# Search Steer > A free WordPress plugin to hide posts from site search, or steer search per post: keywords bring a post into the results, stop keywords keep it out. [← All plugins](https://www.master-webtools.com/#plugins) WordPress plugin · Free WordPress search only looks at a post's title, excerpt and content. Search Steer lets you decide, post by post, what your site search finds: hide a post, add keywords that bring it into the results, or stop keywords that keep it out. Coming soon to WordPress.org Requires **WordPress 6.6+** · **PHP 7.4+** [![A search for "refund": the returns page is found by its keyword and listed first, and the 2019 refund policy is kept out by its stop keyword](https://www.master-webtools.com/img/plugins/search-steer/screenshot-1.webp)](https://www.master-webtools.com/img/plugins/search-steer/screenshot-1.webp) ## What it does ### Hide from site search Keep thank-you pages, landing pages and old announcements out of every search. ### Search keywords Give "Returns and exchanges" the keyword refund, and a search for "refund" finds it, even though the word isn't in the post. ### Stop keywords Give an old "Refund policy (2019)" the stop keyword refund, and a search for "refund" never shows it. ### Set them where you work In the editor sidebar, in Quick Edit, or for many posts at once with Bulk Edit. A Search column shows which posts have settings. ### Move from another plugin Import the posts that Search Exclude, Hide from Search or Hide Posts hide, with one click. Their data stays untouched. ### Matching your way Whole or partial words, which list wins, keyword matches first, and whether it also applies to REST API and AJAX searches. ## Built to stay out of the way 1. **Only the search changes** Menus, archives, widgets, related posts and every other query on the page are left alone. Nothing is hidden in wp-admin. 2. **Nothing extra to maintain** No search index, no custom tables and no migrations. Settings live in post meta and private taxonomy terms that WordPress already indexes. 3. **Keywords stay private** Visitors never see a post's keywords or that it is hidden, and the REST API only shows them to people who can edit posts. ## Good to know - No ads, no dashboard widgets, no upsells and no outside service. - It controls the search on your own site, not Google. To keep a page out of search engines, use your SEO plugin's noindex setting. - Works with the WooCommerce product search. It doesn't work with plugins that replace WordPress search, like Relevanssi, SearchWP or ElasticPress. - Case and accents are ignored, so "Café", "cafe" and "CAFE" are the same keyword. ## Screenshots _The editor sidebar: hide the post from site search, and add its keywords and stop keywords_ _The Search column shows each post's keywords, stop keywords and whether it is hidden_ _Quick Edit changes keywords, stop keywords and "Hide from site search" without opening the post_ _The settings: post types, how keywords match, which list wins, the order of the results and where they apply_ _Import the posts that Search Exclude, Hide from Search or Hide Posts hide, with one click_ ## Questions ### Does a hidden post disappear from my site? No. It only stays out of your site's search results. It is still in menus, archives and widgets, and reachable at its own address. ### Does it hide posts from Google? No. Search Steer controls the search on your own site. To keep a page out of search engines, use your SEO plugin's noindex setting. ### Why does a hidden post still show in my live search? Live search boxes often search through the REST API or admin-ajax.php. Turn on "Also apply them to REST API and AJAX searches" in the settings. ### Does a search need to match every word? No. A post is added when any of its keywords matches. With the keyword refund, a search for "refund status" finds it. Works well with ### Search Analytics for WP Not sure which searches to fix? Search Analytics for WP shows the searches that find nothing, so you know which keywords to add. [Plugin details](https://www.master-webtools.com/plugins/search-analytics/) ### Need a plugin built for your site? We build and maintain WordPress plugins like this one for client sites. Tell us what yours should do. [Talk to us](https://www.master-webtools.com/?need=wordpress#contact) ## Our other plugins ### Search Analytics for WP See what visitors search for on your site and which searches find nothing. The data stays in your own database. **3,000+** active installs **5/5** from 30 reviews [Plugin details](https://www.master-webtools.com/plugins/search-analytics/) ### Feature Request System A public feature request board. Visitors vote on ideas, you move them through statuses like Planned and Shipped, and followers get an email when a status changes. **New** on WordPress.org [Plugin details](https://www.master-webtools.com/plugins/feature-request-system/) Web systems for hospitality, tourism and leisure, from Cluj, Romania. Since 2012. ## Company - SC Master WebTools SRL - VAT ID (CUI) RO30089574 - Trade Register J12/1089/2012 - sat. Dezmir, str. Cloșca 74C, Cluj, Romania, 407039 ## Contact - [contact@master-webtools.com](mailto:contact@master-webtools.com) - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cornelraiuphpwebdeveloper/) - [Upwork](https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~011676814279b979a8) © 2026 SC Master WebTools SRL [About us](https://www.master-webtools.com/about/) [Contact](https://www.master-webtools.com/contact/) [Privacy policy](https://www.master-webtools.com/privacy-policy/) [Terms of use](https://www.master-webtools.com/terms/) [English](https://www.master-webtools.com/plugins/search-steer/) · [Română](https://www.master-webtools.com/ro/plugins/search-steer/) · [llms.txt](https://www.master-webtools.com/llms.txt) · [Sitemap](https://www.master-webtools.com/sitemap-index.xml)