> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://anniemei.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# /search

> Find anime or manga from a natural-language description

export const NsfwWarning = () => <Warning>
    Adult titles are only shown in NSFW channels. Annie Mei also blocks adult results in DMs.
  </Warning>;

export const SearchNoResults = ({mediaType = "anime", extra}) => <Accordion title="No results found?">
    If the bot returns <code>No such {mediaType}</code>, try:
    <ul>
      <li>Verifying the spelling</li>
      <li>Using the romaji title instead of English</li>
      {extra && <li>{extra}</li>}
      <li>Using the AniList ID from the website</li>
    </ul>
  </Accordion>;

## Overview

The `/search` command lets you find anime or manga using a natural-language description. Instead of knowing the exact title, describe what you're looking for and the bot will try to match it.

<Note>
  `/search` uses an LLM (large language model) to interpret your query. If the LLM service is unavailable, the bot falls back to a raw text search.
</Note>

## Command syntax

```text theme={}
/search query:<description of what you want to find>
```

## Parameters

<ParamField path="query" type="string" required>
  A natural-language description of the anime or manga you're looking for. Examples: "the one with the kid who wants to be king of the pirates", "isekai with a female lead who uses books as weapons"
</ParamField>

## Usage examples

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Natural language">
    ```text theme={}
    /search query:the anime where a kid eats a stretchy fruit and sails the seas
    ```

    The bot interprets your description and searches for the best match.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="With media type hint">
    ```text theme={}
    /search query:a manga about a boy who turns into a cat
    ```

    Including words like "manga", "manhwa", "anime", or "movie" helps the bot narrow the search.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## How it works

<Steps>
  <Step title="Parse your query">
    The bot sends your description to the LLM, which extracts a structured search intent: media type (anime, manga, or unknown) and a normalized search term. If the LLM is unavailable, the bot uses your raw query as a fallback.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Search AniList">
    The bot searches AniList using the parsed term. If the media type is "unknown", it tries anime first, then manga, until it finds a match.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Return results">
    The bot shows an embed with the same details as `/anime` or `/manga`, along with an interpretation line like "I think you're thinking of the anime `One Piece`."
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Response data

The bot returns a rich media embed for the anime or manga it finds, plus an interpretation message telling you what it searched for.

<ResponseField name="Interpretation">
  A short message like "I think you're thinking of the anime `One Piece`." or "I think you're thinking of `Dandadan`."
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="Anime or manga embed">
  Same core media fields as `/anime` or `/manga` — title, metadata, genres, description, and links. `/search` does not include Discord server member status overlays.
</ResponseField>

## Search tips

<NsfwWarning />

<Tip>
  **Be descriptive.** The more context you give, the better the LLM can find the right match. Phrases like "the anime with the titanium swords" or "manga about a detective who can kill with a notebook" work well.
</Tip>

<AccordionGroup>
  <SearchNoResults mediaType="anime or manga" extra="Trying fewer words or a more specific detail from the story" />

  <Accordion title="Media type hints">
    Include media type keywords to guide the search:

    | Keyword                                       | Interpreted as |
    | --------------------------------------------- | -------------- |
    | "anime", "movie", "ova", "tv show", "series"  | Anime          |
    | "manga", "manhwa", "manhua", "novel", "comic" | Manga          |
    | Neither                                       | Searches both  |

    If no hint is found, the bot tries anime first and then manga.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="LLM fallback">
    If the LLM service is unavailable or returns an invalid result, the bot falls back to media-type hints from your query and searches AniList with the normalized query text. If it finds a result, the response still includes an interpretation line.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Input validation

The bot validates your search input before processing:

* Empty queries are rejected
* Queries that exceed the maximum length are rejected

If validation fails, you'll see a message like: "Invalid search input: search cannot be empty."

## Privacy

Search queries are processed by the LLM provider configured for the bot. Your query may be sent to that provider for intent parsing. If PostHog LLM analytics is enabled, prompts and outputs may be captured depending on `POSTHOG_CAPTURE_LLM_CONTENT`. User IDs are hashed before being sent to observability tools.

## Source code reference

Implementation: `src/commands/search/command.rs:50`

The `register()` function defines the command structure:

```rust theme={}
pub fn register() -> CreateCommand {
    CreateCommand::new("search")
        .description("Find anime or manga from a natural-language search")
        .add_option(
            CreateCommandOption::new(
                CommandOptionType::String,
                "query",
                "What you want to find, in plain English",
            )
            .required(true),
        )
}
```