diff --git a/docs/features/search-results.md b/docs/features/search-results.md
index 0391ecf98..0a3edb395 100644
--- a/docs/features/search-results.md
+++ b/docs/features/search-results.md
@@ -71,24 +71,25 @@ OR ia:whatEvent:"[term]*" OR ia:descriptionEvent:"[term]*" OR lnk:title:"[term]*
 
 ### Key facts
 
-If you have entered more than one word into the search input box, then the search query is constructed automatically using an `AND` operation.
+1. If you have entered more than one word into the search input box, then the search query is constructed automatically using an `AND` operation.
 
-I you have entered more than one word encapsulated in quotation marks, then the search query is constructed treated everything as a single string.
+2. If you have entered more than one word encapsulated in quotation marks, then the search query is constructed treated everything as a single string.
 
-If you have entered more than one word separated by `AND`, then the search query is constructed using an `AND` conjunction.
+3. If you have entered more than one word separated by `AND`, then the search query is constructed using an `AND` conjunction. Since `AND` is the default operator (see fact 1), the explicit `AND` keywords are removed when the search input value is processed.
 
-If you have entered more than one word separated by `OR`, then the search query is constructed using an `OR` disjunction.
+4. If you have entered more than one word separated by `OR`, then the search query is constructed using an `OR` disjunction. Unlike `AND`, the `OR` operators are preserved when processing the search input value because `OR` is not the default operator.
 
-If you have entered an `=` symbol before the search term, then the search query is constructed using exact term matching.
+5. If you have entered an `=` symbol before the search term, then the search query is constructed using exact term matching. **Note:** Works only with Solr search. For Elastic Search consider using Search Logical Filter.
 
 ### Examples
 
-| Search Type | Search input | Expected result |
-| --- | --- | --- |
-| Single Term | banana | Nodes that contain the term **banana** in any content | 
-| Conjunction | big yellow banana | Nodes that contain all of the terms **big**, **yellow**, and **banana** |
-| Phrase | "big yellow banana" | Nodes that contain all of the terms **big**, **yellow**, and **banana** |
-| Conjunction | big AND yellow AND banana | Nodes that contain all of the terms **big**, **yellow**, and **banana** |
-| Disjunction | orange OR banana OR apple | Nodes that contain at least one of the terms **orange**, **banana** or **apple** |
-| Exact term | =orange | Nodes that contain the exact term **orange** in any content |
+| Search Type | Entered search input value | Expected result                                                                  | Processed search input value |
+| ----------- | -------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------- |
+| Single Term | banana                     | Nodes that contain the term **banana** in any content                            | banana                       |
+| Conjunction | big yellow banana          | Nodes that contain all of the terms **big**, **yellow**, and **banana**          | big yellow banana            |
+| Phrase      | "big yellow banana"        | Nodes that contain the exact phrase **big yellow banana**                        | "big yellow banana"          |
+| Conjunction | big AND yellow AND banana  | Nodes that contain all of the terms **big**, **yellow**, and **banana**          | big yellow banana            |
+| Disjunction | orange OR banana OR apple  | Nodes that contain at least one of the terms **orange**, **banana** or **apple** | orange OR banana OR apple    |
+| Exact term  | =orange                    | Nodes that contain the exact term **orange** in any content.                     | orange                       |
 
+**Important note:** Consider using Search Logical Filter when you need to combine multiple search types. Mixing search types directly in the input may result in wrong query format and incorrect results.
diff --git a/projects/aca-content/src/lib/utils/aca-search-utils.spec.ts b/projects/aca-content/src/lib/utils/aca-search-utils.spec.ts
index 4503d54c6..b46cc8494 100644
--- a/projects/aca-content/src/lib/utils/aca-search-utils.spec.ts
+++ b/projects/aca-content/src/lib/utils/aca-search-utils.spec.ts
@@ -54,6 +54,11 @@ describe('SearchUtils', () => {
       expect(isOperator(null)).toBeFalse();
       expect(isOperator(undefined)).toBeFalse();
     });
+
+    it('should treat lowercase operators as search terms', () => {
+      expect(isOperator('and')).toBeFalse();
+      expect(isOperator('or')).toBeFalse();
+    });
   });
 
   describe('formatSearchTermByFields', () => {
@@ -109,8 +114,8 @@ describe('SearchUtils', () => {
     });
 
     it('should support exact term matching with operators', () => {
-      expect(formatSearchTerm('=test1.pdf or =test2.pdf', ['cm:name', 'cm:title'])).toBe(
-        `(=cm:name:"test1.pdf" OR =cm:title:"test1.pdf") or (=cm:name:"test2.pdf" OR =cm:title:"test2.pdf")`
+      expect(formatSearchTerm('=test1.pdf OR =test2.pdf', ['cm:name', 'cm:title'])).toBe(
+        `(=cm:name:"test1.pdf" OR =cm:title:"test1.pdf") OR (=cm:name:"test2.pdf" OR =cm:title:"test2.pdf")`
       );
     });
   });
@@ -145,9 +150,9 @@ describe('SearchUtils', () => {
       expect(extractSearchedWordFromEncodedQuery(encodeQuery(query))).toBe('test');
     });
 
-    it('should properly extract search term for custom search', () => {
+    it('should preserve quotes in search term for custom search', () => {
       const query = { userQuery: '"test"' };
-      expect(extractSearchedWordFromEncodedQuery(encodeQuery(query))).toBe('test');
+      expect(extractSearchedWordFromEncodedQuery(encodeQuery(query))).toBe('"test"');
     });
 
     it('should properly extract search term when userQuery does not contain quotes', () => {
@@ -164,6 +169,25 @@ describe('SearchUtils', () => {
       const query = { userQuery: 'cm:name:"quoted term" AND TEXT:unquoted' };
       expect(extractSearchedWordFromEncodedQuery(encodeQuery(query))).toBe('quoted term TEXT:unquoted');
     });
+
+    it('should handle complex search query', () => {
+      const query = {
+        userQuery: `((cm:name:"a*" OR cm:title:"a*" OR cm:description:"a*" OR TEXT:"a*" OR TAG:"a*") AND
+          (cm:name:"b*" OR cm:title:"b*" OR cm:description:"b*" OR TEXT:"b*" OR TAG:"b*") OR
+          (cm:name:"c*" OR cm:title:"c*" OR cm:description:"c*" OR TEXT:"c*" OR TAG:"c*"))`
+      };
+      expect(extractSearchedWordFromEncodedQuery(encodeQuery(query))).toBe('a b OR c');
+    });
+
+    it('should not treat operator as a searched word', () => {
+      const query = { userQuery: 'AND' };
+      expect(extractSearchedWordFromEncodedQuery(encodeQuery(query))).toBe('');
+    });
+
+    it('should not unquote when searching for phrase', () => {
+      const query = { userQuery: '"exact phrase search"' };
+      expect(extractSearchedWordFromEncodedQuery(encodeQuery(query))).toBe('"exact phrase search"');
+    });
   });
 
   describe('extractFiltersFromEncodedQuery', () => {
diff --git a/projects/aca-content/src/lib/utils/aca-search-utils.ts b/projects/aca-content/src/lib/utils/aca-search-utils.ts
index c3e2f15fc..30d6dfbca 100644
--- a/projects/aca-content/src/lib/utils/aca-search-utils.ts
+++ b/projects/aca-content/src/lib/utils/aca-search-utils.ts
@@ -30,10 +30,8 @@
  */
 export function isOperator(input: string): boolean {
   if (input) {
-    input = input.trim().toUpperCase();
-
     const operators = ['AND', 'OR'];
-    return operators.includes(input);
+    return operators.includes(input.trim());
   }
   return false;
 }
@@ -111,17 +109,54 @@ export function extractUserQueryFromEncodedQuery(encodedQuery: string): string {
  * @returns string
  */
 export function extractSearchedWordFromEncodedQuery(encodedQuery: string): string {
-  if (encodedQuery) {
-    const userQuery = extractUserQueryFromEncodedQuery(encodedQuery);
-    return userQuery !== '' && userQuery !== undefined
-      ? userQuery
-          .split('AND')
-          .map((searchCondition) => {
-            const searchTerm = searchCondition.includes('"') ? searchCondition.split('"')[1] : searchCondition.trim();
-            return searchTerm?.endsWith('*') && searchTerm !== '*' ? searchTerm.slice(0, -1) : searchTerm;
-          })
-          .join(' ')
-      : '';
+  if (!encodedQuery) {
+    return '';
+  }
+
+  const userQuery = extractUserQueryFromEncodedQuery(encodedQuery);
+  if (!userQuery) {
+    return '';
+  }
+
+  const tokenRegex = /\(([^()]+)\)|\b(AND|OR)\b/g;
+  const fragments: string[] = [];
+  let match: RegExpExecArray | null;
+
+  while ((match = tokenRegex.exec(userQuery))) {
+    if (match[1]) {
+      fragments.push(extractWordFromQuery(match[1]));
+    } else if (match[2] === 'OR') {
+      fragments.push('OR');
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (fragments.length === 0) {
+    return userQuery
+      .split(/\bAND\b|\bOR\b/)
+      .map((part) => extractWordFromQuery(part))
+      .filter(Boolean)
+      .join(' ')
+      .trim();
+  }
+
+  return fragments.join(' ').trim();
+}
+
+/**
+ * Extracts the searched word from a part of search query
+ *
+ * @param queryPart encoded query
+ * @returns searched word
+ */
+function extractWordFromQuery(queryPart: string): string {
+  const regex = /:"([^"]+)"/;
+  const quoted = regex.exec(queryPart);
+  if (quoted) {
+    return quoted[1].replace(/\*$/, '');
+  }
+  const trimmedPart = queryPart.trim();
+  if (trimmedPart && !isOperator(trimmedPart)) {
+    return trimmedPart;
   }
   return '';
 }