Search post tags with a legacy query filter

A reference example of extending Better Search through a tag-query filter. It requires a security and compatibility review before use.

Needs review before use.

Search terms are interpolated directly into SQL without prepared placeholders or LIKE escaping.
The legacy bsearch_posts_where hook needs compatibility verification, and the plugin header uses the same name as Better Search.

Copy controls and downloads are disabled for this entry. You can inspect the source below and in GitHub.

Reference only

This example attempts to extend Better Search by appending a tag-name subquery to its SQL conditions. It splits the search text on spaces and inserts each term into a LIKE expression.

Review required

The query construction must be reviewed and rewritten using prepared values and appropriate LIKE escaping before this is offered for installation. The current hook signature and query behavior also need verification.

The source is retained for reference. Copy controls and website downloads are withheld; its presence here is not a recommendation to install it.

Requirements

Better Search
Requires review against the installed Better Search release before use.

Source

better-search/query/better-search-tags.php

View on GitHub

<?php
/**
 * Extend Better Search to search in tags.
 *
 * @package Better_Search
 *
 * @wordpress-plugin
 * Plugin Name: Better Search
 * Plugin URI:  https://webberzone.com/plugins/better-search/
 * Description: Extend Better Search to search in tags.
 * Version:     1.0.0
 * Author:      Ajay D'Souza
 * Author URI:  https://webberzone.com/
 * License:     GPL-2.0+
 * License URI: http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.txt
 */

/**
 * Extend Better Search to search through tags.
 *
 * @since 1.0.0
 *
 * @param  string $where        WHERE clause.
 * @param  string $search_query Search query.
 * @return string Updated WHERE clause
 */
function bsearch_tag_search_where( $where, $search_query ) {
	global $wpdb;

	if ( empty( $search_query ) ) {
		return $where;
	}

	$exploded = explode( ' ', $search_query );

	if ( false === $exploded || 0 === count( $exploded ) ) {
		$exploded = array( 0 => $search_query );
	}

	$sql = $where;

	foreach ( $exploded as $tag ) {
		$sql .= "
			OR EXISTS
			(
				SELECT * FROM {$wpdb->terms}
				INNER JOIN {$wpdb->term_taxonomy}
					ON {$wpdb->term_taxonomy}.term_id = {$wpdb->terms}.term_id
				INNER JOIN {$wpdb->term_relationships}
					ON {$wpdb->term_relationships}.term_taxonomy_id = {$wpdb->term_taxonomy}.term_taxonomy_id
				WHERE taxonomy = 'post_tag'
					AND object_id = {$wpdb->posts}.ID
					AND {$wpdb->terms}.name LIKE '%$tag%'

		)";
	}

	return $sql;
}
add_filter( 'bsearch_posts_where', 'bsearch_tag_search_where', 500, 2 );

Details

Type: Plugin
Review: Needs review
Last updated: Sep 12, 2026
GitHub: Source · Edit companion · History