How much worse is querying custom fields compared to custom taxonomies, quantitatively

The trouble with meta queries is they require an additional join per filter. Say you have a property site, and you’re searching by location, rooms and price. That’s three joins. If you were using taxonomies, just two (terms and term_taxonomy) – no matter how many filters.

The other reason taxonomies tend to beat meta queries is their db schema. They’re well indexed and optimised for searching – the meta table, whilst indexed on meta keys, has a value field that’s large text – start querying on that bad boy (especially LIKE statements) and MySQL will have to take a breath or two.

Having said all that, meta queries have their place and can be extremely useful (with caution). And to be honest, unless you’ve got thousands of posts, or you’re applying several meta queries, the difference will probably be negligible.

Related Posts:

  1. Loop through custom taxanomy in post and display custom fields from posts
  2. Transfer taxonomy to custom field
  3. How to show to show post list under the specific category name using jetengine query?
  4. How do I exclude a custom taxonomy from the post loop
  5. Is ACF being a honey trap? [closed]
  6. Add custom taxonomy fields when creating a new taxonomy
  7. Filtering custom taxonomies
  8. Using WordPress to make a “Product Search” type navigation drilldown
  9. How to modify the query in taxonomy-custom.php to sort term archives by a custom meta field?
  10. Custom Taxonomy not working with posts_per_page in new WP_query (pagination problem)
  11. Get value in custom field with taxonomy [closed]
  12. get_query_var(‘paged’) always returns empty
  13. Remove Category description textarea
  14. Custom metabox for menu administration page?
  15. Custom Fields and performance
  16. register_rest_field for custom taxonomy fields that are assosiated with custom post type
  17. search query within custom taxonomy term, post title and meta field
  18. Is it possible to sort the post based on a custom field?
  19. Showing posts by collection of specific terms and texonomy
  20. Custom taxonomy – custom sortable column
  21. How to display submenus on page based on referring top-level parent?
  22. Problem with query_posts for a custom taxonomy in theme options
  23. Link to most recently created category of custom taxonomy in primary navigation menu
  24. How to display posts from a single category within a custom taxonomy
  25. Advanced Tax Query
  26. How get custom field from custom taxonomy?
  27. Automatically assign taxonomy term if custom meta value exists
  28. Sorting Posts Via Custom Taxonomy Values Using Checkboxes?
  29. How to show only one post for each categories of taxonomy of custom post that contains a specific custom field
  30. Last posts from custom taxonomy
  31. Taxonomy.php issue with search and filters
  32. How to add custom field to custom taxonomy in 4.4
  33. how to search in custom fields & custom taxonomy for custom search
  34. Getting yoast title for custom taxonomy
  35. Outputting an array of term meta values in a custom WooCommerce tab?
  36. Storing data into custom taxonomies VS post custom fields (post meta)
  37. List the number of posts for each custom taxonomy and specific custom field value
  38. Solve product properties with custom taxonomies?
  39. Is it acceptable to build functionality into a theme built for a client? [closed]
  40. $wpdb query a post type within a specific taxonomy term while ordering posts by custom meta value?
  41. Custom fields to taxonomy
  42. Custom fields ‘for’ custom taxonomy?? Can someone explain why?
  43. cannot get multiple loops using tax_query
  44. Print terms with taxonomy and metabox value
  45. Styling Taxonomy Terms Individually
  46. Can I use a Custom Meta Value inside of ‘get_the_terms’?
  47. Alter post order on taxonomy template
  48. query_posts and custom taxonomy posts order
  49. How to add contents of a custom field to a taxonomy term list?
  50. How can I hide admin columns showing extra custom taxonomy fields?
  51. Conditional display for custom fields/taxonomy
  52. How do I modify the “Insert Media” lightbox in the admin to only show media items from a category?
  53. quey posts from different categories with taxonomy
  54. I am trying to display information from a custom table from my wordpress users pages
  55. Save custom taxonomy data in different table not in wp_options for my own plugin
  56. How to create a dependent drop-down and options in dropdown must be manageable from admin panel
  57. How to separate posts in loop?
  58. Show all taxonomy’s terms’ posts having another taxonomy’s term in common
  59. Search Tool only refreshes Page without showing results
  60. Display value of custom field of custom taxonomy in single post?
  61. Removing “s” from search with custom parameters
  62. How to fetch the data from Advanced Custom post when we search specific keyword or field name related to the post?
  63. How do I display a custom field from a custom taxonomy in single.php?
  64. Multi-select field for Taxonomy can’t save the value
  65. List Posts For Terms Of A Custom Taxonomy For Any Post Type
  66. WordPress implode & wp_insert_post question
  67. how to store values in database at hierarchical view
  68. Best structure for entering recipes in a WordPress theme?
  69. WP REST API – get custom taxonomies based on terms & filter
  70. Using WP_Query and Query_post for the loop?
  71. Copy/clone/associate Custom field to Custom Taxonomy
  72. How to write sql query to get the posts from a custom taxonomy term name
  73. saving meta/custom field to tag
  74. How to support fifteen thousand terms in WordPress?
  75. one post per term taxonomy
  76. Different Taxonomy Values for Each Post
  77. Filter through custom taxonomy with an array of taxonomy IDs
  78. What’s the best way to add taxonomy’s image in 2017?
  79. Why can’t I access Custom Taxonomy metadata?
  80. SQL / wp_update_post: change post custom field to CPT post taxonomy
  81. Filter by Custom Taxonomy AND Custom Field
  82. Insert taxonomy slug into loop class
  83. Can You Build Page Templates Without Extra Files
  84. Extra Meta Data for WordPress Multisite Taxonomy
  85. Taxonomy or Custom Field
  86. Using Custom Taxonomies to organise products – struggling to call a correct list
  87. Is there a way to nest taxonomies or custom fields deeper than one level below the post type?
  88. How to use custom slug and custom templates for custom taxonomy?
  89. Create multiple taxonomies with custom fields values on the fly when creating new posts
  90. Custom field with terms from another taxonomy programmatically
  91. Convert post meta to custom taxonomy?
  92. Group posts in a category based on tags in custom taxonomy
  93. Count tags for current post and save into custom meta field (and update it on post edit)
  94. Create new Taxonomy, add extra fields, register terms AND extra fields values?
  95. Dropdown (with onChange) with custom taxonomies
  96. ACF – Get unique values of array
  97. Remove Custom metabox from particular page template is used
  98. ACF Custom field not showing in Timber Taxonomy page
  99. Pre_get_post custom taxonomy combined with custom fields?
  100. Adding a checkbox field to a (custom) taxonomy
Hata!: SQLSTATE[HY000] [1045] Access denied for user 'divattrend_liink'@'localhost' (using password: YES)