The Movie Database Support
Support → Website Support
Disable "Display First Match" Keyword Search Behaviour
posted by WehrmachtSTAFFMOD on May 18, 2017 at 1:53 AM
Using a desktop browser (happens with IE & Chrome), when you type a keyword into the main page's search bar and press [ENTER], the VAST majority of time you will get whatever specific title the site "thinks" you want through some rudimentary "first match" algorithm, rather than listing all of the possible results that you can then narrow via the TV/Movie/Person/etc options.
This means that you have to re-enter your keyword MULTIPLE TIMES until you can get the results listing to display rather than some unwanted "instant match".
The ONLY way to avoid it is to type SO FAST that latency prevents the site from having time to think (i.e. show any "instant" results below the search bar as you type).
Is there any current way to DISABLE this undesirable instant matching behavior, or could you please add such an option in?
Reply by Marr 🇳🇱
on May 18, 2017 at 7:33 AM
It's strange indeed, I sometimes have the issue that when I search, the first match is selected indeed, even though I didn't push an arrow key, but most of the times not.
It helps to double enter :-P For example if for some silly reason I accidentally hit the down arrow button and the first title is selected. If I'd just hit enter, it would take me to the page, if I enter twice, it takes me to the search page (but somehow the search string changes from what I've entered to the title of the movie).
So if I'd search for Sky Blue and hit the down button and enter twice, it takes me to:
https://www.themoviedb.org/search?language=en-US&query=Blue+Sky
Hope you understand my rambling!
Reply by Wehrmacht
on May 20, 2017 at 1:21 AM
Sure did understand you, and THANKS!
Typing your search term then double-hitting [ENTER] definitely seems to bypass the spurious instant matchups and takes you to the result listing as expected.