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[BUG] Conflicts between advanced and simple search filters in new ROR search application #394
Description
Version
Unknown ? Latest ?
Describe the bug
In the new web search demo, if I use the advanced search to filter on country: France, I arrived on this page https://demo.ror.org/search?query.advanced=locations.geonames_details.country_code%3AFR&labels=%7B%220%22%3A%22France%22%7D and the facet Country is ne set as France
To Reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:
- Go to https://demo.ror.org/
- Select "Advanced search"
- In the modal, click on Country
- Search for France
- Click on "Search"
- You are redirected to this page : https://demo.ror.org/search?query.advanced=locations.geonames_details.country_code%3AFR&labels=%7B%220%22%3A%22France%22%7D
Expected behavior
I would wait for the facet "Country" to be set as "France" like in this page : https://demo.ror.org/search?filter=country.country_code%3AFR
Activity
annelhote commentedon Aug 7, 2026
@adambuttrick Would you please add here the "new ror app" label please ? I do not have the rights to do so.
[-][BUG][/-][+][BUG] Conflicts between advanced and simple search filters[/+]adambuttrick commentedon Aug 7, 2026
@annelhote Thanks for flagging this! I think this is not so much a bug, but a UX challenge arising from how the UI abstracts the two different sets of API functionality. While the two different queries here return the same results, they represent discrete calls to different API services. In addition, filter functionality can be stacked on top of the advanced search, e.g.:
https://demo.ror.org/search?query.advanced=types%3Afunder&filter=country.country_code%3AFR
So, if we translate the advanced search query to a filter, we're implicitly converting the user's intent without making it clear that this has happened and creating potential complications with later clearing or combining of advanced search inputs and filters.
One thing I can think to do to address would be to add filter functionality equivalent to the advanced search modal on the main page. But before doing so, I'd like to test with some more users to see what the preferred/obvious patterns are here.
Of course, let me know if you have any thoughts on this!
[-][BUG] Conflicts between advanced and simple search filters[/-][+][BUG] Conflicts between advanced and simple search filters in new ROR search application[/+]annelhote commentedon Aug 7, 2026
If I understand well these 2 APIs endpoints are completely separated. Maybe 2 different webpages would be needed to underlines these 2 different endpoints: one webpage for the simple search with the facets and another webpage for the advanced search without the facets ? As each facet exists as an advanced search filter, it should be OK. And if needed it should be possible to switch from one search to another.
BUT I am not sure that this UX solution is the one that fits the needs of your users.
adambuttrick commentedon Aug 7, 2026
@annelhote Thanks for this feedback! I'll sense check with some other folks the options here.