector

Step 2: Select the Custom Fields

Open Select custom fields… and pick every field whose content visitors should find. The selector notes it directly: it supports ACF, Meta Box, and standard meta fields.

Step 3: Save and Verify

Click Save Settings. The scope change rebuilds the index automatically. When it finishes, search for a value that only exists in one of the selected fields and confirm the right result comes back.

Which Fields Appear in the List

  • ACF fields are read from your ACF field groups, so they appear under the names you gave them.
  • Meta Box and standard meta fields appear by their meta key.
  • Weighting is separate. By default custom field matches rank below title matches; adjust that under Field Weighting (see How to Weight Search Fields).

Troubleshooting

A field is missing from the selector. The list covers fields that exist on your site’s content. Confirm the field has saved values and, for ACF, that the field group is active.

Field content still does not match. Check that the post type carrying the field is in the indexed post types, then rebuild the index from Advanced Options › Indexer.

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