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[Enhancement]: Enable searching by Chapter titles in Audiobook mode (similar to Podcast episodes) #3199

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opened 2026-02-20 11:01:23 -05:00 by deekerman · 2 comments

deekerman commented

2026-02-20 11:01:23 -05:00

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Originally created by @chenpinetree on GitHub (Jan 23, 2026).

Type of Enhancement

Server Backend

Describe the Feature/Enhancement

I noticed a inconsistency between how the search function works for Podcasts vs. Audiobooks. In Podcast mode, the search bar can successfully find specific episodes by their titles. However, in Audiobook mode, the search functionality does not seem to index or include the Chapter level.

The Problem: I have several audiobooks that are "collections" or "anthologies," sometimes containing hundreds of individual audio files (chapters). Since the search doesn't pick up chapter/file names, I have to manually scroll through a very long list to find a specific part.

My current workaround is to move these audiobooks into a Podcast library. While this allows me to search by file name (as episodes), it’s not an ideal solution because it breaks the metadata organization and library separation.

Suggested Solution: Would it be possible to add chapter-level searching for Audiobooks? Ideally, it would work just like the Podcast episode search, allowing users to quickly jump to a specific chapter or story within a large collection.

Why would this be helpful?

Efficiency for Large Collections: Many users have audiobooks that are "Anthologies" or "Full Collections" (e.g., The Complete Sherlock Holmes or short story collections). These can contain 100+ files. Manually scrolling to find "Story #87" is time-consuming; a quick search would save a lot of effort.

Parity with Podcast Mode: Since Audiobookshelf already supports episode-level searching for Podcasts, bringing this functionality to Audiobooks would create a more consistent and intuitive user experience across the platform.

Resuming Specific Sections: If a user remembers a specific chapter title or a sub-topic within a non-fiction audiobook, they should be able to jump to it instantly without having to open the book and browse the internal tracklist.

Better Management of Multi-file Books: For books that aren't merged into a single M4B and remain as multiple MP3 files, the file name often contains crucial information that is currently "hidden" from the global search.

Future Implementation (Screenshot)

Since this is a backend/logic-based improvement rather than a UI redesign, there are no specific visual mockups.

The implementation would primarily involve:

Search Indexing: Extending the search engine to index the chapters or audioFiles metadata fields within the Audiobook library.

Search Results: Displaying matching chapters as nested results under the parent book (similar to how Podcast episodes are currently displayed in search results).

No major changes to the existing interface are required; it’s simply about making the existing search bar "smarter" by including chapter-level data.

Audiobookshelf Server Version

v2.32.1

Current Implementation (Screenshot)

No response

Originally created by @chenpinetree on GitHub (Jan 23, 2026). ### Type of Enhancement Server Backend ### Describe the Feature/Enhancement I noticed a inconsistency between how the search function works for Podcasts vs. Audiobooks. In Podcast mode, the search bar can successfully find specific episodes by their titles. However, in Audiobook mode, the search functionality does not seem to index or include the Chapter level. The Problem: I have several audiobooks that are "collections" or "anthologies," sometimes containing hundreds of individual audio files (chapters). Since the search doesn't pick up chapter/file names, I have to manually scroll through a very long list to find a specific part. My current workaround is to move these audiobooks into a Podcast library. While this allows me to search by file name (as episodes), it’s not an ideal solution because it breaks the metadata organization and library separation. Suggested Solution: Would it be possible to add chapter-level searching for Audiobooks? Ideally, it would work just like the Podcast episode search, allowing users to quickly jump to a specific chapter or story within a large collection. ### Why would this be helpful? Efficiency for Large Collections: Many users have audiobooks that are "Anthologies" or "Full Collections" (e.g., The Complete Sherlock Holmes or short story collections). These can contain 100+ files. Manually scrolling to find "Story #87" is time-consuming; a quick search would save a lot of effort. Parity with Podcast Mode: Since Audiobookshelf already supports episode-level searching for Podcasts, bringing this functionality to Audiobooks would create a more consistent and intuitive user experience across the platform. Resuming Specific Sections: If a user remembers a specific chapter title or a sub-topic within a non-fiction audiobook, they should be able to jump to it instantly without having to open the book and browse the internal tracklist. Better Management of Multi-file Books: For books that aren't merged into a single M4B and remain as multiple MP3 files, the file name often contains crucial information that is currently "hidden" from the global search. ### Future Implementation (Screenshot) Since this is a backend/logic-based improvement rather than a UI redesign, there are no specific visual mockups. The implementation would primarily involve: Search Indexing: Extending the search engine to index the chapters or audioFiles metadata fields within the Audiobook library. Search Results: Displaying matching chapters as nested results under the parent book (similar to how Podcast episodes are currently displayed in search results). No major changes to the existing interface are required; it’s simply about making the existing search bar "smarter" by including chapter-level data. ### Audiobookshelf Server Version v2.32.1 ### Current Implementation (Screenshot) _No response_

deekerman added the

enhancement

label

2026-02-20 11:01:23 -05:00

deekerman commented

2026-02-20 11:01:24 -05:00

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@sir-wilhelm commented on GitHub (Jan 23, 2026):

Related: #1401 #2197

@sir-wilhelm commented on GitHub (Jan 23, 2026): Related: #1401 #2197

deekerman commented

2026-02-20 11:01:24 -05:00

Author

Owner

@chenpinetree commented on GitHub (Jan 23, 2026):

I have reviewed the previous discussions in #1401 and #2197. I understand that indexing millions of audio files/chapters globally could lead to significant performance overhead and memory issues for users on low-power hardware like Raspberry Pi.

To address these concerns while solving the usability issue, I would like to propose the following:

Context-Aware Searching (On-Demand): Instead of adding chapters to the global server-wide search, could we implement a local search filter within the specific Audiobook details page? This would allow users to quickly filter the chapter list for a single book without putting any strain on the global search index or database performance.

Parity with Podcast Mode: The current "Episode search" in Podcast mode is extremely efficient. Since Audiobookshelf already handles hierarchical searching for episodes, implementing a similar logic for chapters in "Anthology-style" audiobooks would make the user experience more consistent across the platform.

The "Anthology" Use Case: Many users possess "Full Collections" or "Short Story Anthologies" where a single entry contains hundreds of files. In these cases, the inability to search by file/chapter name makes the Library almost unusable without switching to Podcast mode as a workaround.

I believe that even a simple client-side filter on the book’s chapter list would be a massive improvement for navigation and usability.

@chenpinetree commented on GitHub (Jan 23, 2026): I have reviewed the previous discussions in #1401 and #2197. I understand that indexing millions of audio files/chapters globally could lead to significant performance overhead and memory issues for users on low-power hardware like Raspberry Pi. To address these concerns while solving the usability issue, I would like to propose the following: Context-Aware Searching (On-Demand): Instead of adding chapters to the global server-wide search, could we implement a local search filter within the specific Audiobook details page? This would allow users to quickly filter the chapter list for a single book without putting any strain on the global search index or database performance. Parity with Podcast Mode: The current "Episode search" in Podcast mode is extremely efficient. Since Audiobookshelf already handles hierarchical searching for episodes, implementing a similar logic for chapters in "Anthology-style" audiobooks would make the user experience more consistent across the platform. The "Anthology" Use Case: Many users possess "Full Collections" or "Short Story Anthologies" where a single entry contains hundreds of files. In these cases, the inability to search by file/chapter name makes the Library almost unusable without switching to Podcast mode as a workaround. I believe that even a simple client-side filter on the book’s chapter list would be a massive improvement for navigation and usability.