# Search feedback for 2 character searches
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/search-feedback-for-2-character-searches/21337
**Category:** Feature
**Created:** [20 أكتوبر 2014، 4:58م UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/search-feedback-for-2-character-searches/21337 "2014-10-20T16:58:35Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@lisajill](https://meta.discourse.org/u/lisajill)
#### Post date: [20 أكتوبر 2014، 4:58م UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/search-feedback-for-2-character-searches/21337/1 "2014-10-20T16:58:35Z")
Good morning! We had a report that a user searched for “go” and could not find anything. Or rather, that the search did not work.
Now, I’m used to forums with a 3 character minimum for search; but maybe not everyone is. I suspect that is what is going on here; however, as part of the bigger picture, I’d like to request some error reporting when the search is not going to function. Right now on these forums try searching for “go” - nothing at all happens. It’d be more user friendly if the search reported why that was (not) happening.
In fact, I’m only guessing at the “why” here. A UI element that does not respond in any way is a wee bit confusing. 🙂
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### Author:  [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [20 أكتوبر 2014، 5:12م UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/search-feedback-for-2-character-searches/21337/2 "2014-10-20T17:12:23Z")
Hmm, not sure I agree with this. Here’s me searching for **go**
Here’s me searching for **gox**
Note appearance of **search “I’m doin’ stuff” spinner** , and **results** (in this case “no results found”). So I think the feedback is fairly clear here.
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### Author:  [@cpradio](https://meta.discourse.org/u/cpradio)
#### Post date: [20 أكتوبر 2014، 5:16م UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/search-feedback-for-2-character-searches/21337/3 "2014-10-20T17:16:05Z")
Just to provide a bit more feedback. We’ve actually had that same question appear on our instance, but I wouldn’t say it appear enough times for us to report it (yet). I’m personally torn on it. I think adding more would clutter the search, unless it can be done as a “placeholder” inside the search box, such as “type X or more characters”
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### Author:  [@lisajill](https://meta.discourse.org/u/lisajill)
#### Post date: [20 أكتوبر 2014، 5:19م UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/search-feedback-for-2-character-searches/21337/4 "2014-10-20T17:19:48Z")
Your second example for ‘gox’ is what I’d expect if there are no results for any reason.
Otherwise it just looks like “nothing happened what’s going on?” - how about some user feedback so the user knows what’s going on? Putting in “go” and getting no response from the interactive box is pretty confusing. The second example is much, much less confusing.
For the “go” search why not tell the user, “you’ll need at least 3 characters to search” instead remaining dormant?
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### Author:  [@cpradio](https://meta.discourse.org/u/cpradio)
#### Post date: [20 أكتوبر 2014، 5:21م UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/search-feedback-for-2-character-searches/21337/5 "2014-10-20T17:21:59Z")
Would this be enough?
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### Author:  [@lisajill](https://meta.discourse.org/u/lisajill)
#### Post date: [20 أكتوبر 2014، 5:27م UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/search-feedback-for-2-character-searches/21337/6 "2014-10-20T17:27:07Z")
@cpradio - I don’t know that would be enough for everyone; but it’d make me pretty darn happy. 🙂 At least we’re giving users some info to work with.
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### Author:  [@Barbie](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Barbie)
#### Post date: [22 أكتوبر 2014، 12:13م UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/search-feedback-for-2-character-searches/21337/7 "2014-10-22T12:13:24Z")
I like this! I have tried searching 2 characters… Eventually figured out I need more but it was frustrating when I was first learning to use forum software.
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### Author:  [@vulkanino](https://meta.discourse.org/u/vulkanino)
#### Post date: [22 أكتوبر 2014، 12:20م UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/search-feedback-for-2-character-searches/21337/8 "2014-10-22T12:20:49Z")
This?
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### Author:  [@lisajill](https://meta.discourse.org/u/lisajill)
#### Post date: [22 أكتوبر 2014، 1:29م UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/search-feedback-for-2-character-searches/21337/9 "2014-10-22T13:29:30Z")
I like that @vulkanino; especially if it were in combination with @cpradio’s labeling warning the user up front.
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### Author:  [@benmcginnes](https://meta.discourse.org/u/benmcginnes)
#### Post date: [22 أكتوبر 2014، 1:43م UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/search-feedback-for-2-character-searches/21337/10 "2014-10-22T13:43:51Z")
Perhaps, if a minimum exists or is configured that way, to include an exception for shorter words where it is explicitly that two letter word. So something like regex to indicate the end of the word (I’m thinking go$ except that’s normally the end of a line and might not work exactly). That should satisfy the obscure programmers and the strategy board gamers.
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### Author:  [@chapoi](https://meta.discourse.org/u/chapoi)
#### Post date: [4 ديسمبر 2025، 11:32ص UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/search-feedback-for-2-character-searches/21337/11 "2025-12-04T11:32:29Z")