Custom fields are stored in post metadata, which is very expensive (slow) to query. Ideally, you would be better off re-coding the site to use custom taxonomies instead of custom fields. From there, search would be easier.
If you stick with ACF or other metadata, you can customize the search form and queries, but you’ll be putting a lot of load on the server. At that point, it would be preferable to add a search service such as ElasticSearch or Swiftype. The client would pay for this monthly or annual service, but they’d be able to do all sorts of filtering and sorting without as much custom code, and everything would load much faster because you would then be querying an external service rather than the WP database.
Related Posts:
- WordPress Search documentation: how to improve search query using taxonomy terms, custom meta fields?
- Extending the search context in the admin list post screen
- Advanced search form with filters for custom taxonomies and custom fields
- How can I change the admin search posts fields?
- Development of a WordPress Search Plugin – Best Practices
- Admin Area Custom Type Search By Meta Fields Without Title & Content
- Search multiple custom fields by using meta_query
- How do I Paginate Search Results for Custom Post Types?
- Search that will look in custom field, post title and post content
- Filtering a WP_Query meta_query by numeric values isn’t working
- Automatically fill custom field value on post publish/update
- Filter a custom field based on selection of another custom field (ACF) [closed]
- Search everything (posts, pages, tags, cpt, meta)
- ACF Relationships in Custom Post Type Permalink
- How to sort a table of custom posts by column containing custom field
- Search Custom Post Type with all meta attached?
- Backend search; include CPT meta?
- Use Custom Post Type as Custom Field
- Building an Advanced Search (text, tags, category, custom fields) – Getting the wrong SQL query
- Display posts if a custom field value is equal to another custom field value
- ACF Upload Image in repeater from front-end with custom form? – add_post_meta()
- Linking three taxonomies with ACF
- Get Custom Field Values by Another Custom Field in WordPress
- How to Display ACF Relationship Custom Field as Link to Specific Custom Post?
- Search Custom Post Type Custom Fields
- Query Custom Post Types by date (custom field) range
- Custom Fields vs Separate Table
- How to add the post ID (or any other post data) to a Contact Form 7 mail?
- WordPress posts with multiple fields
- Custom Post type and Custom Field WP_Query
- Including Custom Meta with posts_where query
- How to change post featured image using a custom field of category?
- Retrieve value of a category’s custom field
- How can I dynamically add a post to a custom post type which uses a custom field?
- search also in taxonomy, tags and custom fields
- How to stick custom post at the top in search results
- Filter custom posts using auto populated dropdown selectors
- Bulk Update Custom Fields for Custom Post Types
- WP_Query order by custom field, then randomly order some of results
- Query custom post type with ACF Date
- Meta Query Not Returning Output Despite Having Matching Values
- Including metaboxes from custom post types in global search — continued
- ACF From & To Date Validations
- Using advanced custom fields from one custom post type in another custom post type / using nested shortcodes
- How to render a custom post type template with custom fields using shortcode
- Order Custom Post Type by Custom Field Value
- Custom fields (wp_post_meta) vs Custom Table for large amount of data
- How to integrate a form (Ninja Form or Contact Form 7) with Custom Post Types?
- Multiple Frontend Filters Using Advanced Custom Fields
- Integrate Custom Post Type Events into Calendar
- Displaying custom field according to date
- Displaying and searching Custom Posts
- Searching Custom Fields
- filter search custom field query
- How to let users choose where to search for posts?
- WebP Fallback for Inline Background Image in Style Attribute
- Query based on custom fields start and end date
- How to get a custom type post data when it has a connection with another custom type post?
- List of users that clicked a ‘Join’ button at single post
- Add custom attributes to a post
- How to inherit field value from parent post into in child / sub post
- Custom Taxonomy Search result page
- Custome fields not displayed
- search custom post type by custom fields on front end
- Category Search / Custom Post Type search on my website. Custom Post Types that are “page-like”?
- posttype and custom fields on multisite
- How do I get_the_postID() for a custom post that uses ACF repeater field?
- How do I replace the post title with a custom field?
- Sum and count of custom field values
- Group by custom field value (start and end times)
- Custom post types, disable fields
- Best way to create a search for custom post type by custom field values
- Filtering custom posts by custom fields (ACF) [closed]
- Get A Custom Field From A Custom Taxonomy Of A Custom Post Type [closed]
- Limit search field to just search a custom post type with custom fields
- Search CPT Title AND Meta
- Excerpt length: get first paragraph
- Making a form for user to add new custom post with custom taxonomies and custom fields
- Having a repeating custom field in admin custom post type, what I’d go better with, for DB’s sake? ACF repeater or query a different post type?
- ACF – Retrieve custom taxonomy from a relationship field
- Create if else for post types in WP_Query ‘post__in’ values
- Display Custom Field or Custom Taxonomy in front page /post/product
- How to access repeater field of a custom field?
- Filter posts by their related field’s custom field
- search results to show individual ACF fields from inside custom posts
- filter using custom fields
- Autofill advanced custom field with user data
- Search facility with directories
- custom search form for custom post
- Retrieve a post with its ACF repeater fields in wordpress
- Is it possible to specify a time interval (from, to) in ACF with date picker, or other custom field?
- Why custom search engine only searches in post titles of custom posts?
- Display ACF object field data using Elementor Custom Query
- Post object GUID adding http:/
- Custom Sort Order for Custom Post Type Taxonomy
- Meta query with ACF relationship field
- Need some suggestions with Relationship fields and CPT/ACF
- Use Custom Field to Display Post Loop
- How to automatically update ACF field value every year?
- ACF – Updating all posts of CPT when a custom field from options page is updated