SearchWP Live Ajax Search
View on WordPress.orgScores higher than 89% of indexed plugins
About
Template powered live search for any WordPress theme. Does not require SearchWP, but will utilize it if available.
Security History
What It Does
SearchWP Live Ajax Search replaces the default WordPress search box with a real-time, template-aware dropdown that shows results as visitors type. It indexes posts, pages, and custom post types through standard WordPress templates, so it works without SearchWP but will inherit its relevance engine when installed. The plugin ships with customizable styling, a developer-friendly hooks API, and built-in support for WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads, and bbPress.
Who It's For
This plugin suits site owners who want a polished, modern search bar on a medium-to-large WordPress site without writing custom JavaScript or hiring a developer. It is particularly useful for stores and directories running SearchWP who want to expose that index to live search, and for blog or membership site owners who need out-of-the-box support for custom post types and WooCommerce products. Developers who already use SearchWP will find the integration automatic.
Who Should Skip It
Skip this if you already use Relevanssi, Ivory Search, or a filter plugin like YMC Smart Filter, since adding overlapping search logic can cause index contention and confusing result weighting. Also avoid it on small brochure sites with under a few dozen posts, where native WordPress search is sufficient and the script overhead is not justified.
The Bottom Line
SearchWP Live Ajax Search scores a solid 80.99 out of 100 and delivers exactly what its name promises: a clean, template-driven live search bar that plays nicely with SearchWP when present. The main caveat is the lack of public support data, so if you cannot resolve issues yourself or pay for SearchWP's premium ticket channel, consider Relevanssi or Ajax Search Lite first. For WordPress sites that already trust SearchWP or just want a no-fuss live dropdown, it remains a sensible choice.
Related Plugins
Pick this instead if your primary need is faceted filtering by category, tag, price, or custom taxonomy rather than a live-results search box.
Choose Relevanssi when you want to replace the core search index entirely with fuzzy matching, synonym support, and result weighting on a high-traffic blog or store.
Opt for Ivory Search when you need multiple separate search forms with different filters, or want a fully visual admin interface for configuring search rules.
Reach for Search Regex if your task is bulk finding and replacing content in the database rather than improving the visitor-facing search experience.
Pick Ajax Search Lite instead if you want a heavily visual builder with sliders, taxonomies, and Google-style result layouts out of the box and 80,000 installs of community feedback to draw on.