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Overview

The CometChatSearch component is a powerful and customizable search interface that allows users to search across conversations and messages in real time. It supports a wide variety of filters, scopes, and customization options. CometChatSearch helps users find messages, conversations, media, and more through an intuitive and filterable search experience. It can be embedded in multiple contexts — as part of the conversation list, message header, or as a full-screen search experience.

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Usage

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Integration

import { CometChatSearch } from "@cometchat/chat-uikit-react";

function SearchDemo() {
  return (
    <div className="conversations" style={{ width: "100%", height: "100%" }}>
      <CometChatSearch />
    </div>
  );
}

export default SearchDemo;

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Actions

Actions dictate how a component functions. They are divided into two types: Predefined and User-defined. You can override either type, allowing you to tailor the behavior of the component to fit your specific needs.

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1. onConversationClicked

onConversationClicked is triggered when you click on a Conversation from the search result. The onConversationClicked action doesn’t have a predefined behavior. You can override this action using the following code snippet. 
import { CometChatSearch } from "@cometchat/chat-uikit-react";

const openConversation = (conversation: CometChat.Conversation) => {
  console.log("Conversation Selected:", conversation);
};

<CometChatSearch onConversationClicked={openConversation} />;

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2. onMessageClicked

onMessageClicked is triggered when you click on a Message from the search result. The onMessageClicked action doesn’t have a predefined behavior. You can override this action using the following code snippet. 
import { CometChatSearch } from "@cometchat/chat-uikit-react";

const goToMessage = (message: CometChat.BaseMessage) => {
  console.log("Message Selected:", conversation);
};

<CometChatSearch onMessageClicked={goToMessage} />;

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3. OnBack

OnBack is triggered when you click on the back button of the Message Header component. You can override this action using the following code snippet. 
import { CometChatSearch } from "@cometchat/chat-uikit-react";

const onBack = () => {
  console.log("Back button pressed");
};

<CometChatSearch onBack={onBack} />;

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4. onError

This action doesn’t change the behavior of the component but rather listens for any errors that occur in the Conversations component. 
import { CometChatSearch } from "@cometchat/chat-uikit-react";

const handleOnError = (error: CometChat.CometChatException) => {
  // Your exception handling code
};

<CometChatSearch onError={handleOnError} />;

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Filters

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1. ConversationsRequestBuilder

You can set the ConversationsRequestBuilder in the Search Component to filter the search result. You can modify the builder as per your specific requirements with multiple options available to know more refer to ConversationRequestBuilder. 
import { CometChatSearch } from "@cometchat/chat-uikit-react";
import { CometChat } from "@cometchat/chat-sdk-javascript";

<CometChatSearch
  conversationsRequestBuilder={new CometChat.ConversationsRequestBuilder().setLimit(
    5
  )}
/>;

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2. MessagesRequestBuilder

You can set the MessagesRequestBuilder in the Search Component to filter the search result. You can modify the builder as per your specific requirements with multiple options available to know more refer to MessagesRequestBuilder. 
import { CometChatSearch } from "@cometchat/chat-uikit-react";
import { CometChat } from "@cometchat/chat-sdk-javascript";

<CometChatSearch
  messagesRequestBuilder={new CometChat.MessagesRequestBuilder().setLimit(5)}
/>;

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Events

Events are emitted by a Component. By using event you can extend existing functionality. Being global events, they can be applied in multiple locations and are capable of being added or removed. The CometChatSearch component does not produce any events.

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Customization

To fit your app’s design requirements, you can customize the appearance of the CometChatSearch component. We provide exposed methods that allow you to modify the experience and behavior according to your specific needs.

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Style

To customize the appearance, you can customise css of CometChatMessageHeader Example 
import React from "react";
import { CometChatSearch } from "@cometchat/chat-uikit-react";

<CometChatSearch />;

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Functionality

These are a set of small functional customizations that allow you to fine-tune the overall experience of the component. With these, you can change text, set custom icons, and toggle the visibility of UI elements. Here is a code snippet demonstrating how you can customize the functionality of the Message Header component. 
import { CometChatSearch } from "@cometchat/chat-uikit-react";

<CometChatSearch hideBackButton={true} />;
Following is a list of customizations along with their corresponding code snippets:
PropertyDescriptionCode
UserA CometChat.User object representing the user in whose conversation the search will be performed.user={chatUser}
GroupA CometChat.Group object representing the group in whose conversation the search will be performed.group={chatGroup}
Hide Back ButtonHides the back button in the Search component.hideBackButton={true}
Hide User StatusHides the user’s online/offline status indicator.hideUserStatus={true}
Hide Group TypeHides the group type icon in conversation leading view.hideGroupType={false}
Hide ReceiptsDisables the display of message read receipts in conversation result.hideReceipts={false}
Search FiltersList of filters to be rendered in the Search component.searchFilters={[CometChatSearchFilter.Messages, CometChatSearchFilter.Photos, CometChatSearchFilter.Audio, CometChatSearchFilter.Documents]}
Initial Search FilterThe filter which will be active by default on load.initialSearchFilter={CometChatSearchFilter.Messages}
Search InList of entities in which the search should be performed.searchIn={[CometChatSearchScope.Conversations]}
Initial ViewCustom view to be shown when CometChat Search is rendered & no search is performed.initialView={<>Custom Initial View</>}
Loading ViewA custom component to display during the loading state.loadingView={<>Custom Loading View</>}
Empty ViewA custom component to display when there are no conversations available.emptyView={<>Custom Empty View</>}
Error ViewA custom component to display when an error occurs.errorView={<>Custom Error View</>}

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Advanced

For advanced-level customization, you can set custom views to the component. This lets you tailor each aspect of the component to fit your exact needs and application aesthetics. You can create and define your views, layouts, and UI elements and then incorporate those into the component.

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ConversationItemView

With this function, you can assign a custom list item view to an conversation in the search result. For more information, refer to the itemView prop of the CometChatConversations component.

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ConversationLeadingView

With this function, you can assign a custom leading view of an conversation in the search result. For more information, refer to the leadingView prop of the CometChatConversations component.

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ConversationTitleView

With this function, you can assign a custom title view to an conversation in the search result. For more information, refer to the titleView prop of the CometChatConversations component.

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ConversationSubtitleView

With this function, you can assign a custom subtitle view to an conversation in the search result. For more information, refer to the subtitleView prop of the CometChatConversations component.

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ConversationTrailingView

With this function, you can assign a custom trailing view to an conversation in the search result. For more information, refer to the trailingView prop of the CometChatConversations component.

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ConversationOptions

A function that returns a list of actions available when hovering over a conversation item in the search result. For more information, refer to the options prop of the CometChatConversations component.

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MessageItemView

With this function, you can assign a custom item view of a message in the search result. Shown below is the default message search interface.
The customized message search interface is displayed below.
Use the following code to achieve the customization shown above. 
import { CometChat } from "@cometchat/chat-sdk-javascript";
import { CometChatSearch } from "@cometchat/chat-uikit-react";

const getMessageItemView = (message: CometChat.BaseMessage) => {
  return (
    <div className="cometchat-search__message-list-item">
      <div className="cometchat-search__message-list-item-sender">
        {message.getSender()?.getName()}:
      </div>
      <div className="cometchat-search__message-list-item-text">
        {message instanceof CometChat.TextMessage ? (message as CometChat.TextMessage).getText() : message.getType()}
      </div>
    </div>
  );
};

<CometChatSearch
  messageItemView={getMessageItemView} // Custom message item view
/>;

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MessageLeadingView

With this function, you can assign a custom leading view of a message in the search result. Shown below is the default message leading view interface.
The customized message leading view interface is displayed below.
Use the following code to achieve the customization shown above. 
import { CometChat } from "@cometchat/chat-sdk-javascript";
import { CometChatSearch } from "@cometchat/chat-uikit-react";

const getMessageLeadingView = (message: CometChat.BaseMessage) => {
  return (
    <div className="cometchat-search__message-list-item-leading-view">
      <img src={ICON_URL}></img>
    </div>
  );
};

<CometChatSearch
  messageLeadingView={getMessageLeadingView} // Custom message leading view
/>;

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MessageTitleView

With this function, you can assign a custom title view of a message in the search result. Shown below is the default message title view interface.
The customized message title view interface is displayed below.
Use the following code to achieve the customization shown above. 
import { CometChat } from "@cometchat/chat-sdk-javascript";
import { CometChatSearch } from "@cometchat/chat-uikit-react";

const getMessageTitleView = (message: CometChat.BaseMessage) => {
  return (
    <div className="cometchat-search__message-list-item-title">
      <div className="cometchat-search__message-list-item-title-text">
        {message.getSender()?.getName()}
      </div>
      <span>|</span>
      <div className="cometchat-search__message-list-item-title-role">
        {message.getSender().getRole() ?? "Pro User"}
      </div>
    </div>
  );
};

<CometChatSearch
  messageTitleView={getMessageTitleView} // Custom message title view
/>;

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MessageSubtitleView

With this function, you can assign a custom subtitle view of a message in the search result. Shown below is the default message subtitle view interface.
The customized message subtitle view interface is displayed below.
Use the following code to achieve the customization shown above. 
import { CometChat } from "@cometchat/chat-sdk-javascript";
import { CometChatSearch } from "@cometchat/chat-uikit-react";

const getMessageSubtitleView = (message: CometChat.BaseMessage) => {
  return (
    <div className="cometchat-search__message-list-item-subtitle">
      <div className="cometchat-search__message-list-item-subtitle-sender">
        {message.getSender()?.getName()}:
      </div>
      <div className="cometchat-search__message-list-item-subtitle-text">
        {message instanceof CometChat.TextMessage ? (message as CometChat.TextMessage).getText() : message.getType()}
      </div>
    </div>
  );
};

<CometChatSearch
  messageSubtitleView={getMessageSubtitleView} // Custom message subtitle view
/>;

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MessageTrailingView

With this function, you can assign a custom trailing view of a message in the search result. Shown below is the default message trailing view interface.
The customized message trailing view interface is displayed below.
Use the following code to achieve the customization shown above. 
import { CometChat } from "@cometchat/chat-sdk-javascript";
import { CometChatSearch } from "@cometchat/chat-uikit-react";

const getMessageTrailingView = (message: CometChat.BaseMessage) => {
  const timestamp = message.getSentAt() * 1000;
  const now = new Date();
  const time = new Date(timestamp);
      
  // Calculate time difference
  const diffInMs = now.getTime() - time.getTime();
  const diffInMinutes = Math.floor(diffInMs / (1000 * 60));
  const diffInHours = Math.floor(diffInMs / (1000 * 60 * 60));
      
  // Determine the labels
  let backgroundColorClass = "cometchat-search__message-trailing-view-min"; // Default (less than 1 hour)
  let topLabel = `${diffInMinutes}`; // Default minutes
  let bottomLabel = `${diffInMinutes === 1 ? "Min ago" : "Mins ago"}`; // Default "Mins ago"
      
  if (diffInHours >= 1 && diffInHours <= 10) {
    // 1-10 hours
    backgroundColorClass = "cometchat-search__message-trailing-view-hour";
    topLabel = `${diffInHours}`;
    bottomLabel = `${diffInHours === 1 ? "Hour ago" : "Hours ago"}`;
  } else if (diffInHours > 10) {
    // More than 10 hours
    backgroundColorClass = "cometchat-search__message-trailing-view-date";
    topLabel = time.toLocaleDateString("en-US", { day: "numeric" });
    bottomLabel = time.toLocaleDateString("en-US", {
      month: "short",
      year: "numeric",
    });
  }

  return (
    <div className={`cometchat-search__message-trailing-view ${backgroundColorClass}`}>
      <span className="cometchat-search__message-trailing-view-time">{topLabel}</span>
      <span className="cometchat-search__message-trailing-view-status">{bottomLabel}</span>
    </div>
  );
};

<CometChatSearch
  messageTrailingView={getMessageTrailingView} // Custom message trailing view
/>;

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Message SentAt Date Time Format

The MessageSentAtDateTimeFormat property allows you to customize the Message Sent At timestamp displayed in the Search. Default Date Time Format: 
new CalendarObject({
    yesterday: "DD MMM, YYYY", // Example: "04 Jun, 2025"
    otherDays: `DD MMM, YYYY`, // Example: "04 Jun, 2025"
    today: "DD MMM, YYYY" // Example: "04 Jun, 2025"
});
The following example demonstrates how to modify the Sent At timestamp format using a custom CalendarObject. 
import {
  CometChatSearch,
  CalendarObject
} from "@cometchat/chat-uikit-react";

// Define a custom date format pattern
function getDateFormat() {
  const dateFormat = new CalendarObject({
    today: `DD MMM, hh:mm A`,   // Example: "25 Jan, 10:30 AM"
    yesterday: `DD MMM, hh:mm A`, // Example: "25 Jan, 10:30 AM"
    otherDays: `DD MMM, hh:mm A`,  // Example: "25 Jan, 10:30 AM"
  });
  return dateFormat;
}

// Apply the custom format to the CometChatSearch component
<CometChatSearch messageSentAtDateTimeFormat={getDateFormat()} />;

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Text Formatters

Assigns the list of text formatters. If the provided list is not null, it sets the list. Otherwise, it assigns the default text formatters retrieved from the data source.