feat: Don't inject search syntax into the NewDot search field unless the user explicitly enters it

[TaduJR]

Explanation of Change

This PR implements the feature request to prevent search syntax from being automatically injected into the search input field unless the user explicitly enters it.

Fixed Issues

$ #75087
PROPOSAL: #75087 (comment)

Tests

Test 1: Sidebar navigation should keep search field empty

1. Navigate to Report Page
2. Click on different sidebar sections: "Expenses", "Expense Reports", "Approved", "Submit"
3. Verify the search field remains empty for each navigation

Test 2: Filter chips should keep search field empty (without prior manual search)

1. Click "Expense" in the sidebar
2. Apply various filter chips (Status filters, Date range, Workspace, etc.)
3. Verify the search field remains empty after applying each filter

Test 3: Manual search should show query in field

1. Type "type:expense laptop" in the search field and press Enter
2. Verify the search field displays the query (e.g., "type:expense laptop")
3. Results should show expenses matching "laptop"

Test 4: Manual search + filter chips should preserve and update query

1. Type "type:expense laptop" in the search field and press Enter
2. Verify the search field shows the query
3. Click the "Workspace" filter chip
4. Verify the search field shows updated query with the new filter (e.g., "type:expense workspace:WorkspaceName laptop")
5. Apply additional filters (from, date, etc.)
6. Verify the query continues to be visible with all filters included

Test 5: Saved searches should keep field empty

1. Click on a saved search from the sidebar
2. Verify the search field remains empty
3. Results should show based on the saved search criteria

Test 6: Advanced filters after manual search should preserve query

1. Type "type:expense laptop" in the search field and press Enter
2. Verify the search field shows the query
3. Click the "Filters" button to open advanced filters
4. Navigate to different filter sub-pages (e.g., Billable, Date, etc.)
5. Change a filter value and click "View results"
6. Verify the search field still shows the updated query with the new filter

Test 7: X/Clear button should clear in one click

1. Type "type:expense laptop" in the search field and press Enter
2. Verify the search field shows the query
3. Click the X (clear) button in the search field
4. Verify the search field clears completely in ONE click
5. Verify that you remain on the current view and set of filters

Test 8: Advanced filters without prior manual search should keep field empty

1. Click "Expense" in the sidebar
2. Click the "Filters" button to open advanced filters
3. Change some filter values and click "View results"
4. Verify the search field remains empty

Test 9: Navigation after manual search should clear field

1. Type "type:expense laptop" and submit (field shows query)
2. Click "Approved" in the sidebar
3. Verify the search field becomes empty

• Verify that no errors appear in the JS console

Offline tests

QA Steps

// TODO: These must be filled out, or the issue title must include "[No QA]."
Same as tests

• Verify that no errors appear in the JS console

PR Author Checklist

• I linked the correct issue in the ### Fixed Issues section above
• I wrote clear testing steps that cover the changes made in this PR
  • I added steps for local testing in the Tests section
  • I added steps for the expected offline behavior in the Offline steps section
  • I added steps for Staging and/or Production testing in the QA steps section
  • I added steps to cover failure scenarios (i.e. verify an input displays the correct error message if the entered data is not correct)
  • I turned off my network connection and tested it while offline to ensure it matches the expected behavior (i.e. verify the default avatar icon is displayed if app is offline)
  • I tested this PR with a High Traffic account against the staging or production API to ensure there are no regressions (e.g. long loading states that impact usability).
• I included screenshots or videos for tests on all platforms
• I ran the tests on all platforms & verified they passed on:
  • Android: Native
  • Android: mWeb Chrome
  • iOS: Native
  • iOS: mWeb Safari
  • MacOS: Chrome / Safari
  • MacOS: Desktop
• I verified there are no console errors (if there's a console error not related to the PR, report it or open an issue for it to be fixed)
• I verified there are no new alerts related to the canBeMissing param for useOnyx
• I followed proper code patterns (see Reviewing the code)
  • I verified that any callback methods that were added or modified are named for what the method does and never what callback they handle (i.e. toggleReport and not onIconClick)
  • I verified that comments were added to code that is not self explanatory
  • I verified that any new or modified comments were clear, correct English, and explained "why" the code was doing something instead of only explaining "what" the code was doing.
  • I verified any copy / text shown in the product is localized by adding it to src/languages/* files and using the translation method
    • If any non-english text was added/modified, I used JaimeGPT to get English > Spanish translation. I then posted it in #expensify-open-source and it was approved by an internal Expensify engineer. Link to Slack message:
  • I verified all numbers, amounts, dates and phone numbers shown in the product are using the localization methods
  • I verified any copy / text that was added to the app is grammatically correct in English. It adheres to proper capitalization guidelines (note: only the first word of header/labels should be capitalized), and is either coming verbatim from figma or has been approved by marketing (in order to get marketing approval, ask the Bug Zero team member to add the Waiting for copy label to the issue)
  • I verified proper file naming conventions were followed for any new files or renamed files. All non-platform specific files are named after what they export and are not named "index.js". All platform-specific files are named for the platform the code supports as outlined in the README.
  • I verified the JSDocs style guidelines (in STYLE.md) were followed
• If a new code pattern is added I verified it was agreed to be used by multiple Expensify engineers
• I followed the guidelines as stated in the Review Guidelines
• I tested other components that can be impacted by my changes (i.e. if the PR modifies a shared library or component like Avatar, I verified the components using Avatar are working as expected)
• I verified all code is DRY (the PR doesn't include any logic written more than once, with the exception of tests)
• I verified any variables that can be defined as constants (ie. in CONST.ts or at the top of the file that uses the constant) are defined as such
• I verified that if a function's arguments changed that all usages have also been updated correctly
• If any new file was added I verified that:
  • The file has a description of what it does and/or why is needed at the top of the file if the code is not self explanatory
• If a new CSS style is added I verified that:
  • A similar style doesn't already exist
  • The style can't be created with an existing StyleUtils function (i.e. StyleUtils.getBackgroundAndBorderStyle(theme.componentBG))
• If new assets were added or existing ones were modified, I verified that:
  • The assets are optimized and compressed (for SVG files, run npm run compress-svg)
  • The assets load correctly across all supported platforms.
• If the PR modifies code that runs when editing or sending messages, I tested and verified there is no unexpected behavior for all supported markdown - URLs, single line code, code blocks, quotes, headings, bold, strikethrough, and italic.
• If the PR modifies a generic component, I tested and verified that those changes do not break usages of that component in the rest of the App (i.e. if a shared library or component like Avatar is modified, I verified that Avatar is working as expected in all cases)
• If the PR modifies a component related to any of the existing Storybook stories, I tested and verified all stories for that component are still working as expected.
• If the PR modifies a component or page that can be accessed by a direct deeplink, I verified that the code functions as expected when the deeplink is used - from a logged in and logged out account.
• If the PR modifies the UI (e.g. new buttons, new UI components, changing the padding/spacing/sizing, moving components, etc) or modifies the form input styles:
  • I verified that all the inputs inside a form are aligned with each other.
  • I added Design label and/or tagged @Expensify/design so the design team can review the changes.
• If a new page is added, I verified it's using the ScrollView component to make it scrollable when more elements are added to the page.
• I added unit tests for any new feature or bug fix in this PR to help automatically prevent regressions in this user flow.
• If the main branch was merged into this PR after a review, I tested again and verified the outcome was still expected according to the Test steps.

Screenshots/Videos

Android: Native

Android-Native.mp4

Android: mWeb Chrome

Android-mWeb.mp4

iOS: Native

iOS-Native.mp4

iOS: mWeb Safari

iOS-Safari.mp4

MacOS: Chrome / Safari

output.mp4

[melvin-bot]

@situchan Please copy/paste the Reviewer Checklist from here into a new comment on this PR and complete it. If you have the K2 extension, you can simply click: [this button]

[codecov]

Codecov Report

❌ Looks like you've decreased code coverage for some files. Please write tests to increase, or at least maintain, the existing level of code coverage. See our documentation here for how to interpret this table.

Files with missing lines	Coverage Δ
src/ONYXKEYS.ts	100.00% <ø> (ø)
src/components/Search/SearchAutocompleteInput.tsx	81.81% <50.00%> (+3.06%)	⬆️
.../Search/SearchPageHeader/SearchPageHeaderInput.tsx	37.36% <87.50%> (+0.49%)	⬆️
...rc/components/Search/SearchRouter/SearchRouter.tsx	0.00% <0.00%> (ø)
src/hooks/useSearchTypeMenu.tsx	70.51% <0.00%> (-1.86%)	⬇️
src/libs/actions/Search.ts	20.76% <0.00%> (-0.11%)	⬇️
src/pages/Search/SearchTypeMenu.tsx	0.00% <0.00%> (ø)
... and 38 files with indirect coverage changes

[TaduJR]

Let me know if you all agree with Test steps, if I am missing any.

[situchan]

Please add screen recordings on all platforms

[TaduJR]

Please add screen recordings on all platforms

Adding now. I was waiting for green light from @JmillsExpensify about this comment what the thinks about the Test Steps since I record based on that.

[situchan]

yes, you can add web screenshot for now. So design/product team can review

[TaduJR]

yes, you can add web screenshot for now. So design/product team can review

Added Video for MacOS Safari. The Linter and Type errors are not related with our PR.

[joekaufmanexpensify]

Good from a product perspective 👍

[TaduJR]

Awesome. Thanks @joekaufmanexpensify 🙏

Friendly Bump for Checklist here @situchan

Thanks!

[situchan]

Please merge main to fix failing tests

[TaduJR]

Hey @situchan

Please merge main to fix failing tests

Done.

[situchan]

Reviewer Checklist

• I have verified the author checklist is complete (all boxes are checked off).
• I verified the correct issue is linked in the ### Fixed Issues section above
• I verified testing steps are clear and they cover the changes made in this PR
  • I verified the steps for local testing are in the Tests section
  • I verified the steps for Staging and/or Production testing are in the QA steps section
  • I verified the steps cover any possible failure scenarios (i.e. verify an input displays the correct error message if the entered data is not correct)
  • I turned off my network connection and tested it while offline to ensure it matches the expected behavior (i.e. verify the default avatar icon is displayed if app is offline)
• I checked that screenshots or videos are included for tests on all platforms
• I included screenshots or videos for tests on all platforms
• I verified that the composer does not automatically focus or open the keyboard on mobile unless explicitly intended. This includes checking that returning the app from the background does not unexpectedly open the keyboard.
• I verified tests pass on all platforms & I tested again on:
  • Android: HybridApp
  • Android: mWeb Chrome
  • iOS: HybridApp
  • iOS: mWeb Safari
  • MacOS: Chrome / Safari
  • MacOS: Desktop
• If there are any errors in the console that are unrelated to this PR, I either fixed them (preferred) or linked to where I reported them in Slack
• I verified there are no new alerts related to the canBeMissing param for useOnyx
• I verified proper code patterns were followed (see Reviewing the code)
  • I verified that any callback methods that were added or modified are named for what the method does and never what callback they handle (i.e. toggleReport and not onIconClick).
  • I verified that comments were added to code that is not self explanatory
  • I verified that any new or modified comments were clear, correct English, and explained "why" the code was doing something instead of only explaining "what" the code was doing.
  • I verified any copy / text shown in the product is localized by adding it to src/languages/* files and using the translation method
  • I verified all numbers, amounts, dates and phone numbers shown in the product are using the localization methods
  • I verified any copy / text that was added to the app is grammatically correct in English. It adheres to proper capitalization guidelines (note: only the first word of header/labels should be capitalized), and is either coming verbatim from figma or has been approved by marketing (in order to get marketing approval, ask the Bug Zero team member to add the Waiting for copy label to the issue)
  • I verified proper file naming conventions were followed for any new files or renamed files. All non-platform specific files are named after what they export and are not named "index.js". All platform-specific files are named for the platform the code supports as outlined in the README.
  • I verified the JSDocs style guidelines (in STYLE.md) were followed
• If a new code pattern is added I verified it was agreed to be used by multiple Expensify engineers
• I verified that this PR follows the guidelines as stated in the Review Guidelines
• I verified other components that can be impacted by these changes have been tested, and I retested again (i.e. if the PR modifies a shared library or component like Avatar, I verified the components using Avatar have been tested & I retested again)
• I verified all code is DRY (the PR doesn't include any logic written more than once, with the exception of tests)
• I verified any variables that can be defined as constants (ie. in CONST.ts or at the top of the file that uses the constant) are defined as such
• If a new component is created I verified that:
  • A similar component doesn't exist in the codebase
  • All props are defined accurately and each prop has a /** comment above it */
  • The file is named correctly
  • The component has a clear name that is non-ambiguous and the purpose of the component can be inferred from the name alone
  • The only data being stored in the state is data necessary for rendering and nothing else
  • For Class Components, any internal methods passed to components event handlers are bound to this properly so there are no scoping issues (i.e. for onClick={this.submit} the method this.submit should be bound to this in the constructor)
  • Any internal methods bound to this are necessary to be bound (i.e. avoid this.submit = this.submit.bind(this); if this.submit is never passed to a component event handler like onClick)
  • All JSX used for rendering exists in the render method
  • The component has the minimum amount of code necessary for its purpose, and it is broken down into smaller components in order to separate concerns and functions
• If any new file was added I verified that:
  • The file has a description of what it does and/or why is needed at the top of the file if the code is not self explanatory
• If a new CSS style is added I verified that:
  • A similar style doesn't already exist
  • The style can't be created with an existing StyleUtils function (i.e. StyleUtils.getBackgroundAndBorderStyle(theme.componentBG)
• If the PR modifies code that runs when editing or sending messages, I tested and verified there is no unexpected behavior for all supported markdown - URLs, single line code, code blocks, quotes, headings, bold, strikethrough, and italic.
• If the PR modifies a generic component, I tested and verified that those changes do not break usages of that component in the rest of the App (i.e. if a shared library or component like Avatar is modified, I verified that Avatar is working as expected in all cases)
• If the PR modifies a component related to any of the existing Storybook stories, I tested and verified all stories for that component are still working as expected.
• If the PR modifies a component or page that can be accessed by a direct deeplink, I verified that the code functions as expected when the deeplink is used - from a logged in and logged out account.
• If the PR modifies the UI (e.g. new buttons, new UI components, changing the padding/spacing/sizing, moving components, etc) or modifies the form input styles:
  • I verified that all the inputs inside a form are aligned with each other.
  • I added Design label and/or tagged @Expensify/design so the design team can review the changes.
• If a new page is added, I verified it's using the ScrollView component to make it scrollable when more elements are added to the page.
• For any bug fix or new feature in this PR, I verified that sufficient unit tests are included to prevent regressions in this flow.
• If the main branch was merged into this PR after a review, I tested again and verified the outcome was still expected according to the Test steps.
• I have checked off every checkbox in the PR reviewer checklist, including those that don't apply to this PR.

Screenshots/Videos

Android: HybridApp

Uploading Screen Recording 2025-12-18 at 2.59.08 AM.mov…

Android: mWeb Chrome

iOS: HybridApp

ios.mov

iOS: mWeb Safari

MacOS: Chrome / Safari

Screen.Recording.2025-12-18.at.1.51.54.AM.mov

Screen.Recording.2025-12-18.at.1.54.53.AM.mov

[JmillsExpensify]

Kicked off an adhoc build, as I'd like to test this one.

[TaduJR]

Resolved Merge Conflicts

[JS00001]

More conflicts @TaduJR

[TaduJR]

More conflicts @TaduJR

Merged with main @JS00001

[joekaufmanexpensify]

Jason has this one from a product side, so removing my review

[JS00001]

See

App/src/libs/actions/Search.ts

Line 963 in 858fab6

* NOTE: The source of truth for search filters is the 'q' param. You should never have to clear the form values when

Please remove the clearAdvancedFilters calls. Otherwise, looks good, thanks!

[OSBotify]

✋ This PR was not deployed to staging yet because QA is ongoing. It will be automatically deployed to staging after the next production release.

[OSBotify]

🚀 Deployed to staging by https://github.com/JS00001 in version: 9.2.86-0 🚀

platform	result
🖥 desktop 🖥	success ✅
🕸 web 🕸	success ✅
🤖 android 🤖	failure ❌
🍎 iOS 🍎	success ✅

[nlemma]

@TaduJR search syntax is injected after using the browser back navigation, should I create a new ticket for this one or is this expected?

2025-12-23.17-42-31.mp4

[TaduJR]

Thanks informing @nlemma

Investigating now.

[TaduJR]

@TaduJR search syntax is injected after using the browser back navigation, should I create a new ticket for this one or is this expected?

Able to repo this on on prod?

@situchan Just for confirming are you able to also?

[situchan]

@TaduJR search syntax is injected after using the browser back navigation, should I create a new ticket for this one or is this expected?

Able to repo this on on prod?

@situchan Just for confirming are you able to also?

yes repro on prod. I am not sure why this is bug though.

[OSBotify]

🚀 Deployed to production by https://github.com/marcaaron in version: 9.2.86-4 🚀

platform	result
🖥 desktop 🖥	success ✅
🕸 web 🕸	success ✅
🤖 android 🤖	success ✅
🍎 iOS 🍎	success ✅