GeoDirectory sorts search results automatically and does not show a sort dropdown on the search page. You can still change the order with a URL parameter or a small snippet.

How search results are ordered

• If the visitor searched near a location, results are ordered by distance, nearest first.
• If there is no location but there is a keyword, results are ordered by best match for that keyword.
• With neither, the default sort for the post type is used. You set that in Places > Settings > Sorting.

The sort options you set up in Places > Settings > Sorting appear on category and archive pages, not on the search page. See changing or adding new sorting options.

Sort with the sort_by parameter

The search page accepts a sort_by parameter. Add it to a search URL and the results use that order instead, for example &sort_by=high_rating. Values you can use include:

• high_rating for highest rating
• high_review for most reviews
• latest for newest first
• az and za for title order
• post_modified_desc for recently updated
• random

Add a sort dropdown to the search bar

This snippet adds a “Sort by” select to the GD > Search bar, so visitors choose the order before they search. Add it with a code snippets plugin.

add_action( 'geodir_before_search_button', function() {
	$current = isset( $_REQUEST['sort_by'] ) ? sanitize_text_field( wp_unslash( $_REQUEST['sort_by'] ) ) : '';
	$options = array(
		''            => __( 'Best match', 'geodirectory' ),
		'high_rating' => __( 'Highest rating', 'geodirectory' ),
		'high_review' => __( 'Most reviews', 'geodirectory' ),
		'latest'      => __( 'Latest', 'geodirectory' ),
		'az'          => __( 'A-Z', 'geodirectory' ),
	);

	echo '<div class="col-auto"><select name="sort_by" class="form-select form-control" aria-label="Sort by">';
	foreach ( $options as $value => $label ) {
		echo '<option value="' . esc_attr( $value ) . '"' . selected( $current, $value, false ) . '>' . esc_html( $label ) . '</option>';
	}
	echo '</select></div>';
} );

Leaving it on “Best match” keeps the automatic order described above, including nearest first when a location is entered.