How I Built a Dynamic Search Filter in JavaScript Without a Single Library

Instead of using jQuery or external plugins, I created a fully responsive, real-time search filter using just vanilla JavaScript and the DOM.

Zain Ahmad

4 min read

·

Jul 16, 2025

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I’ve built dashboards, admin panels, and data tables across multiple projects. But the one thing I always end up needing is a dynamic search filter — something that filters data live as the user types.

The problem? Most examples online either require jQuery or an entire frontend framework just to handle a simple filter.

So I decided to build one from scratch. It turned out faster, leaner, and easier to reuse than anything I had previously tried. Here’s how I built it using just plain JavaScript, no dependencies.

1. 🧱 Setting Up the HTML List and Search Box

First, I built the core structure of the UI — a search input field and an unordered list with data.

<input type="text" id="search-input" placeholder="Search names..." />
<ul id="user-list">
  <li>Alice Johnson</li>
  <li>Bob Smith</li>
  <li>Charlie Brown</li>
  <li>David Lee</li>
  <li>Eva Carter</li>
</ul>