Title: Search Issue
Last modified: June 22, 2018

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# Search Issue

 *  Resolved [sharonse114](https://wordpress.org/support/users/sharonse114/)
 * (@sharonse114)
 * [8 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/search-issue-16/)
 * Hi, we have several clients who are experiencing issues searching for users. 
   For example, let’s say the user is Sara Smith, [sarasmith@gmail.com](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/search-issue-16/sarasmith@gmail.com?output_format=md),
   saras.
 * If I search for Sara, she doesn’t come up… If I search for Smith, several other
   users with the same last name show up, but not Sara, if I search by her username
   she does come up. Searching by email is hit or miss.
 * Any thoughts? Thank you!
 * The page I need help with: _[[log in](https://login.wordpress.org/?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fwordpress.org%2Fsupport%2Ftopic%2Fsearch-issue-16%2F%3Foutput_format%3Dmd&locale=en_US)
   to see the link]_

Viewing 1 replies (of 1 total)

 *  Plugin Author [Chad Butler](https://wordpress.org/support/users/cbutlerjr/)
 * (@cbutlerjr)
 * [8 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/search-issue-16/#post-10429323)
 * Assuming we are talking the Users > All Users search, the default WP query only
   searches username and email. In your example, unless “sara” is part of one of
   those two fields, she wouldn’t show up in the search results.
 * That is why WP-Members incorporates additional query arguments for better user
   search results – and like most things in the plugin, it’s customizable to your
   specific need.
 * WP fields like first and last name are user meta fields. Any custom field will
   also be a user meta field. WP’s default search doesn’t include any meta fields(
   as already noted, it only searches username and email).
 * In the WP-Members Fields tab, for any field you want to include in search, check
   the box for Users Search, select “Save Settings” from the bulk action menu, and
   click “Apply.” Those fields will now be included in search.
 * Keep in mind, checking too many fields will make your search results less relevant,
   not more. Consider what the most likely searches being done are, and check the
   relevant fields.
    -  This reply was modified 8 years ago by [Chad Butler](https://wordpress.org/support/users/cbutlerjr/).

Viewing 1 replies (of 1 total)

The topic ‘Search Issue’ is closed to new replies.

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## Tags

 * [Search Issues](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/search-issues/)

 * 1 reply
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [Chad Butler](https://wordpress.org/support/users/cbutlerjr/)
 * Last activity: [8 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/search-issue-16/#post-10429323)
 * Status: resolved