6a Search form design

Simple search

• Make simple search available from every page (a simple search form or a link to a search page – see note below)
• Provide an obvious and appropriate label (or hint in the text box) that provides the scope of the search
  • For example, ‘search this site’
• For a simple search form use a single text entry box
• Provide an obvious button to submit the search
• Place the search consistently across the site
• Only provide extra options (such as extra filters) if these are likely to be used frequently and your site is big enough that it is likely to produce enough results to warrant it
  • If using extra filters, ensure the default is set appropriately in case it goes unnoticed
  • Choose the most simple form elements for the filter – a radio button, check boxe or a drop-down menu [see 5c]

Advanced search

• Include an advanced search to assist people if they need to perform complex searches, such as:
  • Combinations of search terms using AND/OR (known as ‘boolean logic’)
  • Searching in a certain area or for a certain category of output only (sometimes called ‘faceted search’)
• If it is likely to be often needed, include a link to an advanced search next to the simple search form
• Otherwise make the advanced search option available once an initial search has been made to allow the user to refine the results
• In the advanced search form:
  • Use appropriate form elements to assist people to construct more complex searches without them needing to understand Boolean logic
  • Provide the most useful filters