How to Search Products by Attributes in WooCommerce

When customers search for products in your store, they’re often thinking in terms of specific features—like “red,” “large,” “cotton,” or “wireless.” These details are typically stored as product attributes in WooCommerce.

Unfortunately, the default WooCommerce search system does not check attribute data. This means that even if you’ve properly assigned attributes to your products, customers won’t be able to find them using attribute terms alone.

Why Attribute Search Is Valuable

Product attributes describe what a product is—its size, color, material, brand, or other defining characteristics.

Unlike categories or tags, attributes are often standardized across your catalog. That consistency makes them especially powerful for search.

Attribute-based search is particularly useful for:

• Customers looking for specific product features (e.g., “blue shirt,” “size 10”)
• Stores with variations, such as clothing or configurable products
• Shoppers narrowing down options without using filters
• Catalogs where similar products differ mainly by attributes

When attribute data is searchable, customers can move directly from intent to results without needing to browse or refine filters manually.

Two Ways to Add Attribute Search in WooCommerce

If you want attributes to be included in the search process, you’ll need to extend WooCommerce’s default behavior. This can be done either through custom development or by using a plugin.

Extending Product Search with Custom Code

WooCommerce can be customized to include attribute data in search queries. This usually involves working with taxonomy queries, since attributes are stored as custom taxonomies.

With the right implementation, you can:

• Match search terms against product attributes
• Blend attribute matches with titles, descriptions, and other fields
• Control how search results are displayed

However, implementing this correctly requires technical expertise.

You’ll need to consider:

• WordPress taxonomy and query structure
• Interactions with themes and other plugins
• Long-term maintenance as your store evolves

For many store owners, this approach introduces unnecessary complexity.

Using a WooCommerce Product Search Plugin

A more straightforward option is to use a plugin designed to enhance WooCommerce search functionality.

Instead of modifying the default system, these plugins replace it with a more advanced engine that can treat attributes as searchable fields.

With the right plugin, enabling attribute search is quick and requires no code.

For example, the Elevated Product Search for WooCommerce plugin lets you include product attributes in search simply by enabling that option:

A search for an attribute will then return any products with that attribute:

The plugin also handles typos, spelling mistakes, singular and plural forms, and synonyms or variations.

Best of all, it gives you complete control over the appearance of the search results and product previews, along with a live preview of your latest design:

Bringing It All Together

Attributes are one of the most important pieces of structured product data in WooCommerce—but they’re not fully utilized in search by default.

That gap can make it harder for customers to find exactly what they want, especially when they’re searching by features rather than product names.

While it’s possible to extend search manually, most store owners will benefit from a plugin-based approach. It simplifies setup, reduces ongoing maintenance, and ensures attributes are properly integrated into the search experience.

There are several plugins that support attribute search, but the most effective ones treat attributes as a core part of product discovery—not just an add-on. Elevated Product Search is one example of this approach.

For other plugins, see Best WooCommerce Product Search Plugins.