Platform 2 Guide — This article applies to the new platform. Looking for classic platform docs? Browse the Platform 1 collection.
Why: Enhance your members' experience by providing powerful search, sorting, and filtering capabilities. This allows them to quickly find the content they love, making your app more engaging and user-friendly.
Navigate: App Station > Pages & Menu > Add Block > Search
Quick Start
Go to the Page Builder in App Station.
Add a Search Block to your desired page.
Configure the Content Grid blocks to respond to search queries.
Set up your filter presets in App Station.
Publish your changes to make the search functionality live.
The Search Block
The Search Block is a standalone search bar that you can add to your app pages using the Page Builder. It provides a unified search experience across multiple content grids.
Visual Variants: The Search Block comes in three styles:
Default: Standard size.
Hero: Large and prominent for visibility.
Minimal: Compact design for space-saving.
When a member types a search query, the Search Block updates the page URL with the search parameters, allowing for easy sharing of search results.
How Search Connects to Content Grids
It's important to note that the Search Block does not display results itself. Instead, it interacts with Content Grid blocks on the same page. Each Content Grid can be configured with a searchBehavior setting:
Respond: Filters its content to match the search (default).
Hide: Disappears when a search is active, useful for promotional blocks.
Ignore: Always shows its content, regardless of search.
Search-only: Hidden by default and only appears when a search is active, ideal for dedicated search results.
For example, you can set collection showcases to hide and a single content grid to search-only to create a clean search results view.
When multiple Content Grids are present, the Search Block displays a content type dropdown, allowing members to choose which type to search. Only the matching Content Grid will respond.
What Members Can Search
Members can perform text searches across various content types, including recipes, meal plans, resources, journeys, and blog posts. The search requires at least three characters.
For recipes, the search examines:
Title
Summary
Ingredient names
Tag names
Results are ranked by relevance, with exact matches scoring highest, followed by word boundary matches, prefix matches, and partial matches.
Members can also use advanced search syntax:
Commas or OR: For alternatives.
AND or +: For required terms.
-: For exclusions.
Quotes: For exact phrases.
Sorting
Members can sort search results using the following options:
Recently Added
Recently Updated
Most Popular
Most Loved
Highest Rated
Alphabetical
Start Date (for meal plans)
By default, search results are sorted by relevance, but members can override this with any sort option. The sort dropdown appears in both the Search Block and Content Grid blocks, and selections sync to the URL for shareability.
Recipe-Specific Filters
When searching for recipes, the Search Block provides advanced filter options:
Ingredient Include/Exclude: Fuzzy matching allows members to type ingredient names, even with slight spelling differences.
Tag Filters: Members can choose match modes (ANY or ALL selected tags).
Difficulty Filter: Options include Easy, Medium, and Hard.
Cook Time and Prep Time Ranges: Specify time limits.
Servings Range: Set the number of servings.
Nutrition Filters: Filter by calories, protein, carbs, fat, fiber, sugar, and sodium, each with min/max options.
Filter Presets (Quick Filters)
Admins can create filter preset chips that appear above search results for quick filtering. Default presets include:
Low Calorie
High Protein
Low Carb
Low Fat
Time-based presets (15 min, 30 min, 1 hour)
Servings presets
You can manage these presets in App Station under Settings > Content Settings > Filters. They are organized by type: nutrition, time, and servings.
Base Tags and Filtered Sections
Content Grid blocks can have base tags configured, which are always applied. When members search within a base-tagged grid (e.g., a Vegetarian Recipes section), the search operates within that subset. This allows you to create focused content sections where search respects the section boundaries.
Collection Pages
On collection pages, the Search Block automatically scopes the search to that collection. Members will see the collection name in the search placeholder, and results will be filtered accordingly.
URL Sharing
All search parameters sync to the URL, enabling members to share a search link. Others will see the same results when they use the link. The browser back button also works with search history, making navigation seamless.