Title: Scry Search: Meilisearch for WordPress Author: JG Web Development Published: March 4, 2026 Last modified: August 7, 2026 --- Search plugins ![](https://ps.w.org/scry-search/assets/icon-256x256.png?rev=3474753) # Scry Search: Meilisearch for WordPress By [JG Web Development](https://profiles.wordpress.org/jtgraham38/) [Download](https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/scry-search.1.4.0.zip) * [Details](https://vec.wordpress.org/plugins/scry-search/#description) * [Reviews](https://vec.wordpress.org/plugins/scry-search/#reviews) * [Installation](https://vec.wordpress.org/plugins/scry-search/#installation) * [Development](https://vec.wordpress.org/plugins/scry-search/#developers) [Support](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/scry-search/) ## Description Scry Search is built by developers for developers — but you don’t need to be one to run it. If you can install a plugin and paste API keys, you can connect Meilisearch, pick post types, index content, tune ranking/filterable fields/synonyms/typo tolerance/ weights, and turn on autosuggest from wp-admin. No theme edits required. Existing search forms keep working. WooCommerce products are a first-class post type. If you _are_ a developer, the same plugin is meant to be extended: `scry_ms_*` filters/ actions, optional `window.scrySearch`, and a full hook reference in DOCS.md ([GitHub](https://github.com/jtgraham38/ScryWP-Search)). We use this kind of surface on client work and our own products, so the priorities are boring on purpose: stable hook names, easy-to-find call sites, a real docs file, and no forced frontend chrome. #### Works from the admin (no code) * Connection Settings — URL and API keys, with a connection test * Index Settings — post types, searchable and filterable fields (including meta and taxonomies), ranking rules (including custom attribute:asc/desc), synonyms, stop words, dictionary, and typo tolerance; bulk index / wipe * Search Settings — post-type weights for federated search, optional autosuggest and matched-term highlighting * Task drawer, Logs, and Search Analytics for day-to-day ops Site owners and agencies can go live without custom development. Developers can still hook in when a project needs it. #### Headless: no frontend UI required This plugin does not force a search UI on you. No required shortcode, widget, or results template. What you get by default is indexing and Meilisearch-backed queries. Autosuggest and highlighting are optional and off unless you turn them on. Keep your theme’s search, or build your own UI against `WP_Query` / the autosuggest REST endpoint. #### Drop-in WordPress search Scry Search hooks `posts_pre_query`. Any `WP_Query` with a search string can go through Meilisearch (main search, programmatic queries, autosuggest) and still return normal `WP_Post` objects. * No theme rewrites, no forced shortcodes, no widget lock-in * `search.php`, `searchform.php`, core search widgets/blocks, and page-builder search elements keep working if you use them * Opt out per query with `scry_ms_should_search` when you need native WP search Works with Elementor, Divi, Beaver Builder, and similar tools: whatever search box they output still hits WordPress search, which Scry Search routes to Meilisearch. #### AJAX autosuggest (optional) Enable Autosuggest under Scry Search Search Settings. The plugin attaches debounced AJAX to existing `name="s"` fields. Suggestions use the same Meilisearch indexes as full-site search. Optional CSS class selector so only the forms you choose get typeahead. Thumbnails supported when a featured image exists. Shape the result data with `scry_ms_autosuggest_results`, or the rendered HTML with` scry_ms_autosuggest_results_rendered`. Leave autosuggest off to stay fully headless. #### Per-post-type indexes and federated search Index any registered post type independently — posts, pages, WooCommerce products, CPTs from other plugins. Each type gets its own Meilisearch index: * Searchable fields — titles, content, excerpts, taxonomies, author, custom meta( ACF, Meta Box, etc.) * Filterable fields — post type/status/author, post date, taxonomy IDs (`taxonomies. .id`), and more for facets and advanced filters * Ranking rules — drag-and-drop reorder (words, typo, proximity, attribute, sort, exactness) plus custom `attribute:asc` / `attribute:desc` rules per index * Search weights — e.g. weight products above blog posts in the merged results Search uses Meilisearch federated multi-search: indexes queried together, results merged and re-ranked with your per–post-type weights (not a hand-stitched PHP merge). #### Relevancy, filtering, and language settings Per index from the tabbed Index Settings dialog (or via filters): * Reorder built-in ranking rules and add custom ranking rules * Choose which attributes are searchable and which are filterable * Synonyms — nicknames, abbreviations, UK/US spelling, brand aliases * Stopwords — drop noise terms that shouldn’t affect ranking * Dictionary — keep acronyms and multi-word brand names from being split during tokenization * Typo tolerance — enable/disable, min word sizes, and disable on numbers, words, or attributes * View Raw JSON for each settings group when debugging #### WooCommerce Fully compatible. Select `product` in Index Settings, choose product fields and meta, set federation weights if you also search posts/pages. Catalog search upgrades; theme and checkout stay as they are. Same hooks as any other post type if you need custom product documents or autosuggest rows. #### Search analytics Scry Search Search Analytics: * Dashboard with summary metrics, charts, and recent searches * Optional IP anonymization / omit identifying fields * Retention period with daily WP-Cron cleanup, plus a manual “delete old events” button * CSV export of the analytics table (admin-only, nonce-protected) * Extra fields via `scry_ms_analytics_event_to_insert` (non-column keys go into` search_metadata`) #### Task monitor Task drawer on plugin admin screens: * Indexing tasks with status, duration, and errors * Paginated history * Scoped to indexes this plugin manages (shared Meilisearch instances won’t dump unrelated tasks) #### Debug and error logs Scry Search Logs: * Debug and Error levels, filterable in the viewer * Stored in the database, newest first, load-more paging * API keys / tokens redacted before storage * Retention + daily cleanup, or clean up on demand #### Automatic and manual indexing * Auto-index on create/update; remove on trash/delete; re-index on untrash * One-click bulk index per post type * Wipe and rebuild when you need a clean slate * Live search preview from the indexes UI before you ship ranking changes #### For developers: hooks and JS runtime Admin covers setup and tuning. When you need custom behavior, use the public `scry_ms_*` PHP hooks and the optional `window.scrySearch` runtime. Call sites are marked `//@ HOOK: scry_ms_…` in source. Full argument lists, return types, timing, and JS examples: [DOCS.md on GitHub](https://github.com/jtgraham38/ScryWP-Search/blob/main/DOCS.md)( also shipped with the plugin). Code is split into `features//` packages. Prefer a search-only API key for front-end paths; the shared client factory supports `admin` vs `search`. **PHP filters** Indexing and documents: * `scry_ms_should_index` * `scry_ms_should_delete` * `scry_ms_index_prepare_document` * `scry_ms_index_names` * `scry_ms_index_searchable_attributes` * `scry_ms_index_filterable_attributes` * `scry_ms_index_filterable_fields` * `scry_ms_index_typo_tolerance` * `scry_ms_bulk_index_query_args` * `scry_ms_bulk_index_batch_size` * `scry_ms_index_ranking_rules` * `scry_ms_index_fields` * `scry_ms_index_meta_keys` Index settings: * `scry_ms_index_settings_ajax` * `scry_ms_index_settings_backup` * `scry_ms_index_ranking_rules_before_update` * `scry_ms_index_searchable_attributes_before_update` * `scry_ms_index_synonyms_before_update` * `scry_ms_index_stop_words_before_update` * `scry_ms_index_filterable_attributes_before_update` * `scry_ms_index_dictionary_before_update` * `scry_ms_index_typo_tolerance_before_update` Search and client: * `scry_ms_should_search` * `scry_ms_meilisearch_client` * `scry_ms_multi_search_index_names` * `scry_ms_multi_search_query_params` * `scry_ms_multi_search_query` * `scry_ms_multi_search_queries` * `scry_ms_multi_search_federation` * `scry_ms_multi_search_raw_results` * `scry_ms_multi_search_final_results` Autosuggest, admin, analytics, logs, window: * `scry_ms_autosuggest_query` * `scry_ms_autosuggest_results` * `scry_ms_autosuggest_results_rendered` * `scry_ms_admin_pages` * `scry_ms_analytics_event_to_insert` * `scry_ms_log_message` * `scry_ms_window_localized` * `scry_ms_premium_upgrades_display` **PHP actions** * `scry_ms_after_index_document` * `scry_ms_after_delete_document` * `scry_ms_after_bulk_index` * `scry_ms_after_create_index` * `scry_ms_index_settings_restore` * `scry_ms_index_update_settings` * `scry_ms_index_settings_sections_ui` * `scry_ms_premium_upgrade_settings_ui` **JavaScript runtime (`window.scrySearch`)** Optional. Enqueued on the front end (script handle `scry_ms_window-script`). Wait for the `scrySearchReady` event on `document` before using it. * `window.scrySearch.version` * `window.scrySearch.getSearchForms()` * `window.scrySearch.getSearchFormsByClass(className)` * `window.scrySearch.registerUpgrade(name, version)` — namespace for add-ons under` window.scrySearch.upgrades` Per form (`ScrySearch_SearchForm`): * `formElement`, `searchInput`, `data` * `submit()`, `submitAjax()` (debounced) * `addPreSubmitAction(fn, order)` / `addPostSubmitAction(fn, order)` * `addPreSubmitAjaxAction(fn, order)` / `addPostSubmitAjaxAction(fn, order)` A search form is any `
` with `role="search"` or a text/search input named ` s`. Autosuggest and similar features attach through the AJAX action lists. Details and examples: [DOCS.md](https://github.com/jtgraham38/ScryWP-Search/blob/main/DOCS.md). #### Hosting 1. [ScryWP Search](https://scrywp.com) — managed Meilisearch for WordPress 2. Self-hosted — your server, full control 3. Local — for development and testing Enter URL + keys under Scry Search Connection Settings, pick post types, index, done. #### Works with your existing setup * Theme search templates (`search.php`, `searchform.php`) * Core search widgets and Gutenberg search blocks * Page builders (Elementor, Divi, Beaver Builder, etc.) * WooCommerce products and product meta * Any registered custom post type * Optional autosuggest / highlighting when you enable them ### Get Managed Hosting from ScryWP Don’t want to run Meilisearch yourself? [ScryWP Search](https://scrywp.com) is managed hosting aimed at WordPress. ### Requirements * WordPress 5.2 or higher * PHP 8.1 or higher * A Meilisearch instance (ScryWP or self-hosted) ### Support Hooks/docs: DOCS.md or [GitHub](https://github.com/jtgraham38/ScryWP-Search). Issues and questions: same repo or [JG Web Development](https://jacob-t-graham.com). ## Screenshots [⌊Index Settings Dashboard - Manage post type indexes, view document counts, and trigger indexing operations⌉⌊Index Settings Dashboard - Manage post type indexes, view document counts, and trigger indexing operations⌉[ Index Settings Dashboard – Manage post type indexes, view document counts, and trigger indexing operations [⌊Index Configuration Modal - Tabbed settings for ranking rules (including custom rules), searchable/filterable fields, synonyms, stop words, dictionary, and typo tolerance⌉⌊Index Configuration Modal - Tabbed settings for ranking rules (including custom rules), searchable/filterable fields, synonyms, stop words, dictionary, and typo tolerance⌉[ Index Configuration Modal – Tabbed settings for ranking rules (including custom rules), searchable/filterable fields, synonyms, stop words, dictionary, and typo tolerance [⌊Connection Settings - Configure Meilisearch URL and API keys with connection testing⌉⌊ Connection Settings - Configure Meilisearch URL and API keys with connection testing⌉[ Connection Settings – Configure Meilisearch URL and API keys with connection testing [⌊Search Settings - Configure post type search weights for federated search, enable AJAX autosuggest, and set the class selector for which forms receive predictive search⌉⌊Search Settings - Configure post type search weights for federated search, enable AJAX autosuggest, and set the class selector for which forms receive predictive search⌉[ Search Settings – Configure post type search weights for federated search, enable AJAX autosuggest, and set the class selector for which forms receive predictive search [⌊Task Drawer - Monitor Meilisearch tasks with status, timing, and error details⌉⌊ Task Drawer - Monitor Meilisearch tasks with status, timing, and error details⌉[ Task Drawer – Monitor Meilisearch tasks with status, timing, and error details ## Installation 1. Have a Meilisearch instance running ([ScryWP](https://scrywp.com), self-hosted, or local). 2. Install and activate the plugin (upload to `wp-content/plugins/` or via Plugins Add New). 3. Scry Search Connection Settings: URL, admin key, optional search key; test connection. 4. Scry Search Index Settings: choose post types, save, Index Posts for each. 5. WordPress search now uses Meilisearch. No theme changes required. 6. Optional: enable autosuggest or highlighting under Search Settings. 7. Optional: open DOCS.md and add your first `add_filter( 'scry_ms_…' )`. You can complete the whole flow from wp-admin without custom code. Hooks are there when you need them. ## FAQ ### What makes this developer-friendly? It’s built by people who write WordPress integrations for a living. Hooks are documented and marked in code, there’s a shared client filter, and DOCS.md is the reference. Headless by default if you don’t want plugin UI on the front. ### Can non-developers use it? Yes. Connect Meilisearch, select post types, index, and adjust ranking, synonyms, weights, and autosuggest from wp-admin. You only need a developer when you want custom behavior beyond the settings screens. ### Do I have to use a frontend UI from the plugin? No. Search is `WP_Query` (and optional REST). Autosuggest and highlighting are opt- in. Use your own templates or a separate front. ### Do I need to change my theme? No. Existing search forms and templates keep working. If you don’t have any, the plugin still doesn’t force one on you. Page-builder search elements work the same way. ### What is Meilisearch? Open-source, typo-tolerant search engine: [meilisearch.com](https://www.meilisearch.com/). This plugin assumes you already chose it (or will via ScryWP); we focus on the WordPress integration. ### ScryWP or self-host? [ScryWP](https://scrywp.com) if you don’t want to operate Meilisearch. Self-host for control, compliance, or local/dev. Either way you paste URL and keys into the plugin. ### Custom post types and meta? Yes. Each selected post type gets its own index. Meta shows up in searchable fields; tweak via admin or `scry_ms_index_fields` / `scry_ms_index_meta_keys` / `scry_ms_index_prepare_document`. ### How does federated search work? Meilisearch multi-search with federation across your indexes, using the weights you set in Search Settings. Adjust the request with `scry_ms_multi_search_*`. ### Will this work with WooCommerce? Yes. Index `product`, choose fields/meta, set weights if you federate with other types. Theme and checkout stay unchanged. ### Synonyms, stopwords, dictionary, and typo tolerance? Yes — per index in the Index Settings dialog (dedicated tabs), no Meilisearch config files required. Also filterable from code when you need that. ### Can I configure filterable fields from WordPress? Yes. The Filterable Fields tab lets you pick core fields, taxonomy IDs, and related attributes. Defaults and the field tree are adjustable with `scry_ms_index_filterable_attributes`/` scry_ms_index_filterable_fields`. ### How do I customize with code? See **For developers: hooks and JS runtime** above for the full list. Common starters:` scry_ms_should_index`, `scry_ms_index_prepare_document`, `scry_ms_meilisearch_client`,` scry_ms_autosuggest_results` / `scry_ms_autosuggest_results_rendered`, `scry_ms_admin_pages`. Signatures and examples: [DOCS.md](https://github.com/jtgraham38/ScryWP-Search/blob/main/DOCS.md). ### JavaScript API? Yes — optional. See **For developers: hooks and JS runtime**. Wait for `scrySearchReady`, then use `window.scrySearch` and per-form pre/post submit (and AJAX) action lists. Skip it if you’re not attaching front-end behavior. Details in DOCS.md. ### How do I debug indexing? Task drawer for Meilisearch tasks on managed indexes; Scry Search Logs for plugin debug/error lines (secrets redacted, retention available). ### Can I export analytics? Scry Search Search Analytics: CSV export, retention/cleanup, privacy options, and` scry_ms_analytics_event_to_insert` for extra fields. ### Is it secure? AJAX nonces, capability checks, sanitized/escaped I/O. Prefer a search-only API key for front-end paths; the client factory supports `admin` vs `search` keys. ## Reviews ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/6f810841a1c074a661fc2bbe2b25218491092fbb5e0c73a916b7a8153d7193aa? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[Great Plugin](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/great-plugin-41654/)󠁿 [jag7](https://profiles.wordpress.org/jag7/) July 23, 2026 1 reply I am very satisfied with this plugin — it gives a ton of freedom on what you can control. I have been using it on a development site for some time and have had no serious issues. I’m excited to incorporate it into my personal portfolio website. Thank you Scry, Jon ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d923bcf274b935345d61dc6ec2628960ce136726092ec8f62b361fb3f67191f2? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[The perfect Meilisearch integration for WordPress.](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/the-perfect-meilisearch-integration-for-wordpress/)󠁿 [erlisa](https://profiles.wordpress.org/erlisa/) May 14, 2026 1 reply ScryWP Search Meilisearch is an absolute game-changer for website performance. Integrating Meilisearch makes the search results load almost instantly, which is a massive upgrade from the default WordPress search. What impressed me the most, however, is the support team. They are incredibly professional and truly listen to user feedback. When I requested a new feature for the analytics section, they pushed out a patch with the exact feature in less than 24 hours! This level of dedication and fast response is extremely rare in the WordPress community. If you are looking for a powerful, resource-friendly search solution backed by a passionate development team, this is the one. Highly recommended! [ Read all 2 reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/scry-search/reviews/) ## Contributors & Developers “Scry Search: Meilisearch for WordPress” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin. Contributors * [ JG Web Development ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/jtgraham38/) [Translate “Scry Search: Meilisearch for WordPress” into your language.](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/scry-search) ### Interested in development? [Browse the code](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/scry-search/), check out the [SVN repository](https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/scry-search/), or subscribe to the [development log](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/scry-search/) by [RSS](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/scry-search/?limit=100&mode=stop_on_copy&format=rss). ## Changelog #### 1.4.0 * Tabbed Index Settings dialog covering ranking rules, searchable fields, filterable fields, synonyms, stop words, dictionary, and typo tolerance * Filterable attributes managed in core — including post taxonomies (`taxonomies. .id`) and `post_date_unix` * Custom ranking rules (`attribute:asc` / `attribute:desc`) with drag-and-drop ordering alongside built-in rules * Dictionary and typo tolerance settings (enable/disable, min word sizes, disable on numbers/words/attributes) * View Raw JSON on each settings section for debugging * Settings backup/restore now includes filterable attributes, dictionary, and typo tolerance * New hooks: `scry_ms_index_filterable_attributes`, `scry_ms_index_filterable_fields`,` scry_ms_index_filterable_attributes_before_update`, `scry_ms_index_dictionary_before_update`,` scry_ms_index_typo_tolerance`, `scry_ms_index_typo_tolerance_before_update`, ` scry_ms_bulk_index_batch_size` * Bulk indexing processes posts in batches (memory-friendly; batch size filterable) * Setup breadcrumb navigation on admin pages * DOCS.md / README updated for the new index settings surface #### 1.3.0 * New hooks: `should_index`, `should_delete`, `should_search`, `after_index_document`,` after_delete_document`, `after_bulk_index`, `index_names`, `index_searchable_attributes`,` bulk_index_query_args`, `meilisearch_client`, `autosuggest_results`, `autosuggest_results_rendered`,` admin_pages` * Customize how your site displays autosuggest results with the `autosuggest_results_rendered` hook * Documents now include public taxonomy terms; `index_prepare_document` gets `WP_Post` as second arg * Sync on `delete_post` and `untrash_post` * DOCS.md / README updated * Optional matched-term highlighting in results and autosuggest (Search Settings; CSS class `.scry-ms-highlight`) * Autosuggest can show featured-image thumbnails * Analytics: extra keys on `scry_ms_analytics_event_to_insert` stored in `search_metadata`( CSV too) * Premium Upgrades lists Scry Search Hybrid alongside Filters * Index settings restored from WP only when an index is newly created (avoids re- PATCHing Meilisearch every admin load when embedders are set) #### 1.2.1 * Task drawer only lists tasks for indexes this plugin manages * Premium Upgrades page layout/assets fix #### 1.2.0 * Logs screen (debug/error, retention, secret redaction) * More `scry_ms_*` hooks; documented in DOCS.md * `window.scrySearch` JS API * Premium Upgrades admin page * Federated search hit-count fix #### 1.1.2 * Analytics CSV export, retention/cleanup, privacy settings on Search Analytics #### 1.0.3 * Optional AJAX autosuggest (Search Settings toggle + optional class selector) #### 1.0.2 * Synonyms and stopwords from the WordPress admin #### 1.0.1 * ScryWP-hosted Meilisearch support #### 1.0.0 * Initial release: per-post-type indexes, federated search, ranking/searchable fields, auto + bulk indexing, task drawer, live preview, drop-in WP search ## Meta * Version **1.4.0** * Last updated **3 days ago** * Active installations **20+** * WordPress version ** 5.2 or higher ** * Tested up to **7.0.3** * PHP version ** 8.1 or higher ** * Language * [English (US)](https://wordpress.org/plugins/scry-search/) * Tags * [developer](https://vec.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/developer/)[hooks](https://vec.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/hooks/) [meilisearch](https://vec.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/meilisearch/)[search](https://vec.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/search/) * [Advanced View](https://vec.wordpress.org/plugins/scry-search/advanced/) ## Ratings 5 out of 5 stars. * [ 2 5-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/scry-search/reviews/?filter=5) * [ 0 4-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/scry-search/reviews/?filter=4) * [ 0 3-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/scry-search/reviews/?filter=3) * [ 0 2-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/scry-search/reviews/?filter=2) * [ 0 1-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/scry-search/reviews/?filter=1) [Your review](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/scry-search/reviews/#new-post) [See all reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/scry-search/reviews/) ## Contributors * [ JG Web Development ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/jtgraham38/) ## Support Issues resolved in last two months: 1 out of 3 [View support forum](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/scry-search/)