diff --git a/backend/server/adventures/views.py b/backend/server/adventures/views.py
index d0a1b0c..5ad6697 100644
--- a/backend/server/adventures/views.py
+++ b/backend/server/adventures/views.py
@@ -143,6 +143,8 @@ class AdventureViewSet(viewsets.ModelViewSet):
     @action(detail=False, methods=['get'])
     def search(self, request):
         query = self.request.query_params.get('query', '')
+        if len(query) < 2:
+            return Response({"error": "Query must be at least 2 characters long"}, status=400)
         queryset = Adventure.objects.filter(
     (Q(name__icontains=query) | Q(description__icontains=query) | Q(location__icontains=query) | Q(activity_types__icontains=query)) &
     (Q(user_id=request.user.id) | Q(is_public=True))
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/AdventureCard.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/components/AdventureCard.svelte
index 8535a0c..4824208 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/AdventureCard.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/AdventureCard.svelte
@@ -161,49 +161,53 @@
 		{/if}
 		<div class="card-actions justify-end mt-2">
 			<!-- action options dropdown -->
-			<div class="dropdown dropdown-end">
-				<div tabindex="0" role="button" class="btn btn-neutral">
-					<DotsHorizontal class="w-6 h-6" />
+			{#if type != 'link'}
+				<div class="dropdown dropdown-end">
+					<div tabindex="0" role="button" class="btn btn-neutral">
+						<DotsHorizontal class="w-6 h-6" />
+					</div>
+					<!-- svelte-ignore a11y-no-noninteractive-tabindex -->
+					<ul
+						tabindex="0"
+						class="dropdown-content menu bg-base-100 rounded-box z-[1] w-52 p-2 shadow"
+					>
+						<button
+							class="btn btn-neutral mb-2"
+							on:click={() => goto(`/adventures/${adventure.id}`)}
+							><Launch class="w-6 h-6" />Open Details</button
+						>
+						<button class="btn btn-neutral mb-2" on:click={editAdventure}>
+							<FileDocumentEdit class="w-6 h-6" />Edit Adventure
+						</button>
+						{#if adventure.type == 'visited'}
+							<button class="btn btn-neutral mb-2" on:click={changeType('planned')}
+								><FormatListBulletedSquare class="w-6 h-6" />Change to Plan</button
+							>
+						{/if}
+						{#if adventure.type == 'planned'}
+							<button class="btn btn-neutral mb-2" on:click={changeType('visited')}
+								><CheckBold class="w-6 h-6" />Mark Visited</button
+							>
+						{/if}
+						{#if adventure.collection}
+							<button class="btn btn-neutral mb-2" on:click={removeFromCollection}
+								><LinkVariantRemove class="w-6 h-6" />Remove from Collection</button
+							>
+						{/if}
+						{#if !adventure.collection}
+							<button class="btn btn-neutral mb-2" on:click={() => (isCollectionModalOpen = true)}
+								><Plus class="w-6 h-6" />Add to Collection</button
+							>
+						{/if}
+						<button class="btn btn-warning" on:click={deleteAdventure}
+							><TrashCan class="w-6 h-6" />Delete</button
+						>
+					</ul>
 				</div>
-				<!-- svelte-ignore a11y-no-noninteractive-tabindex -->
-				<ul
-					tabindex="0"
-					class="dropdown-content menu bg-base-100 rounded-box z-[1] w-52 p-2 shadow"
-				>
-					<button class="btn btn-neutral mb-2" on:click={() => goto(`/adventures/${adventure.id}`)}
-						><Launch class="w-6 h-6" />Open Details</button
-					>
-					<button class="btn btn-neutral mb-2" on:click={editAdventure}>
-						<FileDocumentEdit class="w-6 h-6" />Edit Adventure
-					</button>
-					{#if adventure.type == 'visited'}
-						<button class="btn btn-neutral mb-2" on:click={changeType('planned')}
-							><FormatListBulletedSquare class="w-6 h-6" />Change to Plan</button
-						>
-					{/if}
-					{#if adventure.type == 'planned'}
-						<button class="btn btn-neutral mb-2" on:click={changeType('visited')}
-							><CheckBold class="w-6 h-6" />Mark Visited</button
-						>
-					{/if}
-					{#if adventure.collection}
-						<button class="btn btn-neutral mb-2" on:click={removeFromCollection}
-							><LinkVariantRemove class="w-6 h-6" />Remove from Collection</button
-						>
-					{/if}
-					{#if !adventure.collection}
-						<button class="btn btn-neutral mb-2" on:click={() => (isCollectionModalOpen = true)}
-							><Plus class="w-6 h-6" />Add to Collection</button
-						>
-					{/if}
-					{#if type == 'link'}
-						<button class="btn btn-primary" on:click={link}><Link class="w-6 h-6" /></button>
-					{/if}
-					<button class="btn btn-warning" on:click={deleteAdventure}
-						><TrashCan class="w-6 h-6" />Delete</button
-					>
-				</ul>
-			</div>
+			{/if}
+			{#if type == 'link'}
+				<button class="btn btn-primary" on:click={link}><Link class="w-6 h-6" /></button>
+			{/if}
 		</div>
 	</div>
 </div>
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/NotFound.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/components/NotFound.svelte
index e05ade2..8337c70 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/NotFound.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/NotFound.svelte
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 <script lang="ts">
 	import Lost from '$lib/assets/undraw_lost.svg';
+	export let error: string | undefined;
 </script>
 
 <div
@@ -12,9 +13,13 @@
 		<h1 class="mt-4 text-3xl font-bold tracking-tight text-foreground sm:text-4xl">
 			No adventures found
 		</h1>
-		<p class="mt-4 text-muted-foreground">
-			There are no adventures to display. Add some using the plus button at the bottom right or try
-			changing filters!
-		</p>
+		{#if !error}
+			<p class="mt-4 text-muted-foreground">
+				There are no adventures to display. Add some using the plus button at the bottom right or
+				try changing filters!
+			</p>
+		{:else}
+			<p class="text-error mt-2">{error}</p>
+		{/if}
 	</div>
 </div>
diff --git a/frontend/src/routes/adventures/+page.svelte b/frontend/src/routes/adventures/+page.svelte
index 39c333d..ef6a11d 100644
--- a/frontend/src/routes/adventures/+page.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/routes/adventures/+page.svelte
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@
 		<h1 class="text-center font-bold text-4xl mb-6">My Adventures</h1>
 		<p class="text-center">This search returned {count} results.</p>
 		{#if adventures.length === 0}
-			<NotFound />
+			<NotFound error={undefined} />
 		{/if}
 		<div class="p-4">
 			<button
diff --git a/frontend/src/routes/search/+page.server.ts b/frontend/src/routes/search/+page.server.ts
index cfd6636..5c2ec87 100644
--- a/frontend/src/routes/search/+page.server.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/routes/search/+page.server.ts
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ export const load = (async (event) => {
 		};
 	} else {
 		console.error('Failed to fetch search data');
-		return { data: [] };
+		let error = await res.json();
+		return { error: error.error };
 	}
 }) satisfies PageServerLoad;
diff --git a/frontend/src/routes/search/+page.svelte b/frontend/src/routes/search/+page.svelte
index 7311e7c..05a0926 100644
--- a/frontend/src/routes/search/+page.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/routes/search/+page.svelte
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 </script>
 
 {#if adventures.length === 0}
-	<NotFound />
+	<NotFound error={data.error} />
 {:else}
 	<div class="flex flex-wrap gap-4 mr-4 justify-center content-center">
 		{#each adventures as adventure}