Search Form Settings

1. Search Form Status

The Search Form Status section shows whether visitor-facing search fields have been added and provides access to the Search Form Builder.

Select Open Search Form Builder to add or arrange the fields visitors can use to filter entries.

An empty Search Form Builder is valid. Search fields are not required when the Search uses initial-load results, defaults, or predefined filters.

Disable Search Form

Enable Disable Search Form to prevent the frontend search form from being rendered.

The Search can still run using Initial Load, Search Defaults, and Predefined Filters.

Use this for directories, maps, restricted views, and pre-filtered listings that do not require visitor input.

2. Filter Mappings

Filter Mappings connect fields from the frontend search form to fields in the Target Form and define how visitor input filters entries.

Filter Match Mode

• Match All Rules (AND): All applicable mapping rules must match.
• Match Any Rule (OR): One or more applicable mapping rules can match.

Field Mapping Rules

Click Add Rule to create a mapping containing:

• Source Field: A field from the frontend search form, including supported sub-inputs from fields such as Name and Address.
• Target Field: The Target Form field whose entry values will be queried.
• Operator: The comparison performed between the visitor’s value and the stored Target Form value.

You can combine multiple rules to create more advanced filtering behavior.

Invalid source and Target Form field combinations are omitted from the generated query.

If a mapped source field is removed from the Search Form Builder, its saved mapping is preserved but marked as unavailable until it is corrected.

For date comparisons, use a Date field when possible. Values supplied through choice fields must use the Y-m-d format.

3. Creator Filter Mappings

Creator Filter Mappings use fields from the frontend search form to filter entries by the WordPress user who created them.

Creator User ID Field

Map a search field containing a WordPress user ID.

Creator Role Field

Map a search field containing a WordPress role key.

Creator Text Search Field

Map a search field used to search creator information such as usernames and display names.

These mappings are useful for member directories, internal staff listings, and other searches involving user-created entries.

4. Entry Meta Filters

Entry Meta Filters map fields from the frontend search form to built-in Gravity Forms entry metadata.

Status

Filter by status values.

Entry ID

Filter by exact entry ID.

Date Created (Start) / Date Created (End)

Define a created-date range using operators >= / <=.

Date Updated (Start) / Date Updated (End)

Define an updated-date range using operators >= / <=.

Post ID

Filter by linked WordPress post ID.

Payment Status

Filter entries by payment status values.

Payment Amount

Filter by payment amount using numeric operators.

Transaction ID

Filter by transaction ID values.

An entry-meta filter is applied only when its mapped search field contains a value.

Leave an option set to Not Mapped when visitors should not filter by that entry property.

5. Proximity Search

Proximity Search allows visitors to find entries within a specified distance of an address or location.

Before configuring these inputs, select at least one Location Source Field under Search Setup → Location Data Scope.

Proximity Search also requires indexed location data. If existing entries are missing from proximity results, see Importing Existing Entry Locations.

Enable Proximity Search

Turn this on to enable distance-based searching and result-distance calculation.

This setting is disabled until at least one Location Source Field is selected.

Address Field

Select a search form text field to use as the address input.

It becomes the center point for radius-based searches.

Address Locator Button

Shows a locator button next to the selected Address Field so visitors can use their current location.

Available only when an Address Field is selected.

Address Autocomplete

Enables Google Places autocomplete for address entry.

Autocomplete Countries

Optional country filtering for autocomplete results.

Autocomplete Language

Optional autocomplete language override.

This becomes available when Address Autocomplete is enabled.

Radius Field

Select a search form field that provides the radius value.

Units Field

Select a search form field that provides the distance units.

Radius and units inputs should be configured so the data format matches your front-end query behavior.

6. Search Behavior

Search Behavior determines how visitor changes to the frontend search form run the Search.

Auto-submit on Filter Change

Enable this setting to run the Search automatically whenever a mapped search field changes.

When disabled, visitors must submit the frontend search form manually.

Auto-submit is useful for directories, faceted filtering, and other interfaces that should update results immediately.