diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/ui/search/SearchModal/SearchModalContent.stories.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/ui/search/SearchModal/SearchModalContent.stories.tsx
index 836e490fc..2db207db5 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/ui/search/SearchModal/SearchModalContent.stories.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/ui/search/SearchModal/SearchModalContent.stories.tsx
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ const mockSearchItems: SearchItem[] = [
     value: 'document-1',
     keywords: ['document', 'file', 'pdf'],
     type: 'item',
+    onSelect: fn(),
   },
   {
     icon: '📊',
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@ const mockSearchItems: SearchItem[] = [
     value: 'dashboard-1',
     keywords: ['dashboard', 'analytics', 'charts'],
     type: 'item',
+    onSelect: fn(),
   },
   ...Array.from({ length: 10 }).map<SearchItem>((_, index) => ({
     icon: '📊',
@@ -47,6 +49,7 @@ const mockSearchItems: SearchItem[] = [
     value: `testing-${index}`,
     keywords: ['dashboard', 'analytics', 'charts'],
     type: 'item' as const,
+    onSelect: fn(),
   })),
 ];
 
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/ui/search/SearchModal/SearchModalContent.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/ui/search/SearchModal/SearchModalContent.tsx
index d2f350463..abd7177d3 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/ui/search/SearchModal/SearchModalContent.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/ui/search/SearchModal/SearchModalContent.tsx
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ import { SearchEmptyState } from './SearchEmptyState';
 import { SearchFooter } from './SearchFooter';
 import { SearchInput } from './SearchInput';
 import { SearchModalContentItems } from './SearchModalContentItems';
-import type { SearchItem, SearchModalContentProps } from './search-modal.types';
+import type { SearchModalContentProps } from './search-modal.types';
+import { useViewSearchItem } from './useViewSearchItem';
 
 export const SearchModalContent = <M, T extends string>({
   searchItems,
@@ -20,6 +21,10 @@ export const SearchModalContent = <M, T extends string>({
   secondaryContent,
   openSecondaryContent,
 }: SearchModalContentProps<M, T>) => {
+  const { handleKeyDown, focusedValue, setFocusedValue } = useViewSearchItem({
+    searchItems,
+    onViewSearchItem,
+  });
   const [searchValue, setSearchValue] = useState<string>(defaulSearchValue);
 
   const onSearchChangePreflight = (searchValue: string) => {
@@ -30,7 +35,9 @@ export const SearchModalContent = <M, T extends string>({
   return (
     <Command
       className="min-w-[650px] min-h-[450px] max-h-[75vh] bg-background flex flex-col"
-      value={searchValue}
+      value={focusedValue}
+      onValueChange={setFocusedValue}
+      onKeyDown={handleKeyDown}
     >
       <SearchInput
         searchValue={searchValue}
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/ui/search/SearchModal/SearchModalContentItems.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/ui/search/SearchModal/SearchModalContentItems.tsx
index 81526b052..df83046ca 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/ui/search/SearchModal/SearchModalContentItems.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/ui/search/SearchModal/SearchModalContentItems.tsx
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ const SearchItemComponent = <M, T extends string>({
       value={value}
       disabled={disabled}
       onSelect={() => {
+        console.log('onSelect', value);
         onSelect?.();
       }}
     >
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/ui/search/SearchModal/search-modal.types.ts b/apps/web/src/components/ui/search/SearchModal/search-modal.types.ts
index 5a56ba907..9a0c5b91d 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/ui/search/SearchModal/search-modal.types.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/ui/search/SearchModal/search-modal.types.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ export type SearchItem<M = unknown, T extends string = string> = {
   value: T;
   keywords?: string[];
   meta?: M;
-  onSelect?: () => void;
+  onSelect?: () => void; //should only be used for side effects
   loading?: boolean;
   disabled?: boolean;
   type: 'item';
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ export type SearchModalContentProps<M = unknown, T extends string = string> = {
   filterContent?: React.ReactNode;
   searchItems: SearchItems<M, T>[];
   onSearchChange: (searchValue: string) => void;
-  onSelect: (item: SearchItem<M, T>) => void;
+  onSelect: (item: SearchItem<M, T>, modifier: 'select' | 'navigate') => void;
   onViewSearchItem: (item: SearchItem<M, T>) => void;
   emptyState?: React.ReactNode | string;
   placeholder?: string;
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/ui/search/SearchModal/useViewSearchItem.ts b/apps/web/src/components/ui/search/SearchModal/useViewSearchItem.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d014ea50b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/ui/search/SearchModal/useViewSearchItem.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+import { useState } from 'react';
+import type { SearchItem, SearchItems } from './search-modal.types';
+
+export const useViewSearchItem = <M, T extends string>({
+  searchItems,
+  onViewSearchItem,
+}: {
+  searchItems: SearchItems<M, T>[];
+  onViewSearchItem: (item: SearchItem<M, T>) => void;
+}) => {
+  const [focusedValue, setFocusedValue] = useState<string>('');
+
+  const handleKeyDown = (e: React.KeyboardEvent) => {
+    if ((e.key === 'ArrowDown' || e.key === 'ArrowUp') && onViewSearchItem) {
+      // Wait for next tick to get updated focusedValue
+      setTimeout(() => {
+        if (!focusedValue) return;
+
+        const findItem = (items: typeof searchItems): SearchItem<M, T> | null => {
+          for (const item of items) {
+            if (item.type === 'item' && item.value === focusedValue) {
+              return item;
+            }
+            if (item.type === 'group') {
+              const found = findItem(item.items);
+              if (found) return found;
+            }
+          }
+          return null;
+        };
+
+        const item = findItem(searchItems);
+        if (item) {
+          onViewSearchItem(item);
+        }
+      }, 0);
+    }
+  };
+
+  return {
+    handleKeyDown,
+    focusedValue,
+    setFocusedValue,
+  };
+};