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Free Plugin by Andrea Tarantini v5.9

BP Profile Search

Member search and member directories for BuddyPress and the BuddyBoss Platform.

BP Profile Search

The facts

Rating
5★ from 71
Active installs
5k+
Price
Free
Last updated
28 Aug 2026
Added
Jun 2010
Requires WP
6.1
Tested up to
WP 7.1
Downloads
677,050

Our analysis

AI-assisted

BP Profile Search is a WordPress plugin designed for BuddyPress that allows users to create member search forms and directories. It includes a form builder to customize search fields based on BuddyPress profile data and user information. Users can display search forms in various locations, such as directories, sidebars, or within posts and pages using shortcodes.

The plugin enables users to filter member directories based on search criteria and provides options to sort results. It is suitable for community sites that require advanced member search capabilities and custom directories.

Best for: Community sites using BuddyPress that need enhanced member search functionality.

What it does well

  • Free to use from the WordPress.org directory
  • Customizable member search forms with a form builder
  • Supports filtering and sorting member directories
  • Compatible with BuddyPress and BuddyBoss
  • Includes shortcode for easy integration

Where it falls short

  • Limited information on specific features and usage

Verdict

BP Profile Search offers useful features for creating and managing member directories in BuddyPress. It is a practical choice for those looking to improve member search capabilities on their community sites.

From the developer

Andrea Tarantini's own description of BP Profile Search, lightly tidied.

BP Profile Search is a member search and member directories plugin for BuddyPress. It provides:

  • A form builder to build the member search forms
  • The [bps_directory] shortcode to customize the BuddyPress Members directory, or to build additional member directories

Each search form has a target directory. When you run a search, you are redirected to the form’s target directory, filtered according to your search.

Build a search form

With the form builder you can:

  • Add, edit, rearrange, and remove the search fields
  • Use as search fields the BuddyPress profile fields, the users and usermeta data (including roles), the BuddyPress user groups, and the user taxonomies (including BuddyPress member types)
  • Use search by distance fields when you install the free companion plugin BP Distance Search
  • Select, for each search field, one of the available search modes
  • Select the BuddyPress Members directory, or one of the member directories built with this plugin, as the target directory
  • Select the form template to display your form
  • If in doubt, use the Help tab above the screen title

The form template works just like any other BuddyPress template. To override a form template, copy it to the buddypress/members directory in your theme’s root, then edit the new copy according to your needs.

Display a search form

After you build your search form, you can display it:

  • In its target directory, using the option Add Form to Directory in the form settings
  • In a sidebar or widget area, using the widget Profile Search
  • In a post or page, using the shortcode [bps_form]

Run a search

On the front-end, when you hit the Search button in a form, BP Profile Search shows the form’s target directory filtered according to your search. Both the All Members tab and the My Friends tab are filtered.

Additionally, the plugin:

  • Displays an active filters section containing the active search filters and a Clear button to clear them
  • Displays for each member a member details section containing the values of the searched fields
  • Adds to the Order By drop-down the options to sort the directory by the searched fields

The active filters section and the member details section are displayed by two dedicated templates, that can be overridden just like any other BuddyPress template.

Build a member directory

Read the full description on the official page →

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