How to search on multiple (custom) fields using Element API

Question

I am using the Element API to search for entries that match a search query: either the title OR the excerpt should contain the query term. The entry is very simple and has these fields:

-title
-excerpt
-link

when I use this to only search in the title field it works:

$section_handle = ['item'];
$q = Craft::$app->request->getParam('query');

$criteria = [
   'section' => $section_handle, 
   'search' => 'title:'.$q
];

So I thought I just add the excerpt field like this:

$criteria = [
   'section' => $section_handle, 
   'search' => 'title:'.$q.' OR '.'excerpt:'.$q
];

but this did NOT work and I found out that it just won't search that excerpt field, this also does not work:

   $criteria = [
   'section' => $section_handle, 
   'search' => 'excerpt:'.$q
];

After some research I found out that when I use this as the 'criteria' it works:

$criteria = [
    'section' => $section_handle, 
    'excerpt' => "*{$q}*"
];

And now I wonder how to proceed. How can I either get the first example to work to search in the excerpt field, or add the OR title clause to my latest example where I am able to search in the excerpt field...

I hope this makes sense and that someone can point me in the right direction!

Thanks very much,

Wouter

Answer 1

In your last example:

$criteria = [
    'section' => $section_handle, 
    'excerpt' => "*{$q}*"
];

You are making a fuzzy search by surrounding your keyword(s) with * (see docs for syntaxes) and I wonder if that's why you are seeing results (I'd need to see the keywords/entry).

However, if that works, then this should work for you:

'criteria' => [
    'section' => $section_handle,
    'search' => ($q ? 'title:' . $q . ' OR '.'excerpt:*'. $q . '*' : null),
],

Alternatively, make everything fuzzy (not as precise):

'criteria' => [
    'section' => $section_handle,
    'search' => ($q ? 'title:*' . $q . '* OR '.'excerpt:*'. $q . '*' : null),
],

One final thought, if your section has three fields, if you only check Use this field’s values as search keywords on your Settings → Fields → excerpt field then you can search on both title + excerpt simply by doing:

'criteria' => [
    'section' => $section_handle,
    'search' => ($q ?? null),
],

Answer 2

thank you for your answer. It did help as in I understand it a bit better, and I finally got it to work!

The solution seems to be this:

check the excerpts field 'use this field's values as search keywords'

But then I had to recreate the entries and only then the searching worked!

I am very happy I got it to work now, thanks again Oli!!!