Minerva no longer supports search button trigger with new typeahead search
Closed, DeclinedPublicBUG REPORT
Actions

Assigned To

None

Authored By

	stjn
	Jul 13 2025, 1:21 PM

Description

Steps to replicate the issue (include links if applicable):

Go to https://hi.m.wikipedia.org/ or to https://ru.m.wikipedia.org/ on mobile width size
Try to use element marked with .skin-minerva-search-trigger class to open the JS search bar
Instead of triggering the default search JS, it navigates to Special:Search now

Screenshot 2025-08-18 at 9.04.32 AM.png (1×824 px, 455 KB)

What should have happened instead?:
Seems to be some sort of regression from moving the previous mobile search to Vector 2022-like Vue search. Since this is a small feature that improves discoverability of search for users, I don’t think it should’ve been removed without a notice like this.

Related Objects

Mentioned Here: T189316: Developer review of changes to Hindi Wikipedia Main_page [3 hours]

Event Timeline

stjn created this task.Jul 13 2025, 1:21 PM

Restricted Application added subscribers: Base, Aklapper. · View Herald TranscriptJul 13 2025, 1:21 PM

stjn renamed this task from Minerva no longer supports search button trigger to Minerva no longer supports search button trigger with new typeahead search.Jul 13 2025, 1:22 PM

stjn updated the task description. (Show Details)

Jdlrobson-WMF edited projects, added Reader Experience Team; removed MobileFrontend.Aug 14 2025, 9:09 PM

Jdrewniak updated the task description. (Show Details)Aug 18 2025, 1:07 PM

I understand that this is a loss of functionality, but to my knowledge, this button/template is using the skin-minerva-search-trigger class in this way was never officially supported by the Minerva skin.
I'm not sure where this template originated by according to this global search query it's used on about 39 unique wikis.

This loss of functionality was unintentional. That said, the fallback of redirecting to the Special:Search page still works, so it isn’t completely broken, but we can look into whether there’s a way to restore this behaviour.

minerva-search-trigger wikis

av.m.wikipedia.org
awa.m.wikipedia.org
az.m.wikipedia.org
az.m.wikibooks.org
az.m.wikiquote.org
bs.m.wikipedia.org
ce.m.wikipedia.org
en.m.wikivoyage.org
ext.m.wikipedia.org
haw.m.wikipedia.org
hy.m.wikipedia.org
incubator.m.wikimedia.org
inh.m.wikipedia.org
is.m.wikipedia.org
kaa.m.wikipedia.org
mai.m.wikipedia.org
ne.m.wikipedia.org
rue.m.wikipedia.org
ru.m.wikibooks.org
ru.m.wikiquote.org
ru.m.wikisource.org
ru.m.wikiversity.org
sah.m.wikiquote.org
shi.m.wikipedia.org
shn.m.wikivoyage.org
sh.m.wikipedia.org
sl.m.wikipedia.org
sr.m.wikipedia.org
tg.m.wikipedia.org
tg.m.wikibooks.org
ti.m.wikipedia.org
tr.m.wiktionary.org
tt.m.wikipedia.org
udm.m.wikipedia.org
uz.m.wikipedia.org
vec.m.wikipedia.org
vec.m.wiktionary.org
es.m.wikipedia.org
zh.m.wikipedia.org
ru.m.wikipedia.org

It originated from T189316: Developer review of changes to Hindi Wikipedia Main_page [3 hours] which was done with the involvement of then Web team. Then, considering this was a generalised solution at the time, I used it in the Russian Wikipedia main page design as well, and from there it probably spread to various wikis. (I don’t think it is a far representation to say that this was ‘never officially supported by the Minerva skin’ when it was part of Minerva source code for 6 years and was done with skin-specific prefix.)

I don’t think it is a fair representation to say that this was ‘never officially supported by the Minerva skin’ when it was part of Minerva source code for 6 years and was done with skin-specific prefix

Fair enough! thank you for the background info & context.

I can't remember the exact history of this but the approach in T189316: Developer review of changes to Hindi Wikipedia Main_page [3 hours] is not going to work with the new implementation as there is not always an overlay to display. Note the designer and PM involved in that task are gone.

Given the new stable policy that was developed since T189316 classes prefixed with minerva- are not considered stable. I would suggest as the modern stable equivalent making use of the search box type (https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:InputBox#Box_types). It currently doesn't support suggestions but that seems like it would be a good and natural feature request to make for it.

stjn awarded a token.Aug 27 2025, 6:33 AM

	F65777854: Screenshot 2025-08-18 at 9.04.32 AM.png
	Aug 18 2025, 1:07 PM

Minerva no longer supports search button trigger with new typeahead searchClosed, DeclinedPublicBUG REPORTActions

Description

Related Objects

Event Timeline

Minerva no longer supports search button trigger with new typeahead search
Closed, DeclinedPublicBUG REPORT
Actions