How to build search functionality in Bubble

The simplest way to build search in Bubble is to place a Searchbox or an Input on the page and set your repeating group’s data source to a Do a search for with constraints that reference that input’s value. Bubble then filters the database in real time as the user types. For more advanced search (multiple filters, fuzzy matching, or performance with big datasets), you combine Constraints, Advanced filters, and sometimes Option sets to keep searches fast and privacy‑friendly.

Core Concept

In Bubble, “search” means: a Repeating Group’s Data source runs a Do a search for query, and whatever that query returns is what the user sees. The search term usually comes from an Input or Searchbox.

• Searchbox works best for searching a single field (like Name).
• Input + constraints works for multi-field filters or custom logic.

Basic Setup

Place a Repeating Group on the page. Set its Type of content to your data type (e.g. Product). Then set “Data source” to:

// Basic text search
Search for Products
    // Bubble automatically applies text contains
    name contains Input Search's value

This means whenever the input changes, the repeating group refreshes.

Multiple Filters

You can add more constraints, for example category, price, or status.

// Multi-filter search
Search for Products
    name contains Input Search's value
    category = Dropdown Category's value
    price >= Slider Price's value:min

Each constraint runs in the database, which is the fastest and safest approach.

Fuzzy or partial matching

Bubble’s contains operator already supports partial text matches. If you need cross‑field matching (e.g., search Name OR Description), use Merge:

// OR search using merge
Search for Products (name contains Input Search's value)
merged with
Search for Products (description contains Input Search's value)

Performance Tips

• Use constraints instead of Advanced filters whenever possible because constraints run server-side.
• Check Privacy Rules: if the user cannot see a field due to rules, Bubble cannot search it.
• Use Option Sets for static filters to speed up loading.