---
title: "How to Search Custom Post Types by Custom Taxonomy in Elementor?"
url: https://theplusaddons.com/docs/search-custom-post-types-by-custom-taxonomy-in-elementor/
date: 2023-09-13
modified: 2026-09-28
lang: en
author: "Aditya Sharma"
description: "A custom post type such as Locations or Books often has its own custom taxonomy - Region, Genre - that visitors want to search by name, not just browse. The..."
image: https://theplusaddons.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/How-to-Search-Custom-Post-Types-by-Custom-Taxonomy-in-Elementor_-1024x536.jpg
word_count: 210
---

# How to Search Custom Post Types by Custom Taxonomy in Elementor?

## 

- The Search Bar widget lists every taxonomy on the site in Select Taxonomy, so a custom post type’s own taxonomy can drive the search by name.
- The setup uses Source set to Taxonomy and Select Taxonomy set to the custom post type’s own taxonomy, with examples like Locations, Books, Region, and Genre.
- The Search Bar widget is a Pro widget in The Plus Addons for Elementor Pro, and it requires Elementor free to be installed and active plus the widget toggle turned on under The Plus Addons > Widgets.

A custom post type such as Locations or Books often has its own custom taxonomy - Region, Genre - that visitors want to search by name, not just browse.

The Search Bar widget's **Select Taxonomy** control lists every taxonomy on the site, core and custom, so any custom post type's own taxonomy can drive the search.

For the full settings tour of the **Search Bar** widget, see [Search Bar Widget Settings Overview](https://theplusaddons.com/docs/search-bar-widget-settings-overview/).

***Requirement - This widget is a part of The Plus Addons for Elementor Pro, make sure it's installed & activated to enjoy all its powers.***

[LIVE WIDGET LINK](https://theplusaddons.com/elementor-builder/ajax-search-bar/?utm_source=tpae&utm_medium=docs&utm_campaign=text)

## Before You Start

- **Prerequisite:** [Elementor](https://wordpress.org/plugins/elementor/) (free) installed and active.- **Edition:** Search Bar is a **Pro** widget - it requires The Plus Addons for Elementor Pro to be installed and active.- **Widget to enable:** go to **The Plus Addons > Widgets**, search for **Search Bar** and turn its toggle on.- A custom post type registered with its own taxonomy.

## Steps

Add the Search Bar widget, set **Source** to **Taxonomy**, then set **Select Taxonomy** to your custom post type's own taxonomy.

![Select Taxonomy control listing a custom taxonomy](https://theplusaddons.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/search-bar-taxonomy-custom.webp)

## Settings Overview

| Setting | What it does | Default |
| ------- | ------------ | ------- |
| Source | Taxonomy - searches taxonomy terms. | Post |
| Select Taxonomy | Any registered taxonomy, core or custom. | - |

## Related Docs

- [How to Search Specific Custom Post Types in Elementor?](https://theplusaddons.com/docs/search-specific-custom-post-types-in-elementor/)- [How to Search Posts by Custom Field in Elementor?](https://theplusaddons.com/docs/search-posts-by-custom-field-in-elementor/)

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: What do I need before I can search custom post types by custom taxonomy in Elementor?**
A: Elementor free has to be installed and active, and the Search Bar widget needs The Plus Addons for Elementor Pro installed and active. The page also calls out one more requirement that matters in practice: the custom post type must already be registered with its own taxonomy, like Locations with Region or Books with Genre. Without that taxonomy, there is nothing for the Search Bar widget to target.

**Q: Why isn’t my custom taxonomy showing up in the Search Bar widget?**
A: The Select Taxonomy control is built to list every taxonomy on the site, core and custom, so missing options usually point to setup, not a limitation of the widget. The key dependency is that the custom post type must have its own registered taxonomy. The Plus Addons for Elementor, The Plus Addons, Plus Addons for Elementor, POSIMYTH provides this inside the Search Bar widget when the Pro widget is enabled.

**Q: Can I search a custom post type by its own taxonomy terms instead of regular posts?**
A: That is exactly what this setup is for. The Search Bar widget can use Source set to Taxonomy, then Select Taxonomy set to the custom post type’s own taxonomy, so visitors search terms like Region or Genre rather than browsing by post title alone. That makes it a better fit when the content is organized around categories or labels tied to a specific post type.

**Q: What is the best way to choose a taxonomy for search in Elementor?**
A: The safest choice is the taxonomy that actually belongs to the content you want people to find. The page’s example is simple: Locations can use Region and Books can use Genre. Picking the matching taxonomy keeps search results aligned with how visitors think about the content, instead of forcing them through unrelated site-wide terms.

**Q: What happens after I set Source to Taxonomy and pick my custom taxonomy?**
A: The Search Bar widget searches taxonomy terms from that point on, not just post content. In other words, the search behavior shifts toward term-based discovery inside your chosen taxonomy. That matters when users are looking for a label or category name first, because it narrows the search around how your content is actually structured.

**Q: Where can I see all Search Bar widget settings for this setup?**
A: The full settings tour is covered in [Search Bar Widget Settings Overview](https://theplusaddons.com/docs/search-bar-widget-settings-overview/). This tutorial only covers the path needed for searching custom post types by custom taxonomy, while the overview gives you the broader control map for the widget. If you also need related setups, the page points to [How to Search Specific Custom Post Types in Elementor?](https://theplusaddons.com/docs/search-specific-custom-post-types-in-elementor/) and [How to Search Posts by Custom Field in Elementor?](https://theplusaddons.com/docs/search-posts-by-custom-field-in-elementor/).