diff --git a/tests/test_spa_deep_linking.py b/tests/test_spa_deep_linking.py
index cd28f096..38a90534 100644
--- a/tests/test_spa_deep_linking.py
+++ b/tests/test_spa_deep_linking.py
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ class TestSpaRoutes:
     """Deep-link paths for valid client pages should serve index.html."""
 
     @pytest.mark.parametrize("page", [
-        'dashboard', 'sync', 'downloads', 'discover', 'artists',
+        'dashboard', 'sync', 'search', 'downloads', 'discover', 'artists',
         'automations', 'library', 'import', 'settings', 'help',
         'issues', 'stats', 'watchlist', 'wishlist', 'active-downloads',
         'artist-detail', 'playlist-explorer', 'hydrabase', 'tools',
diff --git a/web_server.py b/web_server.py
index 40052fc3..3c1d1b35 100644
--- a/web_server.py
+++ b/web_server.py
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ _log_dir = Path(_log_path).parent
 logger = setup_logging(_log_level, _log_path)
 
 # App version — single source of truth for backup metadata, version-info endpoint, etc.
-_SOULSYNC_BASE_VERSION = "2.42"
+_SOULSYNC_BASE_VERSION = "2.43"
 
 def _build_version_string():
     """Append short commit hash to version when available (e.g. 2.35+abc1234)."""
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ def get_spotify_client_for_profile(profile_id=None):
         return spotify_client  # Fall back to global
 
 # Valid page IDs for profile permission validation
-VALID_PAGE_IDS = {'dashboard', 'sync', 'downloads', 'discover', 'artists', 'automations', 'library', 'import', 'settings', 'help'}
+VALID_PAGE_IDS = {'dashboard', 'sync', 'search', 'downloads', 'discover', 'artists', 'automations', 'library', 'import', 'settings', 'help'}
 
 def check_download_permission():
     """Check if current profile has download permission. Returns error response or None if allowed."""
@@ -22809,6 +22809,17 @@ def get_version_info():
         "title": "What's New in SoulSync",
         "subtitle": f"Version {SOULSYNC_VERSION} — Latest Changes",
         "sections": [
+            {
+                "title": "Search Page Renamed to /search",
+                "description": "The Search page's internal id is now 'search' instead of 'downloads', which no longer conflicts with the real Downloads page. URL /downloads still works for bookmarks and external links",
+                "features": [
+                    "• Sidebar label unchanged (still reads 'Search') — no visual change",
+                    "• URL now /search; /downloads stays as an alias so no existing link breaks",
+                    "• DOM id renamed to #search-page; all internal references follow",
+                    "• Profile ACL stored as 'search' going forward; existing profiles with 'downloads' in allowed_pages still resolve through a legacy-compat check",
+                    "• Phase 3b of the Search/Artists unification project",
+                ],
+            },
             {
                 "title": "Search Source Picker — Pick Where You're Searching",
                 "description": "The Search page's Enhanced/Basic toggle is replaced by a single 'Search from' dropdown so you can explicitly pick which source to query instead of fanning out to every provider",
diff --git a/webui/index.html b/webui/index.html
index 08f4b85c..8e196335 100644
--- a/webui/index.html
+++ b/webui/index.html
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@
                             <option value="">Default (Discover)</option>
                             <option value="dashboard">Dashboard</option>
                             <option value="sync">Sync</option>
-                            <option value="downloads">Search</option>
+                            <option value="search">Search</option>
                             <option value="discover">Discover</option>
                             <option value="artists">Artists</option>
                             <option value="automations">Automations</option>
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@
                         <div id="new-profile-allowed-pages" class="profile-page-checkboxes">
                             <label><input type="checkbox" value="dashboard" checked> Dashboard</label>
                             <label><input type="checkbox" value="sync" checked> Sync</label>
-                            <label><input type="checkbox" value="downloads" checked> Search</label>
+                            <label><input type="checkbox" value="search" checked> Search</label>
                             <label><input type="checkbox" value="discover" checked> Discover</label>
                             <label><input type="checkbox" value="artists" checked> Artists</label>
                             <label><input type="checkbox" value="automations" checked> Automations</label>
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@
                     <span class="nav-icon"><svg class="nav-svg" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="1.8" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"><polyline points="16 3 21 3 21 8"/><line x1="4" y1="20" x2="21" y2="3"/><polyline points="21 16 21 21 16 21"/><line x1="15" y1="15" x2="21" y2="21"/><line x1="4" y1="4" x2="9" y2="9"/></svg></span>
                     <span class="nav-text">Sync</span>
                 </button>
-                <button class="nav-button" data-page="downloads">
+                <button class="nav-button" data-page="search">
                     <span class="nav-icon"><svg class="nav-svg" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="1.8" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"><circle cx="11" cy="11" r="8"/><line x1="21" y1="21" x2="16.65" y2="16.65"/><line x1="11" y1="8" x2="11" y2="14"/><polyline points="8 11 11 14 14 11"/></svg></span>
                     <span class="nav-text">Search</span>
                 </button>
@@ -1843,7 +1843,7 @@
             </div>
 
             <!-- Downloads Page -->
-            <div class="page" id="downloads-page">
+            <div class="page" id="search-page">
                 <!-- 
                 This top-level container replicates the QSplitter from downloads.py,
                 creating the two-panel layout for the page.
diff --git a/webui/static/downloads.js b/webui/static/downloads.js
index 8610caeb..9fdd9bef 100644
--- a/webui/static/downloads.js
+++ b/webui/static/downloads.js
@@ -5454,10 +5454,11 @@ const _gsState = {
 function _gsUpdateVisibility() {
     const bar = document.getElementById('gsearch-bar');
     if (!bar) return;
-    // Hide on downloads page where enhanced search already exists
-    const onDownloads = typeof currentPage !== 'undefined' && currentPage === 'downloads';
-    bar.style.display = onDownloads ? 'none' : '';
-    if (onDownloads && _gsState.active) _gsDeactivate();
+    // Hide on the Search page where the unified search already exists. Accept the
+    // legacy 'downloads' id for callers that predate the page rename.
+    const onSearchPage = typeof currentPage !== 'undefined' && (currentPage === 'search' || currentPage === 'downloads');
+    bar.style.display = onSearchPage ? 'none' : '';
+    if (onSearchPage && _gsState.active) _gsDeactivate();
 }
 
 function _gsDeactivate() {
@@ -5866,8 +5867,8 @@ async function _gsClickTrack(artistName, trackName, albumName, trackId, imageUrl
         );
     } catch (e) {
         console.error('Error opening track download:', e);
-        // Fallback: navigate to enhanced search
-        navigateToPage('downloads');
+        // Fallback: navigate to the unified Search page
+        navigateToPage('search');
         setTimeout(() => {
             const input = document.getElementById('enhanced-search-input');
             if (input) { input.value = `${artistName} ${trackName}`.trim(); input.dispatchEvent(new Event('input')); }
diff --git a/webui/static/helper.js b/webui/static/helper.js
index 9ee59750..2c4fd0e5 100644
--- a/webui/static/helper.js
+++ b/webui/static/helper.js
@@ -3599,10 +3599,15 @@ function closeHelperSearch() {
 // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
 
 const WHATS_NEW = {
+    '2.43': [
+        // --- April 23, 2026 (later) ---
+        { date: 'April 23, 2026 (later)' },
+        { title: 'Search Page Renamed to /search', desc: 'The Search page\'s internal id is now "search" instead of the confusing "downloads" (which clashed with the actual Downloads page). Sidebar label unchanged. URL is now /search; /downloads still resolves so old bookmarks keep working. Profile ACL "Page Access" now saves as "search"; existing profiles with "downloads" in allowed_pages still resolve through a legacy-compat check. Phase 3b of the Search/Artists unification project', page: 'search' },
+    ],
     '2.42': [
         // --- April 23, 2026 ---
         { date: 'April 23, 2026' },
-        { title: 'Search Source Picker — Pick Where You\'re Searching', desc: 'The Search page\'s Enhanced/Basic toggle is replaced by a single "Search from" dropdown at the top. Choose All sources (Auto — keeps today\'s multi-source fan-out), Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Discogs, Hydrabase, MusicBrainz, or Soulseek (raw files). Picking a specific source hits only that provider — no more surprise Spotify rate-limit hits from flows that didn\'t need Spotify. "Soulseek" routes to the raw-file search (what "Basic" used to do), so one picker now covers both modes. Loading text reflects the selected source (e.g., "Searching across Apple Music..."). Phase 3 of the Search/Artists unification project', page: 'downloads' },
+        { title: 'Search Source Picker — Pick Where You\'re Searching', desc: 'The Search page\'s Enhanced/Basic toggle is replaced by a single "Search from" dropdown at the top. Choose All sources (Auto — keeps today\'s multi-source fan-out), Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Discogs, Hydrabase, MusicBrainz, or Soulseek (raw files). Picking a specific source hits only that provider — no more surprise Spotify rate-limit hits from flows that didn\'t need Spotify. "Soulseek" routes to the raw-file search (what "Basic" used to do), so one picker now covers both modes. Loading text reflects the selected source (e.g., "Searching across Apple Music..."). Phase 3 of the Search/Artists unification project', page: 'search' },
     ],
     '2.41': [
         // --- April 22, 2026 (late night) ---
diff --git a/webui/static/init.js b/webui/static/init.js
index 047e3675..8f1870f6 100644
--- a/webui/static/init.js
+++ b/webui/static/init.js
@@ -189,7 +189,9 @@ let currentProfile = null;
 
 function getProfileHomePage() {
     if (!currentProfile) return 'dashboard';
-    if (currentProfile.home_page) return currentProfile.home_page;
+    // Legacy profiles stored the Search page as 'downloads'.
+    const home = currentProfile.home_page === 'downloads' ? 'search' : currentProfile.home_page;
+    if (home) return home;
     return currentProfile.is_admin ? 'dashboard' : 'discover';
 }
 
@@ -206,7 +208,11 @@ function isPageAllowed(pageId) {
     if (pageId === 'settings') return currentProfile.is_admin;
     const ap = currentProfile.allowed_pages;
     if (!ap) return true; // null = all pages
-    return ap.includes(pageId);
+    if (ap.includes(pageId)) return true;
+    // Legacy compat: the Search page used to be saved as 'downloads'.
+    if (pageId === 'search' && ap.includes('downloads')) return true;
+    if (pageId === 'downloads' && ap.includes('search')) return true;
+    return false;
 }
 
 function canDownload() {
@@ -1993,7 +1999,7 @@ function initializeNavigation() {
 }
 
 const _DEEPLINK_VALID_PAGES = new Set([
-    'dashboard', 'sync', 'downloads', 'discover', 'artists', 'automations',
+    'dashboard', 'sync', 'search', 'downloads', 'discover', 'artists', 'automations',
     'library', 'import', 'settings', 'help', 'issues', 'stats', 'watchlist',
     'wishlist', 'active-downloads', 'artist-detail', 'playlist-explorer',
     'hydrabase', 'tools'
@@ -2141,6 +2147,9 @@ function initializeDownloadManagerToggle() {
 }
 
 function navigateToPage(pageId, options = {}) {
+    // Backwards-compat alias — the Search page used to live under id 'downloads'.
+    if (pageId === 'downloads') pageId = 'search';
+
     if (pageId === currentPage) return;
 
     // Permission guard — redirect to home page if not allowed
@@ -2179,7 +2188,7 @@ function navigateToPage(pageId, options = {}) {
         }
     }
 
-    // Show/hide global search bar (hide on downloads page where enhanced search exists)
+    // Show/hide global search bar (hide on search page where the unified search lives)
     if (typeof _gsUpdateVisibility === 'function') _gsUpdateVisibility();
 
     // Show/hide discover download sidebar based on page
@@ -2236,7 +2245,7 @@ async function loadPageData(pageId) {
                 initializeSyncPage();
                 await loadSyncData();
                 break;
-            case 'downloads':
+            case 'search':
                 initializeSearch();
                 initializeSearchModeToggle();
                 initializeFilters();
diff --git a/webui/static/search.js b/webui/static/search.js
index c6b38573..4dad56aa 100644
--- a/webui/static/search.js
+++ b/webui/static/search.js
@@ -1330,9 +1330,9 @@ function initializeSearchModeToggle() {
             dropdown.classList.remove('hidden');
             updateToggleButtonState();
         }
-        // Hide the page header + search mode toggle to reclaim space
-        const header = document.querySelector('#downloads-page .downloads-header');
-        const modeToggle = document.querySelector('.search-mode-toggle-container');
+        // Hide the page header + source picker to reclaim space
+        const header = document.querySelector('#search-page .downloads-header');
+        const modeToggle = document.querySelector('.search-source-picker-container');
         const slskdPlaceholder = document.querySelector('#enhanced-search-section .search-results-container');
         if (header) header.classList.add('enh-results-active-hide');
         if (modeToggle) modeToggle.classList.add('enh-results-active-hide');
@@ -1346,8 +1346,8 @@ function initializeSearchModeToggle() {
             updateToggleButtonState();
         }
         // Restore hidden elements
-        const header = document.querySelector('#downloads-page .downloads-header');
-        const modeToggle = document.querySelector('.search-mode-toggle-container');
+        const header = document.querySelector('#search-page .downloads-header');
+        const modeToggle = document.querySelector('.search-source-picker-container');
         const slskdPlaceholder = document.querySelector('#enhanced-search-section .search-results-container');
         if (header) header.classList.remove('enh-results-active-hide');
         if (modeToggle) modeToggle.classList.remove('enh-results-active-hide');