Search & filtering

Your marketplace includes built-in search and category filtering so users can quickly find what they're looking for.

Keyword search

The listings page features a search bar at the top. Users can type keywords to find listings that match.

How search works

The search looks through both listing titles and descriptions for matching keywords. Results update automatically as the user types, with a small delay to avoid too many searches while typing.

Search tips

• Search is not case-sensitive — "bicycle" and "Bicycle" return the same results
• The search matches partial words — searching for "bike" will find "bicycle" and "motorbike"
• Multiple words are treated as an AND search — "red bicycle" finds listings containing both "red" and "bicycle"

Category filter

Next to the search bar, a dropdown menu lets users filter listings by category. The dropdown is populated with all categories from your marketplace.

Combining search and category

Users can combine keyword search with category filtering. For example, a user could:

1. Select "Vehicles" from the category dropdown
2. Type "Honda" in the search bar

This would show only listings in the Vehicles category that contain "Honda" in their title or description.

Clearing filters

A Clear button appears next to the filters when any search or category filter is active. Clicking it resets the search box and category dropdown, showing all active listings again.

Empty states

When no listings match the search or filter, the page displays a helpful message:

• No search results — "No listings found matching your search."
• No listings in category — "No listings in this category yet."

These messages help users understand that the marketplace is working correctly, but no listings match their criteria.

What gets searched

Search and filtering only apply to active listings. Expired listings are never shown in search results or on the browse page.