Custom Search for PDFs images media files pages and posts

Hi @dshstateca

There are a few ways to build a custom search bar in WordPress that searches for both Posts/Pages and media files. One approach you can take is to use the WP_Query class to retrieve the search results. This class allows you to define the post types you want to include in the search, so you can set it to include both Posts and Pages and any custom post types you may have. You can also use the s parameter to specify the search term.

Here’s an example of how you might use WP_Query to retrieve search results for Posts, Pages, and media files:

$search_term = 'my search term';

$query = new WP_Query( array(
    's'              => $search_term,
    'post_type'      => array( 'post', 'page', 'attachment' ),
    'post_status'    => 'publish',
    'posts_per_page' => -1,
) );

if ( $query->have_posts() ) {
    while ( $query->have_posts() ) {
        $query->the_post();
        // Display the search results
    }
} else {
    // No search results found
}

You can then use this query to loop through the search results and display them however you like.

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any questions or if you’d like further assistance.

Thanks Faisal – greatly appreciate the guidance, I’ll try it out this week!