diff --git a/frontend/src/helperComponents/Search.svelte b/frontend/src/helperComponents/Search.svelte
index 5a7c4f6..742ad5c 100644
--- a/frontend/src/helperComponents/Search.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/helperComponents/Search.svelte
@@ -5,23 +5,128 @@
     import {push} from "svelte-spa-router";
 
     let aniSearch = ""
-    let aniListSearch: AniSearchList
-    let aniListSearchActive = false
+    let aniListSearch: AniSearchList | null = null
+    let dropdownOpen = false
+    let isSearching = false
+    let showSlowNotice = false
+    let searchError: string | null = null
+    let hasSearched = false
+    let searchRequestId = 0
 
-    function runAniListSearch(): void {
-        AniListSearch(aniSearch).then(result => {
-            aniListSearch = result
-            aniListSearchActive = true
-        })
+    const SLOW_NOTICE_MS = 8000
+    const SEARCH_TIMEOUT_MS = 30000
+
+    function openDropdown(): void {
+        dropdownOpen = true
     }
 
-    function searchDropdown(): void {
-        let dropdown = document.querySelector("#aniListSearchDropdown")
-        dropdown.classList.toggle("hidden")
+    function closeDropdown(): void {
+        dropdownOpen = false
+    }
+
+    function displayTitle(media: { title?: { english?: string | null; romaji?: string | null; native?: string | null } }): string {
+        const english = media?.title?.english
+        if (english !== undefined && english !== null && english !== "") {
+            return english
+        }
+        const romaji = media?.title?.romaji
+        if (romaji !== undefined && romaji !== null && romaji !== "") {
+            return romaji
+        }
+        return media?.title?.native ?? "Unknown title"
+    }
+
+    function resultCount(): number {
+        const media = aniListSearch?.data?.Page?.media
+        return Array.isArray(media) ? media.length : 0
+    }
+
+    async function runAniListSearch(): Promise<void> {
+        const term = aniSearch.trim()
+        openDropdown()
+        if (term.length === 0) {
+            searchRequestId += 1
+            aniListSearch = null
+            searchError = null
+            hasSearched = false
+            isSearching = false
+            showSlowNotice = false
+            return
+        }
+        if (isSearching) {
+            return
+        }
+        if (typeof navigator !== "undefined" && !navigator.onLine) {
+            aniListSearch = null
+            hasSearched = true
+            searchError = "You appear to be offline. Check your connection and try again."
+            return
+        }
+        isSearching = true
+        showSlowNotice = false
+        searchError = null
+        hasSearched = true
+        const myRequest = searchRequestId + 1
+        searchRequestId = myRequest
+        let slowTimer: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null = null
+        let timeoutTimer: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null = null
+        try {
+            slowTimer = setTimeout(() => {
+                if (searchRequestId === myRequest && isSearching) {
+                    showSlowNotice = true
+                }
+            }, SLOW_NOTICE_MS)
+            const timeout = new Promise<never>((_, reject) => {
+                timeoutTimer = setTimeout(() => {
+                    reject(new Error("AniList is taking too long to respond. Please try again."))
+                }, SEARCH_TIMEOUT_MS)
+            })
+            const result = await Promise.race([AniListSearch(term), timeout])
+            if (searchRequestId !== myRequest) {
+                return
+            }
+            aniListSearch = result as AniSearchList
+            if (!Array.isArray(aniListSearch?.data?.Page?.media)) {
+                aniListSearch = null
+            }
+        } catch (e) {
+            if (searchRequestId !== myRequest) {
+                return
+            }
+            aniListSearch = null
+            searchError = e instanceof Error ? e.message : String(e)
+        } finally {
+            if (slowTimer !== null) {
+                clearTimeout(slowTimer)
+            }
+            if (timeoutTimer !== null) {
+                clearTimeout(timeoutTimer)
+            }
+            if (searchRequestId === myRequest) {
+                isSearching = false
+                showSlowNotice = false
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    function goToAnime(id: number): void {
+        closeDropdown()
+        push(`#/anime/${id}`)
+    }
+
+    function handleWindowClick(e: MouseEvent): void {
+        if (!dropdownOpen) {
+            return
+        }
+        const container = document.querySelector("#searchDropdown")
+        if (container && e.target instanceof Node && !container.contains(e.target)) {
+            closeDropdown()
+        }
     }
 
 </script>
 
+<svelte:window on:click={handleWindowClick} />
 
 <div id="searchDropdown" class="relative w-64 md:w-48">
         <div class="flex">
@@ -33,16 +138,20 @@
                        placeholder="Search for Anime"
                        on:keypress={(e) => {
                             if (e.key === "Enter") {
-                                searchDropdown()
-                                if(aniSearch.length > 0) runAniListSearch()
+                                runAniListSearch()
+                            }
+                        }}
+                       on:keydown={(e) => {
+                            if (e.key === "Escape") {
+                                closeDropdown()
                             }
                         }}
                        required/>
                 <button id="aniListSearchButton"
-                        class="absolute top-0 end-0 h-full p-2.5 text-sm font-medium rounded-e-lg border focus:ring-4 focus:outline-none bg-blue-600 hover:bg-blue-700 focus:ring-blue-800"
+                        class="absolute top-0 end-0 h-full p-2.5 text-sm font-medium rounded-e-lg border focus:ring-4 focus:outline-none bg-blue-600 hover:bg-blue-700 focus:ring-blue-800 disabled:opacity-50"
+                        disabled={isSearching}
                         on:click={() => {
-                            searchDropdown()
-                            if(aniSearch.length > 0) runAniListSearch()
+                            runAniListSearch()
                         }}>
                     <svg class="w-4 h-4" aria-hidden="true" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" fill="none"
                          viewBox="0 0 20 20">
@@ -54,31 +163,38 @@
             </div>
         </div>
 
-    <div id="aniListSearchDropdown" class="z-10 absolute left-0 hidden bg-white rounded-lg shadow w-60 2xl:w-80 dark:bg-gray-700">
-        {#if aniListSearchActive}
+    <div id="aniListSearchDropdown" class:hidden={!dropdownOpen} class="z-10 absolute left-0 bg-white rounded-lg shadow w-60 2xl:w-80 dark:bg-gray-700">
+        {#if isSearching}
+            <div class="m-4 text-gray-700 dark:text-gray-200">{showSlowNotice ? "AniList is slow today, still trying..." : "Searching AniList..."}</div>
+        {:else if searchError}
+            <div class="m-4">
+                <p class="text-red-600 dark:text-red-400 font-medium">Search failed</p>
+                <p class="mt-1 text-sm text-gray-700 dark:text-gray-200">{searchError}</p>
+                <button class="mt-3 text-sm font-medium text-blue-600 hover:underline dark:text-blue-400"
+                        on:click={() => runAniListSearch()}>
+                    Retry search
+                </button>
+            </div>
+        {:else if !hasSearched && aniSearch.trim().length === 0}
+            <div class="m-4 text-gray-700 dark:text-gray-200">Please enter a search term...</div>
+        {:else if resultCount() > 0 && aniListSearch}
             <ul class="h-56 w-full py-2 overflow-y-auto text-gray-700 dark:text-gray-200"
                 aria-labelledby="aniListSearchButton">
-                {#each aniListSearch.data.Page.media as media}
+                {#each aniListSearch.data.Page.media as media (media.id)}
                     <li class="w-full">
                         <div class="flex w-full items-start p-1 hover:bg-gray-600 hover:text-white rounded-lg">
-                            <button on:click={() => {
-                                searchDropdown()
-                                push(`#/anime/${media.id}`)
-                            }}
+                            <button on:click={() => goToAnime(media.id)}
                                     >
-                                <img class="rounded-bl-lg rounded-tl-lg max-w-24 max-h-24" src={media.coverImage.large}
-                                     alt="{media.title.english === '' || media.title.english === null ?  media.title.romaji : media.title.english} Cover">
+                                <img class="rounded-bl-lg rounded-tl-lg max-w-24 max-h-24" src={media?.coverImage?.large}
+                                     alt="{displayTitle(media)} Cover">
                             </button>
-                                <button class="rounded-bl-lg rounded-tl-lg w-full h-24" on:click={() => {
-                                searchDropdown()
-                                push(`#/anime/${media.id}`)
-                            }} >{media.title.english === '' || media.title.english === null ? media.title.romaji : media.title.english }</button>
+                                <button class="rounded-bl-lg rounded-tl-lg w-full h-24" on:click={() => goToAnime(media.id)} >{displayTitle(media)}</button>
                         </div>
                     </li>
                 {/each}
             </ul>
-        {:else if aniSearch.length === 0}
-            <div class="m-4">Please enter a search term...</div>
+        {:else if hasSearched}
+            <div class="m-4 text-gray-700 dark:text-gray-200">No results found for "{aniSearch.trim()}". Try a different title.</div>
         {/if}
     </div>
-</div>
\ No newline at end of file
+</div>