Version

Smart Search

Smart search controls how DataTables matches search keywords against your data. The package offers multiple search modes to suit different use cases.

Search Modes Overview

Mode	Behavior	Use Case
Default (Smart)	`%keyword%` - wraps with wildcards	General search
Starts With	`keyword%` - prefix only	Autocomplete, suggestions
Ends With	`%keyword` - suffix only	File extensions, codes
Exact Match	`keyword` - no wildcards	IDs, codes, exact terms

Basic Usage

By default, smart search is enabled with automatic wildcards:

Route::get('user-data', function () {
    return DataTables::eloquent(User::query())->toJson();
});

Searching for "john" becomes %john%.

Disable Smart Search

Use ->smart(false) for exact matching:

Route::get('user-data', function () {
    return DataTables::eloquent(User::query())
        ->smart(false)
        ->toJson();
});

Searching for "john" matches exactly "john", not "Johnny".

Starts With Search

Search for records that start with the given keyword:

Route::get('user-data', function () {
    return DataTables::eloquent(User::query())
        ->startsWithSearch()
        ->toJson();
});

Behavior Comparison

When searching "John":

Search Type	SQL Pattern	Matches
Default (Contains)	`%John%`	"John", "Johnny", "Long John"
Starts With	`John%`	"John", "Johnny" only
Ends With	`%John`	"Long John" only
Exact Match	`John`	"John" only

How Smart Search Works

Smart search automatically transforms user input:

Wildcard Wrapping - Terms are wrapped with % for partial matching
Multi-word AND Logic - Spaces split terms, all must match

User Types	Generated SQL
`john`	`WHERE name LIKE '%john%'`
`john doe`	`WHERE name LIKE '%john%' AND name LIKE '%doe%'`

Global Configuration

Configure defaults in config/datatables.php:

return [
    // Wrap search terms with % wildcards
    'smart' => true,
 
    // Case insensitive searching
    'case_insensitive' => true,
 
    // Use wildcards in search
    'use_wildcards' => false,
];

When to Use

Use Smart Search (default): When you want users to find results by typing any part of a word
Use Starts With: When building autocomplete fields or suggestions
Disable Smart Search: When searching for exact IDs, codes, or precise values

Laravel DataTables