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Product Design•SearchFilters
Why search and filter need different UX patterns
Search narrows by language while filters narrow by structure. They should not feel like the same control.
2026-04-18 · 4 min read
Search and filtering often get thrown into the same toolbar without enough thought. But they solve different problems.
Search helps when the user knows the language of what they want. Filters help when they know the shape or category of what they want.