diff --git a/src/components/SearchBar.tsx b/src/components/SearchBar.tsx
index c3a753e..d2df3a0 100644
--- a/src/components/SearchBar.tsx
+++ b/src/components/SearchBar.tsx
@@ -29,22 +29,6 @@ function SearchBarWithFilter({
     const { name } = e.target;
     const { value } = e.target;
 
-    const filt: SearchFilter = {
-      notes: "",
-      filename: "",
-    };
-
-    if (name == "") {
-      filt.notes = value;
-      filt.filename = value;
-    }
-
-    setSearchFilters((prevFilters) => ({
-      ...prevFilters,
-      notes: filt.notes,
-      filename: filt.filename,
-      [name]: value,
-    }));
 
     // Update local state based on input
     switch (name) {
@@ -60,6 +44,9 @@ function SearchBarWithFilter({
       case "afterDate":
         setAfterDate(value);
         break;
+      case "search_text":
+        setSearchTerm(value);
+        break;
       default:
         break;
     }
@@ -69,14 +56,12 @@ function SearchBarWithFilter({
   const handleClear = () => {
     setSearchTerm("");
     setSearchFilters({
-      notes: "",
-      filename: "",
+      searchText: "",
       location: "",
       eventType: "",
       beforeDate: "",
       afterDate: "",
     });
-    setSearchTerm("");
     setSelectedLocation("");
     setSelectedEventType("");
     setBeforeDate("");
@@ -85,7 +70,7 @@ function SearchBarWithFilter({
   };
 
   const handleSearch = () => {
-    setSearch((prev) => !prev);
+    setSearch(true);
   };
 
   return (
@@ -94,16 +79,15 @@ function SearchBarWithFilter({
 
       <div className="search-filter-container">
         <h1>Search and Filter Data</h1>
-
         {/* Search Bar */}
         <input
           type="text"
+          name="search_text"
           className="search-bar"
           placeholder="Search by file name or notes..."
           value={searchTerm}
           onChange={(e) => {
             handleFilterChange(e);
-            setSearchTerm(e.target.value);
           }}
         />
 
@@ -144,7 +128,7 @@ function SearchBarWithFilter({
           </label>
 
           <label>
-            Before Date:
+            Start Date:
             <input
               type="date"
               name="beforeDate"
@@ -155,7 +139,7 @@ function SearchBarWithFilter({
           </label>
 
           <label>
-            After Date:
+            End Date:
             <input
               type="date"
               name="afterDate"
diff --git a/src/routes/root.tsx b/src/routes/root.tsx
index 325e02c..cbec9f5 100644
--- a/src/routes/root.tsx
+++ b/src/routes/root.tsx
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ import SearchBar from "@/components/SearchBar";
 import "@/css/Root.css";
 import DataTable from "@/components/DataTable";
 import PreviewCard from "@/components/PreviewCard";
-import { location } from "@/data/dataFilters";
 
 export default function Root() {
   const [filteredData, setFilteredData] = useState<MCAPFileInformation[]>();
@@ -14,9 +13,9 @@ export default function Root() {
     eventType: "",
     beforeDate: "",
     afterDate: "",
+    searchText: "",
   });
   const [search, setSearch] = useState<boolean>(false);
-
   const formatDate = (dateStr: string) => {
     const [year, month, day] = dateStr.split("-");
     if (month.length !== 2 || day.length !== 2 || year.length !== 4) {
@@ -26,87 +25,38 @@ export default function Root() {
   };
 
   const fetchData = async (filters: SearchFilter) => {
-    const { location, date, notes, eventType, filename } = filters;
+    const { location, date, eventType, searchText } = filters;
     let { afterDate, beforeDate } = filters;
     
     beforeDate = beforeDate ? formatDate(beforeDate) : undefined;
     afterDate = afterDate ? formatDate(afterDate) : undefined;
-
-    const buildParams = (additionalParams: Record<string, string> = {}) => {
-      return {
-        ...(location ? { location } : {}),
-        ...(eventType ? { eventType } : {}),
-        ...(date ? { date } : {}),
-        ...(afterDate ? { after_date: afterDate } : {}),
-        ...(beforeDate ? { before_date: beforeDate } : {}),
-        ...additionalParams,
-      };
+    const params = {
+      ...(location ? { location } : {}),
+      ...(eventType ? { eventType } : {}),
+      ...(date ? { date } : {}),
+      ...(afterDate ? { after_date: afterDate } : {}),
+      ...(beforeDate ? { before_date: beforeDate } : {}),
+      ...(searchText ? { search_text: searchText } : {}),
     };
 
-    if (!notes && !filename) {
-      const params = buildParams();
-      const queryString = new URLSearchParams(params).toString();
-
-      const res = await fetch(
-        `${import.meta.env.VITE_API_URL}/api/v2/mcaps?${queryString}`,
-      );
-      const data = await res.json();
-      return data.data;
-    }
-
-    const promises: Promise<Response>[] = [];
-
-    if (notes) {
-      const paramsNotes = buildParams({ notes });
-      const queryStringNotes = new URLSearchParams(paramsNotes).toString();
-      promises.push(
-        fetch(
-          `${import.meta.env.VITE_API_URL}/api/v2/mcaps?${queryStringNotes}`,
-        ),
-      );
-    }
-
-    if (filename) {
-      const paramsFilename = buildParams({ filename });
-      const queryStringFilename = new URLSearchParams(
-        paramsFilename,
-      ).toString();
-      promises.push(
-        fetch(
-          `${import.meta.env.VITE_API_URL}/api/v2/mcaps?${queryStringFilename}`,
-        ),
-      );
-    }
-
-    const results = await Promise.all(promises);
-    const data = await Promise.all(results.map((res) => res.json()));
-
-    const combinedData = data.flatMap((entry) => entry.data || []);
+    const queryString = new URLSearchParams(params).toString();
 
-    const uniqueData = Array.from(
-      new Set(combinedData.map((item) => item.id)),
-    ).map((id) => combinedData.find((item) => item.id === id));
-
-    return uniqueData;
+    const res = await fetch(
+      `${import.meta.env.VITE_API_URL}/api/v2/mcaps?${queryString}`,
+    );
+    
+    const data = await res.json();
+    return data.data;
   };
 
   const assignData = async () => {
-    const apiData = await Promise.all(
-      location.map(async (loc: string) => await fetchData({ location: loc })),
-    );
-    const validData = apiData.filter((data) => data !== null);
-
-    const flattenedData = validData.flat();
-
-    const sortedData = flattenedData.sort((a, b) => {
-      const [monthA, dayA, yearA] = a.date.split("-");
-      const [monthB, dayB, yearB] = b.date.split("-");
-      const dateA = new Date(`${yearA}-${monthA}-${dayA}`);
-      const dateB = new Date(`${yearB}-${monthB}-${dayB}`);
-
+    const data = await fetchData(searchFilters);
+    console.log(data);
+    const sortedData = data.sort((a: MCAPFileInformation, b: MCAPFileInformation) => {
+      const dateA = new Date(a.date);
+      const dateB = new Date(b.date);
       return dateB.getTime() - dateA.getTime();
     });
-
     setFilteredData(sortedData);
   };
 
@@ -114,21 +64,21 @@ export default function Root() {
     assignData();
   }, []);
 
+  // Two useEffects bc of the way we are handling the Search Button D: 
   useEffect(() => {
     const getData = async () => {
-      const data = await fetchData(searchFilters);
-      // console.log(data);
-      const sortedData = data.sort(
-        (a: MCAPFileInformation, b: MCAPFileInformation) => {
-          const [monthA, dayA, yearA] = a.date.split("-");
-          const [monthB, dayB, yearB] = b.date.split("-");
-          const dateA = new Date(`${yearA}-${monthA}-${dayA}`);
-          const dateB = new Date(`${yearB}-${monthB}-${dayB}`);
-
+      if (search) { // Only fetch data when search is true
+        const data = await fetchData(searchFilters);
+        console.log(data);
+        const sortedData = data.sort((a: MCAPFileInformation, b: MCAPFileInformation) => {
+          const dateA = new Date(a.date);
+          const dateB = new Date(b.date);
           return dateB.getTime() - dateA.getTime();
-        },
-      );
-      setFilteredData(sortedData);
+        });
+        setFilteredData(sortedData);
+
+        setSearch(false);
+      }
     };
     getData();
   }, [search]);
diff --git a/src/types/index.d.ts b/src/types/index.d.ts
index b7a251d..e11dfbf 100644
--- a/src/types/index.d.ts
+++ b/src/types/index.d.ts
@@ -32,9 +32,8 @@ type MCAPFileInformation = {
 
 type SearchFilter = {
   location?: string;
-  filename?: string;
+  searchText?: string;
   date?: string;
-  notes?: string;
   eventType?: string;
   afterDate?: string;
   beforeDate?: string;