Clarifying search types
Before making a search, Plane Finder both rotate example searches, and contextually give you tips.
Design Examples
Filter & Search UX: Real Design Examples
See how companies like Airbnb, Netflix, Perplexity and Starling design search and filters, including our UX Bites on near-match results, empty states and loading copy.
Real world examples:
Updated: 23/09/2026, view all 1,490 examples
Examples on Built for Mars include
Instagram's placeholders show what to search
Airbnb shows near-matches to grow inventory
Starling teaches search in its empty state
Dynamic search suggestions
Instagram will show a selection of different placeholders, showing a variety of ideas.
Removing one filter
When filtering results, Airbnb will occasionally show you popular listings that don't match one of your filters, showing you fantastic options that almost match.
Quickly removing filters
If Airbnb has no results to show you, they'll suggest removing specific filters with a single tap.
Demo it, without thinking
Inside the Netflix feed, they’ll promote their new way to search with clickable examples.
If you just keep typing...
Subscribe to unlock this example
Plans start from £8 per month
Searches = Loading
Subscribe to unlock this example
Plans start from £8 per month
There are more than 1400 UX Bites like this
Subscribe to BFM+
If features can be coded in minutes, thoughtful design is what wins
- Unlock the entire library
- Create custom UX courses
- Access our AI tools
£8/monthbilled annually
or, wait for the free stuff
Join the free newsletter
Get the free content when it's released, straight to your inbox, no account required
"An exceptional resource for learning how to build habit-forming products that people love."
"I’d never met anybody who looks at usability and UX the way I do until I met Peter. Only he’s smarter."
"The completest view of the psychological underpinnings of human behaviour that I’ve ever seen."
"What a nice idea! Christopher Alexander would be proud to see patterns collected like this."
FAQs
Why do users only search for the obvious things?
Often they don't realise the search supports anything else. For instance, few people would try a flight number unless told it works. This is why Plane Finder rotates placeholders like "B738" and "Heathrow" and lists tips for searching by route, callsign or registration, giving examples of both specific and broad queries.
What's the fastest way out of a zero-results search?
Let people drop the filter that's blocking results, right there on the page. For example, Airbnb's "No exact matches" screen lists single-tap options like "Remove 'Entire home'", so nobody has to reopen the full filter panel to undo one choice.
Is it worth showing results that don't fully match a user's filters?
Yes, if each one is clearly labelled with what it's missing. Strong options stay hidden because of a single filter, and a label like Airbnb's "Available without a hot tub" gives a concrete reason to relax that requirement.
How do you get people to actually try a new search feature?
Remove the need to think up a query. As an example, Netflix promotes its new search inside the feed with clickable example searches, so one tap shows how the feature works.
How should a search input handle both 5-word and 50-word queries?
Adapt the field as the query grows. For instance, Perplexity shrinks the font size and eventually hides suggestions, so short questions don't look lost and long ones don't disappear out of view.
Does loading text during a search really matter?
Specific copy reassures people they're waiting for the right thing. Google Maps shows "Searching for Fast Food..." when a query matches a known category, rather than a generic "Searching...". The text still needs to stay short, or people won't read it.