Search input present on every browsing page without required scrolling on mobile
Why it matters
Directory users arrive with intent — they want to find a specific listing, not browse aimlessly. When search is hidden below the fold on mobile, buried in a hamburger menu, or missing from category pages entirely, users bounce before they engage. Mobile traffic typically drives 60-70% of directory sessions, and forcing a scroll-then-tap-menu-then-tap-search sequence collapses conversion. This is a core user-experience failure mode that directly reduces listing views, claim rates, and advertising revenue.
Severity rationale
Critical because the search bar is the primary entry point to the directory's value and hiding it on mobile cuts conversion at the top of the funnel.
Remediation
Place the search input inside a sticky header that renders on every browsing page and stays visible in the initial 320px viewport. Avoid tucking search inside a collapsed navigation drawer. See components/Header.tsx:
<header className="sticky top-0 z-50 bg-white shadow">
<SearchInput aria-label="Search listings" placeholder="Search..." />
</header>
Confirm visibility at 320px width before shipping.
DetectionPro
The detection method for this pattern is part of AuditBuffet Pro.
The full method (what to look for, pass and fail conditions, and how results get reported) ships inside the Search & Discovery UX Audit. The pattern definition, severity rationale, and remediation remain openly licensed under CC-BY-4.0.
Taxons
History
- 2026-04-18·v1.0.0·Initial import from directory-search-discovery·automated