Title: multi layer search Last modified: August 30, 2016 --- # multi layer search * [kristina87](https://wordpress.org/support/users/kristina87/) * (@kristina87) * [10 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/multi-layer-search/) * Hello, * I’m wondering if someone could give some guidance..perhaps recommend a plugin. * I need a multi layer search function for my site. * I have pages (with posts) that are restricted to certain groups – this content has to be searchable within this particular restricted category * Then I have pages & posts that are public, and the public search should not pull the restricted pages in results. I achieved this using the following code: * _[ Moderator note: code fixed. Please wrap code in the backtick character or [use the code button](http://codex.wordpress.org/Forum_Welcome#Posting_Code).]_ * ``` add_filter( 'pre_get_posts', 'ja_search_filter' ); /** * Exclude category 7 from search results. * * @since ?.?.? * @author Jared Atchison * @link https://gist.github.com/1300302 * * @param WP_Query $query Existing query object * @return WP_Query Amended query object */ function ja_search_filter( $query ) { if ( $query->is_search && !is_admin() ) $query->set( 'cat','-100,-106' ); return $query; } ``` * However this prevents the private group to be able to search for the restricted content as well. * Is there anyway to solve this? Comments need to be included in both searches as well. * Thank you in advance! Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total) * Moderator [bcworkz](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bcworkz/) * (@bcworkz) * [10 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/multi-layer-search/#post-6588474) * Identify a capability that only the private group has. Create and assign a custom capability if necessary. Then in your filter callback modify the `!is_admin()` logic to not restrict searches if the current user has this capability. * Thread Starter [kristina87](https://wordpress.org/support/users/kristina87/) * (@kristina87) * [10 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/multi-layer-search/#post-6588481) * bcworkz, * thank you for the response! * I’m sorry I should have mentioned that I’m pretty new, could you give an example? * also, could this work for multipe categories? * I need one public search that will exclude private categories A B & C * Then I need category A for example, so be searchable separately for users who’s role is set to view category A & only pull up the results form cat. A. they should not see results from cat. B or C * same applies to cat B & C * Moderator [bcworkz](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bcworkz/) * (@bcworkz) * [10 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/multi-layer-search/#post-6588521) * The tricky part is assigning custom capabilities. Fortunately, there are a few plugins that let you easily manage that part, Members is one, there are others. * Let’s say you assign all of these capabilities to admin so we do not need to deal with admin separately in the callback logic. Thus your pre_get_posts callback would have a series of `if()` statements, one for each group (or use a switch/ case structure). One if statement might look like this: `if ( $query->is_search&& current_user_can('read_cat_a'))` * Also note that you can assign capabilities to both roles and individual users, so you can set up some very elaborate permissions. * Thread Starter [kristina87](https://wordpress.org/support/users/kristina87/) * (@kristina87) * [10 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/multi-layer-search/#post-6588572) * Hi bcworkz, * Thanks, it sort of worked but I must be doing something wrong * I set a capability for “regular” which is the general public & is meant to exclude cat. 100 (designated for team A only) & 106 (for team B only) * ``` if ( $query->is_search && current_user_can('regular')) $query->set( 'cat','-100,-106' ); ``` * This worked. However then I created a capabilities for team A & team B & tried to repeat the the statement so that if `current_user_can('teamA'))` then it excludes cat 106 (which is for team B) – this failed. Search still pull results for cat 106. * Any idea? Is it possible to layer it in such a way or am I simply doing it wrong? * Thanks a lot for the help! Kristina * Moderator [bcworkz](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bcworkz/) * (@bcworkz) * [10 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/multi-layer-search/#post-6588596) * IIRC there may be an issue with uppercase letters in capabilities. The rules for naming post slugs applies here – all lowercase plain latin chars, no spaces, no special chars except hyphen – and underscore _. * It’s definitely an issue somewhere in WP besides slugs, but I’m not entirely sure if this is it or not, give it a try anyway! If that fails, post your entire filter callback here or at pastebin.com, there could just be a hard to see typo or something. Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total) The topic ‘multi layer search’ is closed to new replies. * In: [Hacks](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/plugins-and-hacks/hacks/) * 5 replies * 2 participants * Last reply from: [bcworkz](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bcworkz/) * Last activity: [10 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/multi-layer-search/#post-6588596) * Status: not resolved ## Topics ### Topics with no replies ### Non-support topics ### Resolved topics ### Unresolved topics ### All topics