Earlier this year, we announced that we’re working with a small group of members to improve search.
What’s changed?
From today, app users may notice that the latest update includes a public BETA.
The BETA is an opportunity to use, test and influence how this latest version of search is developed. We’ll track how real members use search and regularly update it to add more functionality.
As with any BETA, we expect there will initially be some limitations in how the search performs and some bugs too. This is normal, and they’ll be ironed out as we move forward.
If you’d prefer not to take part in this BETA, our existing search remains available to all members.
How does Search Plus work?
Describe your ideal sit and we’ll instantly show you matching results, then refine from there using filters to narrow things down.
The search matches your preferences to the details shared in listings. Here are a few examples of what you can search for:
Sits in Europe, excluding the UK
1 dog that can be left alone for 2+ hours
Sits in San Francisco or Boston
Beach sits where guests are welcome
Where can I find more information?
We have more information in this blog and we’ll be including news of this BETA in our next Trusted Times email.
Today I saw the new smart search feature for the first time, and even though it is is beta and has quite a few issues I really appreciate it. It need a bit of tinkering to get the results right, but it found my dream sit which I could easily have missed otherwise. Looking forward to the feature maturing, adding a map and save ability- and more intelligent intelligence
This is a step in the right direction and good news. The smart search for Europe excluding the UK is a game changer for me. Next, I’d like to refine that search for dogs and duration. I hope that capability won’t be long in coming.
I had successful hit with “dogs in Europe, except UK” but when entering “for 7 days” or any equivalent description it returned sits matching that many days from today, not the duration.
@Silversitters it is obviously in it’s VERY early stages Being AI, you need to enter full description e.g. Sit in UK only with no more than 1 dog. In saying that, dozens of sits came up, showing anything from 1 to 8 dogs My screenshot of the search result shows all it picked up was - United Kingdom/Dogs - considering I specifically put in no more than 1 dog, it searched for “Dogs” plural
My biggest annoyance with the present search is when I ask to show me sits in one particular city, it will show me nearby cities an hour away as well. Can’t I just get the city I requested.
@SeniorSitter1 When you search on the website, search the city name you’re interested in. Then change Sort By to Distance. It will then first show all listings of the exact city name you searched (if there are any, of course). This option isn’t available on the app.
I just tried the smart search ( on App only )
I typed in “ within 5 miles of xx( name of city) “
and it worked !!!
Instead of the usual 864 sits that come up most of them being over 50 miles away - it bought up only 11 sits which are in the correct proximity to the location !!!
@Mark_B for feedback - I asked for a certain area, one dog only, no other pets. I got results showing more than one dog and other animals, but correct location.
A beta version is a pre-release, “feature-complete” version of software that is released to a group of users for testing and feedback before its official launch. It follows the alpha phase, and while it contains most intended features, it is likely to have bugs, glitches, or performance issues.
Key Aspects of a Beta Version:
Purpose: To identify bugs, gather user feedback, and test for potential conflicts with various user configurations before the final release.
Feature-Complete: Generally, no new features are added during this phase; the focus is on polishing and fixing existing ones.
Open vs. Closed: A closed beta is released to a select group of people, while an open beta is available to the general public.
Risks: Because it is unfinished, beta software may be unstable, causing crashes or data loss.
“dog in the UK” produces many hits for me. If I add “one dog” it still returns sits with any number of dogs…
Being AI, you need to enter full description e.g. Sit in UK only with no more than 1 dog. In saying that, dozens of sits came up, showing anything from 1 to 8 dogs 
My screenshot of the search result shows all it picked up was - United Kingdom/Dogs - considering I specifically put in no more than 1 dog, it searched for “Dogs” plural
