The HTML Native Search Element

The HTML specification introduced the search element in 2023 as a dedicated container for search interfaces.

The <search> element acts as a semantic wrapper for search forms and filtering UI components. It provides better accessibility than generic <div> elements and clarifies the purpose of search-related content to both browsers and assistive technologies.

Before its introduction, developers relied on generic div elements with ARIA roles to indicate search regions — a workable but less than ideal solution. The search element changes this by providing native semantic meaning for search and filtering interfaces.

<search> <!-- NEW -->
  <form>
    <input type="search" placeholder="Search...">
    <button type="submit">Search</button>
  </form>
</search>

The type="search" input provides platform-specific features like clear buttons on some browsers.

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