diff --git a/examples/localization/src/search/beforeSync.ts b/examples/localization/src/search/beforeSync.ts
index d0c03c83c..2d9c7be7e 100644
--- a/examples/localization/src/search/beforeSync.ts
+++ b/examples/localization/src/search/beforeSync.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 import { BeforeSync, DocToSync } from '@payloadcms/plugin-search/types'
 
-export const beforeSyncWithSearch: BeforeSync = async ({ originalDoc, searchDoc, payload }) => {
+export const beforeSyncWithSearch: BeforeSync = async ({ req, originalDoc, searchDoc }) => {
   const {
     doc: { relationTo: collection },
   } = searchDoc
 
-  const { slug, id, categories, title, meta, excerpt } = originalDoc
+  const { slug, id, categories, title, meta } = originalDoc
 
   const modifiedDoc: DocToSync = {
     ...searchDoc,
@@ -20,24 +20,40 @@ export const beforeSyncWithSearch: BeforeSync = async ({ originalDoc, searchDoc,
   }
 
   if (categories && Array.isArray(categories) && categories.length > 0) {
-    // get full categories and keep a flattened copy of their most important properties
-    try {
-      const mappedCategories = categories.map((category) => {
-        const { id, title } = category
+    const populatedCategories: { id: string | number; title: string }[] = []
+    for (const category of categories) {
+      if (!category) {
+        continue
+      }
 
-        return {
-          relationTo: 'categories',
-          id,
-          title,
-        }
+      if (typeof category === 'object') {
+        populatedCategories.push(category)
+        continue
+      }
+
+      const doc = await req.payload.findByID({
+        collection: 'categories',
+        id: category,
+        disableErrors: true,
+        depth: 0,
+        select: { title: true },
+        req,
       })
 
-      modifiedDoc.categories = mappedCategories
-    } catch (err) {
-      console.error(
-        `Failed. Category not found when syncing collection '${collection}' with id: '${id}' to search.`,
-      )
+      if (doc !== null) {
+        populatedCategories.push(doc)
+      } else {
+        console.error(
+          `Failed. Category not found when syncing collection '${collection}' with id: '${id}' to search.`,
+        )
+      }
     }
+
+    modifiedDoc.categories = populatedCategories.map((each) => ({
+      relationTo: 'categories',
+      categoryID: String(each.id),
+      title: each.title,
+    }))
   }
 
   return modifiedDoc
diff --git a/examples/localization/src/search/fieldOverrides.ts b/examples/localization/src/search/fieldOverrides.ts
index d5c1e98ee..fb9b7a2ad 100644
--- a/examples/localization/src/search/fieldOverrides.ts
+++ b/examples/localization/src/search/fieldOverrides.ts
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ export const searchFields: Field[] = [
         type: 'text',
       },
       {
-        name: 'id',
+        name: 'categoryID',
         type: 'text',
       },
       {
diff --git a/templates/website/src/payload-types.ts b/templates/website/src/payload-types.ts
index 1dfe387bc..5978fa225 100644
--- a/templates/website/src/payload-types.ts
+++ b/templates/website/src/payload-types.ts
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ export type SupportedTimezones =
   | 'Asia/Singapore'
   | 'Asia/Tokyo'
   | 'Asia/Seoul'
+  | 'Australia/Brisbane'
   | 'Australia/Sydney'
   | 'Pacific/Guam'
   | 'Pacific/Noumea'
@@ -624,6 +625,7 @@ export interface Form {
             label?: string | null;
             width?: number | null;
             defaultValue?: string | null;
+            placeholder?: string | null;
             options?:
               | {
                   label: string;
@@ -791,8 +793,9 @@ export interface Search {
   categories?:
     | {
         relationTo?: string | null;
-        id?: string | null;
+        categoryID?: string | null;
         title?: string | null;
+        id?: string | null;
       }[]
     | null;
   updatedAt: string;
@@ -1355,6 +1358,7 @@ export interface FormsSelect<T extends boolean = true> {
               label?: T;
               width?: T;
               defaultValue?: T;
+              placeholder?: T;
               options?:
                 | T
                 | {
@@ -1458,8 +1462,9 @@ export interface SearchSelect<T extends boolean = true> {
     | T
     | {
         relationTo?: T;
-        id?: T;
+        categoryID?: T;
         title?: T;
+        id?: T;
       };
   updatedAt?: T;
   createdAt?: T;
diff --git a/templates/website/src/search/beforeSync.ts b/templates/website/src/search/beforeSync.ts
index 5fc5f128e..2d9c7be7e 100644
--- a/templates/website/src/search/beforeSync.ts
+++ b/templates/website/src/search/beforeSync.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { BeforeSync, DocToSync } from '@payloadcms/plugin-search/types'
 
-export const beforeSyncWithSearch: BeforeSync = async ({ originalDoc, searchDoc }) => {
+export const beforeSyncWithSearch: BeforeSync = async ({ req, originalDoc, searchDoc }) => {
   const {
     doc: { relationTo: collection },
   } = searchDoc
@@ -20,24 +20,40 @@ export const beforeSyncWithSearch: BeforeSync = async ({ originalDoc, searchDoc
   }
 
   if (categories && Array.isArray(categories) && categories.length > 0) {
-    // get full categories and keep a flattened copy of their most important properties
-    try {
-      const mappedCategories = categories.map((category) => {
-        const { id, title } = category
+    const populatedCategories: { id: string | number; title: string }[] = []
+    for (const category of categories) {
+      if (!category) {
+        continue
+      }
 
-        return {
-          relationTo: 'categories',
-          id,
-          title,
-        }
+      if (typeof category === 'object') {
+        populatedCategories.push(category)
+        continue
+      }
+
+      const doc = await req.payload.findByID({
+        collection: 'categories',
+        id: category,
+        disableErrors: true,
+        depth: 0,
+        select: { title: true },
+        req,
       })
 
-      modifiedDoc.categories = mappedCategories
-    } catch (_err) {
-      console.error(
-        `Failed. Category not found when syncing collection '${collection}' with id: '${id}' to search.`,
-      )
+      if (doc !== null) {
+        populatedCategories.push(doc)
+      } else {
+        console.error(
+          `Failed. Category not found when syncing collection '${collection}' with id: '${id}' to search.`,
+        )
+      }
     }
+
+    modifiedDoc.categories = populatedCategories.map((each) => ({
+      relationTo: 'categories',
+      categoryID: String(each.id),
+      title: each.title,
+    }))
   }
 
   return modifiedDoc
diff --git a/templates/website/src/search/fieldOverrides.ts b/templates/website/src/search/fieldOverrides.ts
index 6d086cb95..14f81fd61 100644
--- a/templates/website/src/search/fieldOverrides.ts
+++ b/templates/website/src/search/fieldOverrides.ts
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ export const searchFields: Field[] = [
         type: 'text',
       },
       {
-        name: 'id',
+        name: 'categoryID',
         type: 'text',
       },
       {
diff --git a/templates/with-vercel-website/src/payload-types.ts b/templates/with-vercel-website/src/payload-types.ts
index 4f797274c..7ac31f6ed 100644
--- a/templates/with-vercel-website/src/payload-types.ts
+++ b/templates/with-vercel-website/src/payload-types.ts
@@ -793,8 +793,9 @@ export interface Search {
   categories?:
     | {
         relationTo?: string | null;
-        id?: string | null;
+        categoryID?: string | null;
         title?: string | null;
+        id?: string | null;
       }[]
     | null;
   updatedAt: string;
@@ -1461,8 +1462,9 @@ export interface SearchSelect<T extends boolean = true> {
     | T
     | {
         relationTo?: T;
-        id?: T;
+        categoryID?: T;
         title?: T;
+        id?: T;
       };
   updatedAt?: T;
   createdAt?: T;
diff --git a/templates/with-vercel-website/src/search/beforeSync.ts b/templates/with-vercel-website/src/search/beforeSync.ts
index 5fc5f128e..2d9c7be7e 100644
--- a/templates/with-vercel-website/src/search/beforeSync.ts
+++ b/templates/with-vercel-website/src/search/beforeSync.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { BeforeSync, DocToSync } from '@payloadcms/plugin-search/types'
 
-export const beforeSyncWithSearch: BeforeSync = async ({ originalDoc, searchDoc }) => {
+export const beforeSyncWithSearch: BeforeSync = async ({ req, originalDoc, searchDoc }) => {
   const {
     doc: { relationTo: collection },
   } = searchDoc
@@ -20,24 +20,40 @@ export const beforeSyncWithSearch: BeforeSync = async ({ originalDoc, searchDoc
   }
 
   if (categories && Array.isArray(categories) && categories.length > 0) {
-    // get full categories and keep a flattened copy of their most important properties
-    try {
-      const mappedCategories = categories.map((category) => {
-        const { id, title } = category
+    const populatedCategories: { id: string | number; title: string }[] = []
+    for (const category of categories) {
+      if (!category) {
+        continue
+      }
 
-        return {
-          relationTo: 'categories',
-          id,
-          title,
-        }
+      if (typeof category === 'object') {
+        populatedCategories.push(category)
+        continue
+      }
+
+      const doc = await req.payload.findByID({
+        collection: 'categories',
+        id: category,
+        disableErrors: true,
+        depth: 0,
+        select: { title: true },
+        req,
       })
 
-      modifiedDoc.categories = mappedCategories
-    } catch (_err) {
-      console.error(
-        `Failed. Category not found when syncing collection '${collection}' with id: '${id}' to search.`,
-      )
+      if (doc !== null) {
+        populatedCategories.push(doc)
+      } else {
+        console.error(
+          `Failed. Category not found when syncing collection '${collection}' with id: '${id}' to search.`,
+        )
+      }
     }
+
+    modifiedDoc.categories = populatedCategories.map((each) => ({
+      relationTo: 'categories',
+      categoryID: String(each.id),
+      title: each.title,
+    }))
   }
 
   return modifiedDoc
diff --git a/templates/with-vercel-website/src/search/fieldOverrides.ts b/templates/with-vercel-website/src/search/fieldOverrides.ts
index 6d086cb95..14f81fd61 100644
--- a/templates/with-vercel-website/src/search/fieldOverrides.ts
+++ b/templates/with-vercel-website/src/search/fieldOverrides.ts
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ export const searchFields: Field[] = [
         type: 'text',
       },
       {
-        name: 'id',
+        name: 'categoryID',
         type: 'text',
       },
       {