diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 1227128..d1a68e3 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -224,9 +224,10 @@ sit alongside it. Transient failures are retried before they ever reach you (see
 ## Messages
 
 ```python
-# One page (newest first). Filter by status, channel, template, or metadata.
+# One page (newest first). Filter by status, channel, template, or metadata,
+# or search (substring over id, recipient, template slug, and metadata).
 page = sk.messages.list(status="delivered", channel="email", limit=50,
-                        metadata={"user_id": "usr_123"})
+                        metadata={"user_id": "usr_123"}, search="user@example.com")
 for m in page.data:
     print(m.public_id, m.status)
 print(page.next_cursor)   # pass as cursor= for the next page, or None when done
diff --git a/src/senderkit/_serialize.py b/src/senderkit/_serialize.py
index cfd421b..75e05b4 100644
--- a/src/senderkit/_serialize.py
+++ b/src/senderkit/_serialize.py
@@ -169,6 +169,7 @@ def list_messages_query(
     template: Optional[str],
     metadata: Optional[Dict[str, Any]],
     tail: Optional[str],
+    search: Optional[str] = None,
 ) -> Dict[str, Any]:
     """Build the query dict for ``GET /v1/messages``, including ``metadata[key]``."""
     query: Dict[str, Any] = _prune(
@@ -178,6 +179,7 @@ def list_messages_query(
             "status": status.value if isinstance(status, Channel) else status,
             "channel": _channel_value(channel),
             "template": template,
+            "search": search,
             "tail": tail,
         }
     )
diff --git a/src/senderkit/resources/messages.py b/src/senderkit/resources/messages.py
index e545631..2885812 100644
--- a/src/senderkit/resources/messages.py
+++ b/src/senderkit/resources/messages.py
@@ -24,9 +24,15 @@ def list(
         channel: Optional[ChannelLike] = None,
         template: Optional[str] = None,
         metadata: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None,
+        search: Optional[str] = None,
         tail: Optional[str] = None,
     ) -> MessageList:
-        """Return one page of messages, newest first, with a cursor for the next."""
+        """Return one page of messages, newest first, with a cursor for the next.
+
+        ``search`` is a case-insensitive substring match over a message's public
+        id, recipient, template slug, and metadata keys/values; use ``metadata``
+        for an exact match. Capped at 512 characters by the API.
+        """
         query = list_messages_query(
             limit=limit,
             cursor=cursor,
@@ -34,6 +40,7 @@ def list(
             channel=channel,
             template=template,
             metadata=metadata,
+            search=search,
             tail=tail,
         )
         return MessageList.from_dict(self._t.request_json("GET", "/v1/messages", query=query))
@@ -46,6 +53,7 @@ def iter(
         channel: Optional[ChannelLike] = None,
         template: Optional[str] = None,
         metadata: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None,
+        search: Optional[str] = None,
     ) -> Iterator[Message]:
         """Yield every matching message, following ``next_cursor`` across pages."""
         cursor: Optional[str] = None
@@ -57,6 +65,7 @@ def iter(
                 channel=channel,
                 template=template,
                 metadata=metadata,
+                search=search,
             )
             yield from page.data
             if not page.next_cursor:
@@ -87,6 +96,7 @@ async def list(
         channel: Optional[ChannelLike] = None,
         template: Optional[str] = None,
         metadata: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None,
+        search: Optional[str] = None,
         tail: Optional[str] = None,
     ) -> MessageList:
         query = list_messages_query(
@@ -96,6 +106,7 @@ async def list(
             channel=channel,
             template=template,
             metadata=metadata,
+            search=search,
             tail=tail,
         )
         return MessageList.from_dict(await self._t.request_json("GET", "/v1/messages", query=query))
@@ -108,6 +119,7 @@ async def aiter(
         channel: Optional[ChannelLike] = None,
         template: Optional[str] = None,
         metadata: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None,
+        search: Optional[str] = None,
     ) -> AsyncIterator[Message]:
         cursor: Optional[str] = None
         while True:
@@ -118,6 +130,7 @@ async def aiter(
                 channel=channel,
                 template=template,
                 metadata=metadata,
+                search=search,
             )
             for message in page.data:
                 yield message
diff --git a/tests/test_messages.py b/tests/test_messages.py
index 0007553..a8af5fb 100644
--- a/tests/test_messages.py
+++ b/tests/test_messages.py
@@ -42,6 +42,15 @@ def test_list_with_filters_builds_query(client):
     assert params["metadata[userId]"] == "usr_123"
 
 
+@respx.mock
+def test_list_forwards_search(client):
+    route = respx.get(f"{BASE_URL}/v1/messages").mock(
+        return_value=httpx.Response(200, json={"data": [], "nextCursor": None})
+    )
+    client.messages.list(search="user@example.com")
+    assert route.calls.last.request.url.params["search"] == "user@example.com"
+
+
 @respx.mock
 def test_iter_paginates(client):
     respx.get(f"{BASE_URL}/v1/messages").mock(