SEARCH's Internet Service Provider (ISP) List
My Role
UX/UI Designer & WordPress Developer
Tools
WordPress, ACF, Asgaros Forum, Ultimate Member, US Map, PHP, CSS, JavaScript
Overview
SEARCH was tasked with maintaining a comprehensive list of ISPs and their legal compliance contacts—critical information for law enforcement agencies serving subpoenas, court orders, and search warrants. Originally delivered as a massive spreadsheet, the list needed to be centralized, searchable, and easy to update by non-technical staff. The result is a searchable database of internet service and online content providers used daily by investigators. For each entry, the system includes legal contact information and instructions for serving legal process, making it one of the most relied-upon resources on the SEARCH website.
Challenge
The original data was bulky (3,600+ entries), constantly evolving, and had no user-friendly interface for staff to manage updates. We tested a few WordPress directory plugins, but none handled the scale well or allowed for the nuanced control we needed.
Solution
I built a custom post type specifically for ISPs using Custom Post UI and Advanced Custom Fields (ACF). I created a streamlined admin interface that allows staff to easily add, update, and filter records. On the front end, I implemented a filterable dropdown UI with Ajax Search Pro plugin, allowing users to quickly find providers.
Result
The ISP List now receives over 6,000 hits per day, primarily from law enforcement agencies. We average nearly one request per day to update or add entries. It has become one of the most trafficked and relied-upon resources on SEARCH.org, and the internal workflow for updating it is smooth, efficient, and entirely staff-managed.