Common Issues general

Search Feature Not Working in My AI App

Your app has a search feature but it doesn't work correctly. It returns no results even when data exists, returns wrong results, is extremely slow, or crashes the page.

Common Causes

  • Search queries the wrong field or table
  • Case-sensitive matching when it should be case-insensitive
  • The search function only works on client-side data, not the full database
  • Missing database indexes making search queries extremely slow
  • Special characters in search input causing query errors

How to Fix It

  1. Check the browser Network tab to see what search query is being sent to the API
  2. Verify the API returns the expected results by testing the endpoint directly
  3. If search is too slow, add a database index on the searchable columns
  4. Make sure the search is case-insensitive (use ILIKE in PostgreSQL or toLowerCase in the app)
  5. Sanitize search input to prevent special characters from breaking the query

Real developers can help you.

PawelPloszaj PawelPloszaj I'm fronted developer with 10+ years of experience with big projects. I have small backend background too Stanislav Prigodich Stanislav Prigodich 15+ years building iOS and web apps at startups and enterprise companies. I want to use that experience to help builders ship real products - when something breaks, I'm here to fix it. Dor Yaloz Dor Yaloz SW engineer with 6+ years of experience, I worked with React/Node/Python did projects with React+Capacitor.js for ios Supabase expert zipking zipking I am a technologist and product builder dedicated to creating high-impact solutions at the intersection of AI and specialized markets. Currently, I am focused on PropScan (EstateGuard), an AI-driven SaaS platform tailored for the Japanese real estate industry, and exploring the potential of Archify. As an INFJ-T, I approach development with a "systems-thinking" mindset—balancing technical precision with a deep understanding of user needs. I particularly enjoy the challenge of architecting Vertical AI SaaS and optimizing Small Language Models (SLMs) to solve specific, real-world business problems. Whether I'm in a CTO-level leadership role or hands-on with the code, I thrive on building tools that turn complex data into actionable value. Kingsley Omage Kingsley Omage Fullstack software engineer passionate about AI Agents, blockchain, LLMs. Vlad Temian Vlad Temian 15+ years shipping production infrastructure for startups. Former CTO at qed.builders (acquired by The Sandbox). Cursor ambassador and agentic tooling builder. I've scaled systems, automated deployments, and built observability tools for AI coding workflows. I specialize in taking vibe-coded apps from broken prototype to production-ready: fixing Supabase auth/RLS, Stripe integrations, deployment pipelines, and cleaning up AI-generated spaghetti. I build tools in this space (agentprobe, claudebin, micode) and understand both sides: how AI generates code and why it breaks. https://blog.vtemian.com/ Mehdi Ben Haddou Mehdi Ben Haddou - Founder of Chessigma (1M+ users) & many small projects - ex Founding Engineer @Uplane (YC F25) - ex Software Engineer @Amazon and @Booking.com Meïr Ankri Meïr Ankri Full-stack developer specializing in React / Next.js / Node.js with 6+ years of experience. I've worked across various sectors including automotive (Reezocar/Société Générale), healthcare (Medical Link SaaS), and e-commerce (Glasman). I build web apps end-to-end, from architecture to production, with a focus on scalability, performance, and code quality. I also mentor junior developers and contribute to technical decisions and code reviews. Matt Butler Matt Butler Software Engineer @ AWS Jaime Orts-Caroff Jaime Orts-Caroff I'm a Senior Android developer, open to work in various fields

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Frequently Asked Questions

Search returns no results even though the data exists. Why?

The search is probably querying the wrong field, or using exact match instead of partial match. A developer can check the query and fix it.

Search works but is very slow. Can it be fixed?

Yes. Adding a database index on the search column usually fixes this immediately. A developer can also implement more efficient search patterns.

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