diff --git a/pubs/static/external.css b/pubs/static/external.css
index 60b4ba4..acd93b4 100644
--- a/pubs/static/external.css
+++ b/pubs/static/external.css
@@ -35,7 +35,12 @@
 }
 .publication_filters div.search input {
     width: 100%;
-    max-width: 40rem;
+    max-width: 32rem;
+}
+.publication_filters div.search div.search_hint {
+    display: inline-block;
+    font-size: 90%;
+    font-style: italic;
 }
 
 article.publication {
diff --git a/pubs/static/external.js b/pubs/static/external.js
index c0fa728..78893c6 100644
--- a/pubs/static/external.js
+++ b/pubs/static/external.js
@@ -23,7 +23,13 @@ var loadDeps = async function(baseurl){
 
 const pub_html = `
 <div class="publication_filters"><form action="javascript:void(0);" autocomplete="off">
-  <div class="input vcenter search"><label for="search">Text search: </label><input type="text" name="search" v-model.trim="filters.search" /></div>
+  <div class="input vcenter search">
+    <label for="search">Text search: </label>
+    <div>
+      <input type="text" name="search" v-model.trim="filters.search" />
+      <div class="search_hint">To search for an exact phrase, enclose term in quotation marks.</div>
+    </div>
+  </div>
   <div class="col">
     <div class="input vcenter"><label for="start_date">Start date: </label><input type="date" name="start_date" v-model="filters.start_date" /></div>
     <div class="input vcenter"><label for="end_date">End date: </label><input type="date" name="end_date" v-model="filters.end_date" /></div>