How to Change Search Results Sorting Options
It is now easier than ever to customize the search result order for members and post types. Here are the seven options currently available for member listings:
For other post types, these are the sorting options:
To easily change the Sorting option, please follow these steps:
- Navigate to Content - Edit Post Settings and click on "Edit" for the post type in which the sorting order will be changed:
- Move to the Search Results Design tab:
- Scroll down and expand the Additional Settings and open up the "Order Results By":
- Choose any of the Sorting Option:
Member Listings:
Member Name A-Z
Member Name Z-A
Member/Post ID (Oldest First)
Member/Post ID (Newest First)
Number of Reviews
Random Order*
Other Post Types:
Date Posted (Earliest Date Last)
Date Posted (Earliest Date First)
Start Date (Earliest Date Last) - If Applicable
Start Date (Earliest Date First) - If Applicable
End Date (Earliest Date Last) - If Applicable
End Date (Earliest Date First) - If Applicable
Post ID (Smallest to Largest)
Post ID (Largest to Smallest)
Post Title A - Z
Post Title Z - A
Advanced - Edit in Search Widget
Random Order*
* Selecting Random Order:
When users select "Random", it is important to note that the randomization will be applied per browser session page refresh.
This implies that continuing to pages 2, 3, and so forth will maintain the same browser session, thus displaying identical results even upon revisiting these pages. The results will only vary upon returning to search results page 1, and refreshing the browser session, presenting fresh random results.
The Random option will apply to all types of searches except radius-based location searches, which always order by distance from the searched location.
Searching by category, keyword or nothing will have random results.
Additionally, the setting "When Sorting Members - Respect Membership Plan “Search Priority” will respect the "Search Results Priority" logic based on the Membership Plan settings:
Sort Order Options on the Front-End
Now every time a search is conducted, the results will be filtered and presented by the selected option, including the ability to sort by Random.
Additionally, the sort order options will be available on the front end of the site for members and visitors to select how they would like the results to be displayed:
If the admin does not want one of the available sort options to show on the front end, the corresponding Text Label needs to be left blank by deleting the text:
These are the text labels that can be edited or deleted:
- Label Name: Default sort label
System Variable: default_sort_label
- Label Name: Most reviews sort label
System Variable: most_reviews_sort_label
- Label Name: Az sort label
System Variable: az_sort_label
- Label Name: Za sort label
System Variable: za_sort_label
Please refer to this article to learn more about text labels : Settings » Text Labels
In this example, after deleting the text label for "Sort by Name A-Z", this option no longer shows in the front end of the site:
