diff --git a/PROGRESS.md b/PROGRESS.md
index 029c331..27d6ef6 100644
--- a/PROGRESS.md
+++ b/PROGRESS.md
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@
 17. **API Authentication Enforcement:** Applied JWT Bearer token validation to all sensitive routes.
 18. **Persistent Workspace Settings:** Added a `Workspace` database model to persist global dashboard settings like Name and Timezone.
 19. **Dynamic UI Integration:** Completely refactored the navigation and boards to build columns and tabs dynamically from the live database user list.
+20. **Functional Search:** Implemented a real-time task search feature. Clicking the search icon now reveals an inline search bar that filters tasks by title, description, or tags across all views.
 
 ### Phase 3: Advanced Features
 - **Real-time Notifications:** Explore WebSockets for task assignments.
diff --git a/app.jsx b/app.jsx
index e9832c2..b011fba 100644
--- a/app.jsx
+++ b/app.jsx
@@ -59,6 +59,36 @@ function App() {
 
   const { tasks, users: dbUsers, audit, workspace, deletedTasks, loading } = useApiData(authed);
   const [tab, setTab] = React.useState('overview');
+  const [searchQuery, setSearchQuery] = React.useState('');
+  const [showSearch, setShowSearch] = React.useState(false);
+
+  // Map API fields to frontend component expectations
+  const frontendTasks = React.useMemo(() => tasks.map(t => ({
+    ...t,
+    assignee: t.assignee_id,
+    addedBy: t.added_by,
+    addedAt: t.added_at,
+    tags: t.tags.map(tagObj => tagObj.tag)
+  })), [tasks]);
+
+  const filteredTasks = React.useMemo(() => {
+    if (!searchQuery.trim()) return frontendTasks;
+    const q = searchQuery.toLowerCase();
+    return frontendTasks.filter(t => 
+      t.title.toLowerCase().includes(q) || 
+      (t.description && t.description.toLowerCase().includes(q)) ||
+      t.tags.some(tag => tag.toLowerCase().includes(q))
+    );
+  }, [frontendTasks, searchQuery]);
+
+  const frontendAudit = React.useMemo(() => audit.map(a => ({
+    ...a,
+    actor: a.actor,
+    action: a.action,
+    summary: a.summary,
+    target: a.target,
+    at: a.at
+  })), [audit]);
 
   React.useEffect(() => {
     window.dbUsers = dbUsers;
@@ -193,24 +223,6 @@ function App() {
   const dismissHU = (id) => setHeadsUp(h => h.filter(x => x.id !== id));
   const openTaskFromAnywhere = (id) => { setOpenTaskId(id); setShowLogs(false); };
 
-  // Map API fields to frontend component expectations
-  const frontendTasks = tasks.map(t => ({
-    ...t,
-    assignee: t.assignee_id,
-    addedBy: t.added_by,
-    addedAt: t.added_at,
-    tags: t.tags.map(tagObj => tagObj.tag)
-  }));
-
-  const frontendAudit = audit.map(a => ({
-    ...a,
-    actor: a.actor,
-    action: a.action,
-    summary: a.summary,
-    target: a.target,
-    at: a.at
-  }));
-
   const mappedOpenTask = frontendTasks.find(x => x.id === openTaskId);
 
   return (
@@ -225,6 +237,10 @@ function App() {
         onLogs={() => setShowLogs(true)}
         onProfile={() => setShowSettings(true)}
         workspace={workspace}
+        searchQuery={searchQuery}
+        setSearchQuery={setSearchQuery}
+        showSearch={showSearch}
+        onToggleSearch={() => { setShowSearch(!showSearch); if (showSearch) setSearchQuery(''); }}
       />
 
       <HeadsUp items={headsUp} onDismiss={dismissHU} onOpenTask={openTaskFromAnywhere} />
@@ -232,7 +248,7 @@ function App() {
       <main className="main">
         {tab === 'overview' && (
           <OverviewScreen
-            tasks={frontendTasks} density={t.density}
+            tasks={filteredTasks} density={t.density}
             dbUsers={dbUsers}
             onOpen={(task) => setOpenTaskId(task.id)}
             onAddFor={(uid) => setAdding(uid)}
@@ -253,7 +269,7 @@ function App() {
         )}
         {tab !== 'overview' && tab !== 'deleted' && (
           <UserScreen
-            user={merge(tab)} tasks={frontendTasks} density={t.density}
+            user={merge(tab)} tasks={filteredTasks} density={t.density}
             onOpen={(task) => setOpenTaskId(task.id)}
             onAddFor={(uid) => setAdding(uid)}
           />
diff --git a/screens.jsx b/screens.jsx
index 132071c..883b974 100644
--- a/screens.jsx
+++ b/screens.jsx
@@ -106,30 +106,54 @@ function BrandMark({ size = 22 }) {
   );
 }
 
-function TopBar({ me, dbUsers = [], isAdmin, tab, setTab, onAdd, onLogs, onLogout, onProfile, workspace }) {
+function TopBar({ me, dbUsers = [], isAdmin, tab, setTab, onAdd, onLogs, onLogout, onProfile, workspace, searchQuery, setSearchQuery, showSearch, onToggleSearch }) {
   return (
     <header className="topbar">
       <div className="topbar__left">
-        <span className="topbar__brand"><BrandMark /><span>Dashy</span></span>
-        <span className="topbar__divider" />
-        <span className="topbar__workspace">{workspace ? workspace.name : 'loading…'}</span>
+        {showSearch ? (
+          <div className="topbar__search">
+            <Icon.Search />
+            <input 
+              className="topbar__search-input" 
+              autoFocus 
+              placeholder="Search tasks, descriptions, tags…" 
+              value={searchQuery}
+              onChange={e => setSearchQuery(e.target.value)}
+            />
+            <IconBtn label="Close search" onClick={onToggleSearch}>
+              <Icon.Close />
+            </IconBtn>
+          </div>
+        ) : (
+          <>
+            <span className="topbar__brand"><BrandMark /><span>Dashy</span></span>
+            <span className="topbar__divider" />
+            <span className="topbar__workspace">{workspace ? workspace.name : 'loading…'}</span>
+          </>
+        )}
       </div>
 
-      <nav className="tabs" role="tablist">
-        <Tab id="overview" label="Overview" tab={tab} setTab={setTab} />
-        {dbUsers.map(u => (
-          <Tab key={u.id} id={u.id} label={u.name} tab={tab} setTab={setTab} user={u} />
-        ))}
-        {isAdmin && <Tab id="deleted" label="Deleted" tab={tab} setTab={setTab} />}
-      </nav>
+      {!showSearch && (
+        <nav className="tabs" role="tablist">
+          <Tab id="overview" label="Overview" tab={tab} setTab={setTab} />
+          {dbUsers.map(u => (
+            <Tab key={u.id} id={u.id} label={u.name} tab={tab} setTab={setTab} user={u} />
+          ))}
+          {isAdmin && <Tab id="deleted" label="Deleted" tab={tab} setTab={setTab} />}
+        </nav>
+      )}
 
       <div className="topbar__right">
-        <button className="btn btn--soft" onClick={onAdd}>
-          <Icon.Plus /> New task
-        </button>
-        <IconBtn label="Search">
-          <Icon.Search />
-        </IconBtn>
+        {!showSearch && (
+          <>
+            <button className="btn btn--soft" onClick={onAdd}>
+              <Icon.Plus /> New task
+            </button>
+            <IconBtn label="Search" onClick={onToggleSearch}>
+              <Icon.Search />
+            </IconBtn>
+          </>
+        )}
         {isAdmin && (
           <IconBtn label="Audit log" onClick={onLogs}>
             <Icon.Logs />
diff --git a/styles.css b/styles.css
index 5b20094..d011f08 100644
--- a/styles.css
+++ b/styles.css
@@ -264,6 +264,36 @@ input, textarea { font: inherit; color: inherit; }
 .topbar__me-name { font-size: 12.5px; font-weight: 600; }
 .topbar__me-role { font-size: 10.5px; color: var(--fg-soft); }
 
+/* === SEARCH === */
+.topbar__search {
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 8px;
+  background: var(--bg-sunken);
+  border: 1px solid var(--line);
+  border-radius: var(--radius);
+  padding: 0 4px 0 10px;
+  height: 32px;
+  flex: 1;
+  max-width: 400px;
+  animation: search-slide 180ms ease;
+}
+.topbar__search-input {
+  border: none;
+  background: transparent;
+  flex: 1;
+  font-size: 13px;
+  outline: none;
+  color: var(--fg);
+  padding: 0;
+}
+.topbar__search-input::placeholder { color: var(--fg-faint); }
+
+@keyframes search-slide {
+  from { opacity: 0; transform: translateX(-10px); }
+  to { opacity: 1; transform: translateX(0); }
+}
+
 /* === MAIN === */
 .main { flex: 1; overflow: auto; padding: 20px; min-height: 0; }