PatPat Search Revamp

More than half of users left the app within two minutes, only 18% used search, and 46% of searchers abandoned the results page. We asked: how might search help people find what they want without frustration?

User interviews revealed a hard-to-find search bar, no suggestions, irrelevant results, and missing filtering tools. Competitive research and Baymard best practices gave the team a strong foundation for decisions.

• Make search prominent and persistent
• Show popular and recent searches
• Add useful autosuggestions
• Preserve queries after submission
• Correct typos automatically
• Show result counts and avoid dead ends
• Prioritise accurate, relevant results

Early exits dropped to 38%, search usage increased to 52%, and search drop-off decreased to 24%. The work reinforced the value of combining qualitative feedback, quantitative data and close cross-functional collaboration.