Search
<gcds-search>

Also called: search bar, site search box, search field.

Search is a space for entering keywords to find relevant information.

• Required on Canada.ca

• GitHub
• Figma

Build a search component

Use the search component so people can find information based on keywords.

• Place the search component in the header below the language toggle and in line with the Government of Canada signature.
• Ensure the header is responsive so that the search appears below both the signature and the language toggle on mobile devices.

Coding and accessibility for search

Set up search for content on Canada.ca

• Use the search component to perform a global search on Canada.ca. By default, the component is set to search Canada.ca.
• Opt to set the search to an institution or program specific area.

Opt to replace the search endpoint for applications or transactional sites

• Opt to replace the search endpoint for an application or a transactional site when leaving the site would interrupt a person’s task or flow.
• Use the component’s default HTTP request method, GET, or opt to use POST by setting the method attribute.
• Set the action attribute to an endpoint of your choice and set the placeholder attribute, so the text of the search prompt reflects the scope of search. The set placeholder text will also populate the label text.

Get your code

Generate an instance of the component you need by selecting its code properties.

1. Explore by choosing different code values to generate the instance you want.

2. Get the code and pull it into your environment.

3. Add any copy you need to the component (like text for a label).

Note: The code builder uses English for all code elements, which follows standard practice.