Ivory Search – WordPress Search Plugin

Reviewers say it's easy to set up and does the job across posts and WooCommerce, though one long-running user reports being ignored by support for two years.

How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.

Directory searches this plugin turns up in, and which way each one is moving. WordPress.org publishes no history of search positions, so this starts the day we first tracked a keyword and never backfills.

wp.org is where the directory puts the plugin for that search. On merit is where it would sit if results were ranked on rating, support and updates, without the install boost. The last column is how far the wp.org position moved, from our first reading in the last 90 days to the latest.

325 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 20 listed. 269 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words).

Directory rank vs rivals

wp.org popularity rank over time · higher is better · when a rival's line climbs above yours, they've overtaken you

How often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.

Share of active installs on each version of this plugin · 93% run the current release. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.

Crossed into this band 49 days ago and a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, so the real count is still just under 100K.

1. ★★★★★ frankdoherty

   3mo ago

   You can tell from the ease that this app is to setup and use that the developer has spent and continues to spend a lot of time on delevoping, refining, and polishing this app. Many thanks.

   Read on wp.org ↗
2. ★★★★★ btwebmedia

   4mo ago

   The plugin worked as advertised. When I need additional customization support that were able to help quickly!

   Read on wp.org ↗
3. ★★★★★ toosweetdealz

   4mo ago

   It works just fine

   Read on wp.org ↗
4. ★★★★★ ddaneskovic

   5mo ago

   It helps a lot like a searching engine…

   Read on wp.org ↗
5. ★★★★★ lsnicholls

   5mo ago

   Ivory Search helps my users search through limited/filtered sets of posts, just as it should. I think that the placement of its UI customization options could be improved/de-coupled from current position, because it seems odd especially when working with an FSE theme. WordPress keeps moving where a user might expect to find these options! So, it might be better if all that stuff was in one place, under Ivory Search, rather than Custom CSS being there and other stuff being under Appearance->Customize.

   Read on wp.org ↗
6. ★★★★★ marshafox1

   6mo ago

   I wanted to add a search icon to my navigation bar on my website. Even though I have Elementor Pro, I was unable to use the search widget. It was locked – not sure why. So I started searching on Google for a solution. The solution was to add a plugin to do the job. I watched a yuotube video that suggested the Ivory Search plugin. It seemed easy enough. I added the plugin and then went into the settings. All I had to do was click on add to Navigation Bar. Then I jst customized it to my liking, and I am very happy. Customers can now search from any page for products. Solved my problem. Thank you for the plugin

   Read on wp.org ↗
7. ★★★★★ bfbca

   6mo ago

   This is the only plugin I could find with a nice AJAX UI that searches both WooCommerce and regular posts/pages for free. I gave up Advanced Woo Search in favor of this plugin because AWS searched Woo products only at the free tier. Thank you for making this plugin!

   Read on wp.org ↗
8. ★★★★★ sinisas

   6mo ago

   I asked support several times during past 2 Years to fix one problem. I was just ignored. If plugin works in your case, that’s fine. But if you run on the problem – forget support.

   Read on wp.org ↗

Recent releases and news for this plugin

1. — Version 5.5.16 Updated – Freemius SDK 2.13.2 Fixed – Stored Cross-Site Scripting via Settings 5.5.16
2. — Version 5.5.15 Updated – Freemius SDK 2.13.1 Fixed – Class “IS_Admin” is missing error 5.5.15
3. — Version 5.5.14 Improved – Plugin translation 5.5.14
4. — Version 5.5.13 Updated – Freemius SDK 2.13.0 Fixed – Limited to only admin users what post type can be displayed in admin area. 5.5.13
5. — Version 5.5.12 Updated – Freemius SDK 2.12.2 Fixed – Legacy JavaScript issue by updating simplebar version to 6.3.2 5.5.12
6. — Version 5.5.11 Fixed – Uncaught Error: Call to a member function is_index_search() on null 5.5.11

All 16 disclosed vulnerabilities are patched in the current version (5.5.20). Sites still on an older version should update.

1. Patched Medium · 6.1 Ivory Search <= 5.5.18 - Reflected DOM-Based Cross-Site Scripting via 's' Parameter ↗
   2026-10-02 CVE-2026-92243 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 5.5.18 Patched in 5.5.19
2. Patched Medium · 4.4 Ivory Search <= 5.5.15 - Authenticated (Administrator+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting via 'menu_title' and 'menu_magnifier_color' Settings ↗
   2026-06-26 CVE-2026-11356 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 5.5.15 Patched in 5.5.16
3. Patched Medium · 6.1 Freemius <= 2.10.1 - Reflected DOM-Based Cross-Site Scripting via url Parameter ↗
   2026-04-30 CVE-2024-13362 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 5.5.8 Patched in 5.5.9
4. Patched Medium · 4.4 Ivory Search <= 5.5.13 - Authenticated (Administrator+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting via 'menu_gcse' and 'nothing_found_text' Parameters ↗
   2026-01-27 CVE-2026-1053 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 5.5.13 Patched in 5.5.14
5. Patched Medium · 5.3 Ivory Search <= 5.5.12 - Missing Authorization ↗
   2025-09-28 CVE-2025-63069 Missing Authorization Affects <= 5.5.12 Patched in 5.5.13
6. Patched Medium · 4.4 Ivory Search – WordPress Search Plugin <= 5.5.9 - Authenticated (Admin+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting ↗
   2025-05-27 CVE-2025-5209 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 5.5.9 Patched in 5.5.10
7. Patched Medium · 5.3 Ivory Search – WordPress Search Plugin <= 5.5.6 - Information Exposure via AJAX Search Form ↗
   2024-09-04 CVE-2024-6835 Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor Affects <= 5.5.6 Patched in 5.5.7
8. Patched Medium · 4.3 Ivory Search – WordPress Search Plugin <= 5.5.5 - Missing Authorization to Authenticated (Subscriber+) Index Creation ↗
   2024-04-12 CVE-2024-3233 Missing Authorization Affects <= 5.5.5 Patched in 5.5.6
9. Patched Medium · 6.1 Freemius SDK <= 2.5.9 - Reflected Cross-Site Scripting via fs_request_get ↗
   2023-07-18 CVE-2023-33999 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects 4.0 - 5.5.1 Patched in 5.5.2
10. Patched Medium · 6.1 Ivory Search <= 5.4.6 - Reflected Cross-Site Scripting ↗
    2022-07-04 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 5.4.6 Patched in 5.4.7
11. Patched Medium · 6.3 Freemius SDK <= 2.4.2 - Missing Authorization Checks ↗
    2022-03-04 CVE-2022-4974 Missing Authorization Affects < 5.4.4 Patched in 5.4.4
12. Patched Medium · 4.8 Ivory Search <= 5.4 - Multiple Admin+ Stored Cross-Site Scripting ↗
    2022-01-10 CVE-2021-25105 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 5.4 Patched in 5.4.1
13. Patched Medium · 6.4 Ivory Search <= 4.7.1 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting ↗
    2021-11-02 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 4.7.1 Patched in 4.8
14. Patched Medium · 6.1 Ivory Search <= 4.6.6 - Reflected Cross-Site Scripting ↗
    2021-10-01 CVE-2021-36869 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 4.6.6 Patched in 4.7
15. Patched Medium · 6.1 Ivory Search <= 4.6 - Reflected Cross Site Scripting ↗
    2021-03-30 CVE-2021-24234 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 4.6 Patched in 4.6.1
16. Patched Medium · 6.1 Ivory Search – WordPress Search Plugin <= 4.5.10 - Reflected Cross-Site Scripting ↗
    2021-02-01 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 4.5.10 Patched in 4.5.11

Automated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 7.0

Translated into 23 languages, 7 at 90% or more

Whether ChatGPT and Claude name this plugin when asked the category question, and whether the readme gives them something to quote.

Not measured yet for this plugin’s topics. Its tracked searches are not among the measured topics. See the topics measured so far.

Growth timeline

Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow

1. 2026-09-12 100K+ → 90K+ down after 1 days in tier
2. 2026-09-11 90K+ → 100K+ up after 5 days in tier
3. 2026-09-06 100K+ → 90K+ down after 1209 days in tier
4. 2023-05-16 90K+ → 100K+ up after 1 days in tier
5. 2023-05-15 100K+ → 90K+ down after 5 days in tier
6. 2023-05-10 90K+ → 100K+ up after 11 days in tier
7. 2023-04-29 100K+ → 90K+ down after 3 days in tier
8. 2023-04-26 90K+ → 100K+ up after 225 days in tier

Competes with

The plugins that solve the same job, ranked by shared tags then reach, closest match first. The letter on the right is each plugin's health grade (A best, F worst).

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Drop a live Pulse card for Ivory Search – WordPress Search Plugin into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.

Ivory Search – WordPress Search Plugin: 90K+ active installs, 4.9★ (1,562 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/add-search-to-menu