Pre-fill the SearXNG URL from the deployment default

The service now reads the optional MEALQUEST_SEARXNG_URL, validates it at
startup like any SearXNG URL, and returns it in the recipe search settings
as the read-only default_base_url. base_url stays the saved URL only, and
PATCH is unchanged: nothing is stored until the household saves.

The recipe search card pre-fills the SearXNG URL from default_base_url
while no URL is saved, and an edit now clears the last Test result so a
stale count or error never sits beside "Save your changes to test them."

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

web/src/settings/AISettingsPage.test.tsx

@@ -462,16 +462,52 @@ describe('Recipe search card', () => {
     expect(testSearch()).toBeEnabled()
   })
 
-  it('starts on SearXNG with an empty URL before recipe search is set up', async () => {
-    stubAPI({
-      'GET /api/v1/settings/recipe-search': () =>
-        jsonResponse(200, { provider: null, base_url: null, api_key_set: false, api_key_last4: null, updated_at: null }),
+  const UNCONFIGURED = {
+    provider: null,
+    base_url: null,
+    default_base_url: 'http://searxng:8080',
+    api_key_set: false,
+    api_key_last4: null,
+    updated_at: null,
+  }
+
+  it('starts on SearXNG with the deployment\'s URL before recipe search is set up, and saves it', async () => {
+    const fetchMock = stubAPI({
+      'GET /api/v1/settings/recipe-search': () => jsonResponse(200, UNCONFIGURED),
+      'PATCH /api/v1/settings/recipe-search': (body) =>
+        jsonResponse(200, { ...RECIPE_SEARCH_SETTINGS, ...(body as object) }),
     })
     await renderCard()
     expect(searxng()).toHaveAttribute('aria-checked', 'true')
-    expect(url()).toHaveValue('')
+    expect(url()).toHaveValue('http://searxng:8080')
     expect(testSearch()).toBeDisabled()
     expect(saveSearch()).toBeEnabled()
+    fireEvent.click(saveSearch())
+    expect(await within(card()).findByText('Recipe search saved.')).toBeInTheDocument()
+    expect(sent(fetchMock)).toEqual([
+      {
+        request: 'PATCH /api/v1/settings/recipe-search',
+        body: { provider: 'searxng', base_url: 'http://searxng:8080' },
+      },
+    ])
+  })
+
+  it('starts with an empty URL when the deployment names no SearXNG', async () => {
+    stubAPI({
+      'GET /api/v1/settings/recipe-search': () => jsonResponse(200, { ...UNCONFIGURED, default_base_url: null }),
+    })
+    await renderCard()
+    expect(url()).toHaveValue('')
+  })
+
+  it('shows the saved URL, not the deployment\'s', async () => {
+    stubAPI({
+      'GET /api/v1/settings/recipe-search': () =>
+        jsonResponse(200, { ...RECIPE_SEARCH_SETTINGS, base_url: 'https://search.example' }),
+    })
+    await renderCard()
+    expect(url()).toHaveValue('https://search.example')
+    expect(saveSearch()).toBeDisabled()
   })
 
   it('switches providers, keeping each provider\'s field', async () => {
@@ -587,6 +623,32 @@ describe('Recipe search card', () => {
     )
   })
 
+  it('clears a test result when the settings are edited', async () => {
+    stubAPI({
+      'POST /api/v1/settings/recipe-search/test': () =>
+        jsonResponse(200, { query: 'chicken tikka masala', count: 12 }),
+    })
+    await renderCard()
+    fireEvent.click(testSearch())
+    expect(await within(card()).findByText("Found 12 recipes for 'chicken tikka masala'")).toBeInTheDocument()
+    fireEvent.change(url(), { target: { value: 'https://search.example' } })
+    expect(within(card()).getByText('Save your changes to test them.')).toBeInTheDocument()
+    expect(within(card()).queryByText(/Found 12 recipes/)).not.toBeInTheDocument()
+  })
+
+  it('clears a test error when the settings are edited', async () => {
+    stubAPI({
+      'POST /api/v1/settings/recipe-search/test': () =>
+        apiError(502, 'search_failed', 'recipes: SearXNG answered 403 Forbidden'),
+    })
+    await renderCard()
+    fireEvent.click(testSearch())
+    expect(await within(card()).findByRole('alert')).toHaveTextContent('Test failed')
+    fireEvent.click(brave())
+    expect(within(card()).getByText('Save your changes to test them.')).toBeInTheDocument()
+    expect(within(card()).queryByRole('alert')).not.toBeInTheDocument()
+  })
+
   it('asks before leaving with an unsaved recipe search change', async () => {
     stubAPI()
     await renderCard()

web/src/settings/RecipeSearchCard.tsx

@@ -61,9 +61,14 @@ type Draft = {
 }
 
 // draftOf starts a household that has not set up recipe search on SearXNG,
-// the sidecar every deployment runs.
+// the sidecar every deployment runs. With no URL saved the field holds the
+// deployment's SearXNG URL, which saving stores.
 function draftOf(saved: RecipeSearchSettings): Draft {
-  return { provider: saved.provider ?? 'searxng', base_url: saved.base_url ?? '', api_key: null }
+  return {
+    provider: saved.provider ?? 'searxng',
+    base_url: saved.base_url ?? saved.default_base_url ?? '',
+    api_key: null,
+  }
 }
 
 // patchOf is the PATCH body for what draft changes. Only the chosen
@@ -88,8 +93,11 @@ function RecipeSearchForm({ saved, onDirtyChange }: { saved: RecipeSearchSetting
   }, [dirty, onDirtyChange])
   useEffect(() => () => onDirtyChange(false), [onDirtyChange])
 
+  // An edit clears the last save and test results: they describe the saved
+  // settings, not the draft.
   function edit(change: Partial<Draft>) {
     save.reset()
+    test.reset()
     setDraft((current) => ({ ...current, ...change }))
   }
 

web/src/settings/api.ts

@@ -209,8 +209,12 @@ export type RecipeSearchProvider = keyof typeof recipeSearchProviderLabels
 export type RecipeSearchSettings = {
   // Null until recipe search is first set up.
   provider: RecipeSearchProvider | null
-  // The SearXNG instance's URL, null when none is set.
+  // The saved SearXNG instance's URL, null when none is set.
   base_url: string | null
+  // The deployment's SearXNG URL (MEALQUEST_SEARXNG_URL) to suggest while
+  // base_url is null; null when the deployment names none. Only saving
+  // base_url stores a URL.
+  default_base_url: string | null
   api_key_set: boolean
   api_key_last4: string | null
   updated_at: string | null
@@ -237,6 +241,7 @@ function parseRecipeSearchSettings(where: string, body: unknown): RecipeSearchSe
     !isRecord(body) ||
     !isStringOrNull(body.provider) ||
     !isStringOrNull(body.base_url) ||
+    !isStringOrNull(body.default_base_url) ||
     typeof body.api_key_set !== 'boolean' ||
     !isStringOrNull(body.api_key_last4) ||
     !isStringOrNull(body.updated_at)
@@ -249,6 +254,7 @@ function parseRecipeSearchSettings(where: string, body: unknown): RecipeSearchSe
   return {
     provider: body.provider,
     base_url: body.base_url,
+    default_base_url: body.default_base_url,
     api_key_set: body.api_key_set,
     api_key_last4: body.api_key_last4,
     updated_at: body.updated_at,

web/src/test/ApiProviders.tsx

@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ export const AI_SETTINGS = {
 export const RECIPE_SEARCH_SETTINGS = {
   provider: 'searxng',
   base_url: 'http://searxng:8080',
+  default_base_url: 'http://searxng:8080',
   api_key_set: false,
   api_key_last4: null,
   updated_at: '2026-10-01T15:00:00.000Z',