diff --git a/bookwyrm/tests/test_views.py b/bookwyrm/tests/test_views.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ba4531f69
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bookwyrm/tests/test_views.py
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+''' test for app action functionality '''
+import json
+from unittest.mock import patch
+
+from django.http import JsonResponse
+from django.template.response import TemplateResponse
+from django.test import TestCase
+from django.test.client import RequestFactory
+
+from bookwyrm import models, views
+from bookwyrm.connectors import abstract_connector
+from bookwyrm.settings import DOMAIN
+
+
+class Views(TestCase):
+    ''' every response to a get request, html or json '''
+    def setUp(self):
+        ''' we need basic test data and mocks '''
+        self.factory = RequestFactory()
+        self.book = models.Edition.objects.create(title='Test Book')
+        models.Connector.objects.create(
+            identifier='self',
+            connector_file='self_connector',
+            local=True
+        )
+
+
+    def test_search_json_response(self):
+        ''' searches local data only and returns book data in json format '''
+        # we need a connector for this, sorry
+        request = self.factory.get('', {'q': 'Test Book'})
+        with patch('bookwyrm.views.is_api_request') as is_api:
+            is_api.return_value = True
+            response = views.search(request)
+        self.assertIsInstance(response, JsonResponse)
+
+        data = json.loads(response.content)
+        self.assertEqual(len(data), 1)
+        self.assertEqual(data[0]['title'], 'Test Book')
+        self.assertEqual(
+            data[0]['key'], 'https://%s/book/%d' % (DOMAIN, self.book.id))
+
+
+    def test_search_html_response(self):
+        ''' searches remote connectors '''
+        class TestConnector(abstract_connector.AbstractMinimalConnector):
+            ''' nothing added here '''
+            def format_search_result(self, search_result):
+                pass
+            def get_or_create_book(self, remote_id):
+                pass
+            def parse_search_data(self, data):
+                pass
+        models.Connector.objects.create(
+            identifier='example.com',
+            connector_file='openlibrary',
+            base_url='https://example.com',
+            books_url='https://example.com/books',
+            covers_url='https://example.com/covers',
+            search_url='https://example.com/search?q=',
+        )
+        connector = TestConnector('example.com')
+
+        search_result = abstract_connector.SearchResult(
+            key='http://www.example.com/book/1',
+            title='Gideon the Ninth',
+            author='Tamsyn Muir',
+            year='2019',
+            connector=connector
+        )
+
+        request = self.factory.get('', {'q': 'Test Book'})
+        with patch('bookwyrm.views.is_api_request') as is_api:
+            is_api.return_value = False
+            with patch('bookwyrm.books_manager.search') as manager:
+                manager.return_value = [search_result]
+                response = views.search(request)
+        self.assertIsInstance(response, TemplateResponse)
+        self.assertEqual(response.template_name, 'search_results.html')
+        self.assertEqual(
+            response.context_data['book_results'][0].title, 'Gideon the Ninth')