diff --git a/frontend/src/App.css b/frontend/src/App.css
index 3ca4eb4..6b2add8 100644
--- a/frontend/src/App.css
+++ b/frontend/src/App.css
@@ -1042,6 +1042,53 @@ a.app-footer__repo:hover {
   border-radius: 0.625rem;
 }
 
+/* ── Nav search variant ───────────────────────────────────────────────────── */
+
+.search-container--nav {
+  position: relative;
+  max-width: 16rem;
+  margin: 0;
+}
+
+.search-form--nav {
+  gap: 0;
+  position: relative;
+}
+
+.search-input--nav {
+  padding: 0.375rem 2.75rem 0.375rem 0.75rem;
+  font-size: 0.8125rem;
+  border-radius: 0.375rem;
+  background: var(--color-bg-input);
+  border-color: var(--color-border);
+}
+
+.search-input--nav::placeholder {
+  color: var(--color-text-muted);
+  opacity: 0.7;
+}
+
+.search-nav__shortcut {
+  position: absolute;
+  right: 0.5rem;
+  top: 50%;
+  transform: translateY(-50%);
+  font-size: 0.625rem;
+  font-family: inherit;
+  color: var(--color-text-muted);
+  background: var(--color-bg-page);
+  border: 1px solid var(--color-border);
+  border-radius: 0.25rem;
+  padding: 0.0625rem 0.3125rem;
+  line-height: 1.4;
+  pointer-events: none;
+}
+
+.search-container--nav .typeahead-dropdown {
+  z-index: 200;
+  min-width: 20rem;
+}
+
 .btn--search {
   background: var(--color-btn-search-bg);
   color: var(--color-btn-search-text);
diff --git a/frontend/src/App.tsx b/frontend/src/App.tsx
index 2dd144e..cf74b5b 100644
--- a/frontend/src/App.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/App.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { Link, Navigate, Route, Routes } from "react-router-dom";
+import { Link, Navigate, Route, Routes, useLocation, useNavigate } from "react-router-dom";
 import Home from "./pages/Home";
 import SearchResults from "./pages/SearchResults";
 import TechniquePage from "./pages/TechniquePage";
@@ -11,14 +11,27 @@ import AdminPipeline from "./pages/AdminPipeline";
 import About from "./pages/About";
 import AdminDropdown from "./components/AdminDropdown";
 import AppFooter from "./components/AppFooter";
+import SearchAutocomplete from "./components/SearchAutocomplete";
 
 export default function App() {
+  const location = useLocation();
+  const navigate = useNavigate();
+  const showNavSearch = location.pathname !== "/";
+
   return (
     <div className="app">
       <header className="app-header">
         <Link to="/" className="app-header__brand">
           <h1>Chrysopedia</h1>
         </Link>
+        {showNavSearch && (
+          <SearchAutocomplete
+            variant="nav"
+            globalShortcut
+            placeholder="Search… ⌘K"
+            onSearch={(q) => navigate(`/search?q=${encodeURIComponent(q)}`)}
+          />
+        )}
         <div className="app-header__right">
           <nav className="app-nav">
             <Link to="/">Home</Link>
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/SearchAutocomplete.tsx b/frontend/src/components/SearchAutocomplete.tsx
index da9a4db..f3f8de2 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/SearchAutocomplete.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/SearchAutocomplete.tsx
@@ -19,18 +19,26 @@ import {
 interface SearchAutocompleteProps {
   onSearch: (query: string) => void;
   placeholder?: string;
+  /** @deprecated Use variant="hero" instead */
   heroSize?: boolean;
+  variant?: 'hero' | 'inline' | 'nav';
   initialQuery?: string;
   autoFocus?: boolean;
+  /** When true, Cmd+K / Ctrl+K focuses the input globally */
+  globalShortcut?: boolean;
 }
 
 export default function SearchAutocomplete({
   onSearch,
   placeholder = "Search techniques…",
   heroSize = false,
+  variant: variantProp,
   initialQuery = "",
   autoFocus = false,
+  globalShortcut = false,
 }: SearchAutocompleteProps) {
+  // Resolve variant: explicit prop wins, then legacy heroSize, then default 'inline'
+  const variant = variantProp ?? (heroSize ? 'hero' : 'inline');
   const [query, setQuery] = useState(initialQuery);
   const [searchResults, setSearchResults] = useState<SearchResultItem[]>([]);
   const [popularSuggestions, setPopularSuggestions] = useState<SuggestionItem[]>([]);
@@ -64,6 +72,19 @@ export default function SearchAutocomplete({
     if (autoFocus) inputRef.current?.focus();
   }, [autoFocus]);
 
+  // Global Cmd+K / Ctrl+K shortcut to focus input
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!globalShortcut) return;
+    function handleGlobalKey(e: KeyboardEvent) {
+      if (e.key === "k" && (e.metaKey || e.ctrlKey)) {
+        e.preventDefault();
+        inputRef.current?.focus();
+      }
+    }
+    document.addEventListener("keydown", handleGlobalKey);
+    return () => document.removeEventListener("keydown", handleGlobalKey);
+  }, [globalShortcut]);
+
   // Close dropdown on outside click
   useEffect(() => {
     function handleClick(e: MouseEvent) {
@@ -145,15 +166,15 @@ export default function SearchAutocomplete({
   };
 
   return (
-    <div className="search-container" ref={dropdownRef}>
+    <div className={`search-container${variant === 'nav' ? ' search-container--nav' : ''}`} ref={dropdownRef}>
       <form
         onSubmit={handleSubmit}
-        className={`search-form ${heroSize ? "search-form--hero" : "search-form--inline"}`}
+        className={`search-form search-form--${variant}`}
       >
         <input
           ref={inputRef}
           type="search"
-          className={`search-input ${heroSize ? "search-input--hero" : "search-input--inline"}`}
+          className={`search-input search-input--${variant}`}
           placeholder={placeholder}
           value={query}
           onChange={(e) => handleInputChange(e.target.value)}
@@ -161,9 +182,14 @@ export default function SearchAutocomplete({
           onKeyDown={handleKeyDown}
           aria-label="Search techniques"
         />
-        <button type="submit" className="btn btn--search">
-          Search
-        </button>
+        {variant !== 'nav' && (
+          <button type="submit" className="btn btn--search">
+            Search
+          </button>
+        )}
+        {variant === 'nav' && (
+          <kbd className="search-nav__shortcut">⌘K</kbd>
+        )}
       </form>
 
       {showDropdown && (showPopular || showSearch) && (
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/Home.tsx b/frontend/src/pages/Home.tsx
index 319f3a7..ed8edea 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/Home.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/Home.tsx
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ export default function Home() {
         </p>
 
         <SearchAutocomplete
-          heroSize
+          variant="hero"
           autoFocus
           onSearch={(q) => navigate(`/search?q=${encodeURIComponent(q)}`)}
         />
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/SearchResults.tsx b/frontend/src/pages/SearchResults.tsx
index 27777d1..e2ad498 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/SearchResults.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/SearchResults.tsx
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ export default function SearchResults() {
     <div className="search-results-page">
       {/* Inline search bar */}
       <SearchAutocomplete
+        variant="inline"
         initialQuery={q}
         onSearch={(newQ) =>
           navigate(`/search?q=${encodeURIComponent(newQ)}`, { replace: true })