Plex Web search broken (no search results when searching contains specific words)

[BigWheel]

thanks for the info.

[HQToast]

It might be possible for you to replicate the error by creating a ton of libraries and sharing them with a test user. At least I would expect a similar outcome after being able to replicate it on a brand new server on our side. The number of libraries needed to create the error seems to be a bit unclear so I would just spam ~20 libraries or something…

[Atomatth]

Hello @HQToast & @Denorius,

This sounds interesting. My main testing server has 21 libraries. I just shared the entirety of that server to another account I have access to. I have no problems searching for the problematic query “Under the Dome” or with “Under Dome”. What else am I missing here?

I also have various other shares with >20 libraries and am not observing this issue.

Can you share the PMS version and Web versions where you are observing this? Please don’t say “latest”, please provide the actual version numbers. Are these PMS remote? Using relay? Is Search stating that sources have timed out? Any other piece of information that might be useful?

[Denorius]

Hello @Atomatth

Hello,

here is some information:

Server #1 set up new for testing
Docker repository ‘plexinc/pms-docker’
Version 1.32.6.7557 ‘public’
Web version: version 4.116.1

Server #2 in operation since 2016
Docker repository ‘linuxserver/plex’
Version 1.32.7.7571 ‘beta’
Web version: version 4.116.1

the error occurs both via plex.tv and via the local address https://“IP”:32400/web/index.html. Both from my client on the same subnet in local network and remotely from another location via plex.tv or smartphone app.
Also I tested via browser Google Chrome, Edge and Firefox, Plex App for Android, Xbox, Sony Smart TV and get the error.
Relay is disabled in both cases and on both servers, default port 32400 is in use for remote access.
No, a timeout is not shown, simply no results appear when I start the search from my admin account or share more than 11 media libraries with my test user and start a search from his account.

[HQToast]

Hi,

we have just tested again and for me the requested information are:

PMS: 1.32.7.7571
Browser: 4.116.1
Plex for Windows: 1.79.1.3984-879339ed
Docker Container: linuxserver/plex

I tested it on Edge, Vivaldi and the Windows app.
The problem persists from the internal network and external. The server is reachable via port 32400. There is no error shown when searching. Just that it finds nothing at all.
Relay function is not used at all.

The weird thing is that the search just stopped working without us doing any changes to our network, content or the host system. It just stopped at some point and took us some time to notice so we can’t really say with which version the search broke.

If it makes any sense we can send logs again right after testing with the library number again.
If useful we can also enable the detailed logs for this.

Greetings

[Atomatth]

Thanks for all the details. Setting up another docker PMS instance with similar conditions. I continue to monitoring this issue and attempt to repo. If you see anything else related or any other assumptions come to mind, please share.

[oxjox]

I seem to be having the opposite issue as described here. When I search locally, I don’t ever get a result (just spinning progress ‘wheel’). When I search from Plex.tv or any app, I get near-instant results. This has been the case for (I believe) well over a year.

If the suggested ‘fix’ is to Scan Library Files, I do that relatively regularly as I often add new music.

PlexWeb: Version 4.108.0
PlexServer: Version 1.32.5.7516 (QNAP)

[Atomatth]

@Denorius @HQToast @oxjox Can you please reproduce the issues you are seeing then download the full zipped PMS logs and share them with me?

[HQToast]

Hi.

I have send you the requested logs for me and Denorius via PM.

We did the search tests 2 times to generate separate logs. Once with normal logs and once with verbose logs so you can choose which one is more useful for you. We restarted the server in between.

Toastyplex Logs

Normal Logs:
With 15 libraries shared (12 of which are empty)
8:41:20 “Under The Dome” - No result
8:41:50 “Under Dome” - Finds result

With 3 libraries shared (removed the 12 empty ones)
8:45:01 "“Under the Dome” - Finds result

Verbose Logs:
With 15 libraries shared (12 of which are empty)
8:49:45 “Under the Dome” - No result
8:50:38 “Under Dome” - Finds result

With 3 libraries shared (removed the 12 empty ones)
8:52:22 “Under the Dome” - Finds result

Denorius Logs

Normal Logs
With 17 libraries shared
9:02 “Under the Dome” - No result
9:03 “Under Dome” - Finds result

With 6 libraries shared
9:04 “under the dome” - Finds result

Verbose Logs
With 17 libraries shared
9:09 “Under the Dome” - No result
9:10 “Under Dome” - Finds result

With 6 libraries shared
9:11 “Under the Dome” - Finds result

Hope these can shine some light on this weird problem.

[lgbsteve]

Server Version#: 1.32.7.7571
Player Version#: Roku & Windows

Will not find title “Gone With The Wind” Will find “Gone With Wind” Not sure when this started.

[BigWheel]

@lgbsteve I moved you post into this topic on the issue

[Nanotik]

Any news on this issue?
I’ve been experiencing this same problem for several months now.

I own 12 libraries for info. I also tried ChuckPA’s PlexDBrepair on my Plex database with no result.
It seems the more common the words used, the greater the chance of Search failing/timing out.

If I search for “The Little Mermaid (1989)” for example on my server :

• “Little Mermaid” → Instantly found!
• “Little” → Instantly found! (with many other results but it’s there!)
• “Mermaid” → Instantly found!
• “The Little Mermaid” (perfect match) ends most of the time with no results found BUT sometimes manage to find it if I “bruteforce” the search.
• “The mermaid” → No results no matter what
• “The Little” → No results no matter what

My friend’s server who also has “The Little Mermaid (1989)”

• “Little Mermaid” → Instantly found!
• “The Little Mermaid” → Instantly found!
• “The Little” → Instantly found!
  and so on…

It’s depressing, really.

When adding both our servers as Sources, searching for common content will end most of the time with my friend’s content AND a warning “some search requests timed out” related to mine.

Important note, might help on where to look at maybe : Search on PlexAMP works flawlessly.
Searching for music content on regular Plex clients is a mess too unless you avoid common words BUT NOT ON PLEXAMP. It works flawlessly there. This issue is specificly related to search on regular Plex clients.

I hope a fix will come in the near future because talking like a robot when looking for my content on my beloved Plex is tiresome in the long run

I also did 2 previous posts on another topic before finding this one.

Media searches not honoring articles in title (eg; the)

Hello there, Just like jaquestati, I have a MASSIVE library (but not as big for movies or TV shows) and my search bar started ignoring articles completely a few months ago. At first I thought it was the new search bar that was the culprit so I waited for a fix. No big deal and I can still search for a specific content directly into my libraries if necessary. But yesterday I searched for an old movie that we have in common with a friend on our respective servers and the search bar found it on …

Media searches not honoring articles in title (eg; the)

Further testing today, I don’t know if it helps but I found out there is no problem with search on Plexamp. It works flawlessly and manage to find titles even with articles in no time. Weird because my music library is, by very far, my biggest library. And Plexamp has no problem to dig in it. Only regular Plex clients are concerned by this in my case. For example, If I am looking for “Born to Be Alive”. I need to write “born alive” to get a result on Plex but I can write it correctly on Plexam…

[HQToast]

@Atomatth

Hi. I have sent you some Client Logs via PM. Any news on the weird issue? We can still reproduce it on multiple servers and a new one yust to be sure.

Greetings
HQToast

[Atomatth]

We have a couple things in motion that might help or resolve this issue. Your detailed reports were very helpful, by the way. So thank you for those. I don’t have an ETA for when you’ll see these fixes, unfortunately.

Edit: Was having trouble tracking all the issues. Look for this or a similar release note in near future:

Search: Increased search request timeout to 30 seconds

is one of several changes that may help address this issue.

[Atomatth]

@Denorius @HQToast Please check out the latest Web release notes and retest on app.plex.tv (4.120.1). Please let me know if this update fixes or improves upon the issues in this thread. Thank you for all your detailed reporting and most of all your patience. More improvements are still in the pipeline.

[Yaracuy]

Pretty cool the new search widget

[Nanotik]

This 30 seconds timeout is definitely a step in the right direction, at least in my case.
Search takes a looooooong time but it gives results every time now.

Search bar is usable again. Just need to be patient.
Thanks!

[billyvnilly]

I search for general words of songs or artists I know are in my library and I get zero results.

Chrome, plex web Version 4.120.1
Server Version 1.32.8.7639

[Atomatth]

Can you please provide some examples?

[billyvnilly]

Soundtrack, Disney, Ben, folds, 311, daft, punk, band, black. Literally no search results under music.