diff --git a/app/controllers/main_controller.rb b/app/controllers/main_controller.rb
index 0a5ccb68..f89b6b78 100644
--- a/app/controllers/main_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/main_controller.rb
@@ -1,172 +1,20 @@
 # frozen_string_literal: true
 class MainController < ApplicationController
-  include TopicsHelper
-  include MapsHelper
-  include UsersHelper
-  include SynapsesHelper
+  after_action :verify_authorized
+  after_action :verify_policy_scoped, only: [:home]
 
-  after_action :verify_policy_scoped, except: [:requestinvite, :searchmappers]
-
-  respond_to :html, :json
-
-  # home page
+  # GET /
   def home
-    @maps = policy_scope(Map).order('updated_at DESC').page(1).per(20)
+    authorize :Main
     respond_to do |format|
       format.html do
         if !authenticated?
           render 'main/home'
         else
+          @maps = policy_scope(Map).order(updated_at: :desc).page(1).per(20)
           render 'explore/active'
         end
       end
     end
   end
-
-  ### SEARCHING ###
-
-  # get /search/topics?term=SOMETERM
-  def searchtopics
-    term = params[:term]
-    user = params[:user] ? params[:user] : false
-
-    if term && !term.empty? && term.downcase[0..3] != 'map:' && term.downcase[0..6] != 'mapper:' && !term.casecmp('topic:').zero?
-
-      # remove "topic:" if appended at beginning
-      term = term[6..-1] if term.downcase[0..5] == 'topic:'
-
-      # if desc: search desc instead
-      desc = false
-      if term.downcase[0..4] == 'desc:'
-        term = term[5..-1]
-        desc = true
-      end
-
-      # if link: search link instead
-      link = false
-      if term.downcase[0..4] == 'link:'
-        term = term[5..-1]
-        link = true
-      end
-
-      # check whether there's a filter by metacode as part of the query
-      filterByMetacode = false
-      Metacode.all.each do |m|
-        lOne = m.name.length + 1
-        lTwo = m.name.length
-
-        if term.downcase[0..lTwo] == m.name.downcase + ':'
-          term = term[lOne..-1]
-          filterByMetacode = m
-        end
-      end
-
-      search = '%' + term.downcase + '%'
-      builder = policy_scope(Topic)
-
-      if filterByMetacode
-        if term == ''
-          builder = builder.none
-        else
-          builder = builder.where('LOWER("name") like ? OR
-                                   LOWER("desc") like ? OR
-                                   LOWER("link") like ?', search, search, search)
-          builder = builder.where(metacode_id: filterByMetacode.id)
-        end
-      elsif desc
-        builder = builder.where('LOWER("desc") like ?', search)
-      elsif link
-        builder = builder.where('LOWER("link") like ?', search)
-      else # regular case, just search the name
-        builder = builder.where('LOWER("name") like ? OR
-                                 LOWER("desc") like ? OR
-                                 LOWER("link") like ?', search, search, search)
-      end
-
-      builder = builder.where(user: user) if user
-      @topics = builder.order(:name)
-    else
-      @topics = []
-    end
-
-    render json: autocomplete_array_json(@topics)
-  end
-
-  # get /search/maps?term=SOMETERM
-  def searchmaps
-    term = params[:term]
-    user = params[:user] ? params[:user] : nil
-
-    if term && !term.empty? && term.downcase[0..5] != 'topic:' && term.downcase[0..6] != 'mapper:' && !term.casecmp('map:').zero?
-
-      # remove "map:" if appended at beginning
-      term = term[4..-1] if term.downcase[0..3] == 'map:'
-
-      # if desc: search desc instead
-      desc = false
-      if term.downcase[0..4] == 'desc:'
-        term = term[5..-1]
-        desc = true
-      end
-
-      search = '%' + term.downcase + '%'
-      builder = policy_scope(Map)
-
-      builder = if desc
-                  builder.where('LOWER("desc") like ?', search)
-                else
-                  builder.where('LOWER("name") like ?', search)
-                end
-      builder = builder.where(user: user) if user
-      @maps = builder.order(:name)
-    else
-      @maps = []
-    end
-
-    render json: autocomplete_map_array_json(@maps)
-  end
-
-  # get /search/mappers?term=SOMETERM
-  def searchmappers
-    term = params[:term]
-    if term && !term.empty? && term.downcase[0..3] != 'map:' && term.downcase[0..5] != 'topic:' && !term.casecmp('mapper:').zero?
-
-      # remove "mapper:" if appended at beginning
-      term = term[7..-1] if term.downcase[0..6] == 'mapper:'
-      search = term.downcase + '%'
-
-      skip_policy_scope # TODO: builder = policy_scope(User)
-      builder = User.where('LOWER("name") like ?', search)
-      @mappers = builder.order(:name)
-    else
-      @mappers = []
-    end
-    render json: autocomplete_user_array_json(@mappers)
-  end
-
-  # get /search/synapses?term=SOMETERM OR
-  # get /search/synapses?topic1id=SOMEID&topic2id=SOMEID
-  def searchsynapses
-    term = params[:term]
-    topic1id = params[:topic1id]
-    topic2id = params[:topic2id]
-
-    if term && !term.empty?
-      @synapses = policy_scope(Synapse).where('LOWER("desc") like ?', '%' + term.downcase + '%').order('"desc"')
-
-      @synapses = @synapses.uniq(&:desc)
-    elsif topic1id && !topic1id.empty?
-      @one = policy_scope(Synapse).where('topic1_id = ? AND topic2_id = ?', topic1id, topic2id)
-      @two = policy_scope(Synapse).where('topic2_id = ? AND topic1_id = ?', topic1id, topic2id)
-      @synapses = @one + @two
-      @synapses.sort! { |s1, s2| s1.desc <=> s2.desc }.to_a
-    else
-      @synapses = []
-    end
-
-    # limit to 5 results
-    @synapses = @synapses.to_a.slice(0, 5)
-
-    render json: autocomplete_synapse_array_json(@synapses)
-  end
 end
diff --git a/app/controllers/search_controller.rb b/app/controllers/search_controller.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..91b0b44d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/controllers/search_controller.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,162 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+class MainController < ApplicationController
+  include TopicsHelper
+  include MapsHelper
+  include UsersHelper
+  include SynapsesHelper
+
+  before_action :authorize_search
+  after_action :verify_authorized
+  after_action :verify_policy_scoped, only: [:maps, :mappers, :synapses, :topics]
+
+  # get /search/topics?term=SOMETERM
+  def topics
+    term = params[:term]
+    user = params[:user] ? params[:user] : false
+
+    if term && !term.empty? && term.downcase[0..3] != 'map:' && term.downcase[0..6] != 'mapper:' && !term.casecmp('topic:').zero?
+
+      # remove "topic:" if appended at beginning
+      term = term[6..-1] if term.downcase[0..5] == 'topic:'
+
+      # if desc: search desc instead
+      desc = false
+      if term.downcase[0..4] == 'desc:'
+        term = term[5..-1]
+        desc = true
+      end
+
+      # if link: search link instead
+      link = false
+      if term.downcase[0..4] == 'link:'
+        term = term[5..-1]
+        link = true
+      end
+
+      # check whether there's a filter by metacode as part of the query
+      filterByMetacode = false
+      Metacode.all.each do |m|
+        lOne = m.name.length + 1
+        lTwo = m.name.length
+
+        if term.downcase[0..lTwo] == m.name.downcase + ':'
+          term = term[lOne..-1]
+          filterByMetacode = m
+        end
+      end
+
+      search = '%' + term.downcase + '%'
+      builder = policy_scope(Topic)
+
+      if filterByMetacode
+        if term == ''
+          builder = builder.none
+        else
+          builder = builder.where('LOWER("name") like ? OR
+                                   LOWER("desc") like ? OR
+                                   LOWER("link") like ?', search, search, search)
+          builder = builder.where(metacode_id: filterByMetacode.id)
+        end
+      elsif desc
+        builder = builder.where('LOWER("desc") like ?', search)
+      elsif link
+        builder = builder.where('LOWER("link") like ?', search)
+      else # regular case, just search the name
+        builder = builder.where('LOWER("name") like ? OR
+                                 LOWER("desc") like ? OR
+                                 LOWER("link") like ?', search, search, search)
+      end
+
+      builder = builder.where(user: user) if user
+      @topics = builder.order(:name)
+    else
+      @topics = []
+    end
+
+    render json: autocomplete_array_json(@topics)
+  end
+
+  # get /search/maps?term=SOMETERM
+  def maps
+    term = params[:term]
+    user = params[:user] ? params[:user] : nil
+
+    if term && !term.empty? && term.downcase[0..5] != 'topic:' && term.downcase[0..6] != 'mapper:' && !term.casecmp('map:').zero?
+
+      # remove "map:" if appended at beginning
+      term = term[4..-1] if term.downcase[0..3] == 'map:'
+
+      # if desc: search desc instead
+      desc = false
+      if term.downcase[0..4] == 'desc:'
+        term = term[5..-1]
+        desc = true
+      end
+
+      search = '%' + term.downcase + '%'
+      builder = policy_scope(Map)
+
+      builder = if desc
+                  builder.where('LOWER("desc") like ?', search)
+                else
+                  builder.where('LOWER("name") like ?', search)
+                end
+      builder = builder.where(user: user) if user
+      @maps = builder.order(:name)
+    else
+      @maps = []
+    end
+
+    render json: autocomplete_map_array_json(@maps)
+  end
+
+  # get /search/mappers?term=SOMETERM
+  def mappers
+    term = params[:term]
+    if term && !term.empty? && term.downcase[0..3] != 'map:' && term.downcase[0..5] != 'topic:' && !term.casecmp('mapper:').zero?
+
+      # remove "mapper:" if appended at beginning
+      term = term[7..-1] if term.downcase[0..6] == 'mapper:'
+      search = term.downcase + '%'
+
+      skip_policy_scope # TODO: builder = policy_scope(User)
+      builder = User.where('LOWER("name") like ?', search)
+      @mappers = builder.order(:name)
+    else
+      @mappers = []
+    end
+    render json: autocomplete_user_array_json(@mappers)
+  end
+
+  # get /search/synapses?term=SOMETERM OR
+  # get /search/synapses?topic1id=SOMEID&topic2id=SOMEID
+  def synapses
+    term = params[:term]
+    topic1id = params[:topic1id]
+    topic2id = params[:topic2id]
+
+    if term && !term.empty?
+      @synapses = policy_scope(Synapse).where('LOWER("desc") like ?', '%' + term.downcase + '%').order('"desc"')
+
+      @synapses = @synapses.uniq(&:desc)
+    elsif topic1id && !topic1id.empty?
+      @one = policy_scope(Synapse).where(topic1_id: topic1id, topic2_id: topic2id)
+      @two = policy_scope(Synapse).where(topic2_id: topic1id, topic1_id: topic2id)
+      @synapses = @one + @two
+      @synapses.sort! { |s1, s2| s1.desc <=> s2.desc }.to_a
+    else
+      @synapses = []
+    end
+
+    # limit to 5 results
+    @synapses = @synapses.to_a.slice(0, 5)
+
+    render json: autocomplete_synapse_array_json(@synapses)
+  end
+
+  private
+
+  def authorize_search
+    authorize :Search
+  end
+end
diff --git a/app/policies/main_policy.rb b/app/policies/main_policy.rb
index e0ffc30b..1c7a00e5 100644
--- a/app/policies/main_policy.rb
+++ b/app/policies/main_policy.rb
@@ -1,27 +1,6 @@
 # frozen_string_literal: true
 class MainPolicy < ApplicationPolicy
-  def initialize(user, _record)
-    @user = user
-    @record = nil
-  end
-
   def home?
     true
   end
-
-  def searchtopics?
-    true
-  end
-
-  def searchmaps?
-    true
-  end
-
-  def searchmappers?
-    true
-  end
-
-  def searchsynapses?
-    true
-  end
 end
diff --git a/app/policies/search_policy.rb b/app/policies/search_policy.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5b783457
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/policies/search_policy.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+class SearchPolicy < ApplicationPolicy
+  def topics?
+    true
+  end
+
+  def maps?
+    true
+  end
+
+  def mappers?
+    true
+  end
+
+  def synapses?
+    true
+  end
+end
diff --git a/config/routes.rb b/config/routes.rb
index b114d3d6..4800780d 100644
--- a/config/routes.rb
+++ b/config/routes.rb
@@ -5,10 +5,12 @@ Metamaps::Application.routes.draw do
 
   get 'request', to: 'main#requestinvite', as: :request
 
-  get 'search/topics', to: 'main#searchtopics', as: :searchtopics
-  get 'search/maps', to: 'main#searchmaps', as: :searchmaps
-  get 'search/mappers', to: 'main#searchmappers', as: :searchmappers
-  get 'search/synapses', to: 'main#searchsynapses', as: :searchsynapses
+  namespace :search do
+    get :topics
+    get :maps
+    get :mappers
+    get :synapses
+  end
 
   namespace :api, path: '/api', default: { format: :json } do
     namespace :v2, path: '/v2' do