diff --git a/hledger-web/.hledger/web/static/hledger.js b/hledger-web/.hledger/web/static/hledger.js
index d4ebe51a4..1065f67ce 100644
--- a/hledger-web/.hledger/web/static/hledger.js
+++ b/hledger-web/.hledger/web/static/hledger.js
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ $(document).ready(function() {
     $('.balancereport td.account').mouseenter(function(){ $(this).addClass('mouseover'); });
     $('.balancereport td.account').mouseleave(function(){ $(this).removeClass('mouseover'); });
 
+    /* set up various show/hide toggles */
+    $('#search-help-link').click(function() { $('#search-help').slideToggle('fast'); });
+
 });
 
 function searchformToggle() {
diff --git a/hledger-web/.hledger/web/static/style.css b/hledger-web/.hledger/web/static/style.css
index 362c9c9d7..27d876e35 100644
--- a/hledger-web/.hledger/web/static/style.css
+++ b/hledger-web/.hledger/web/static/style.css
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ body                                                                 { backgroun
 #addform input.textinput, #addform .dhx_combo_input, .dhx_combo_list { background-color:#eee; }
 #editform textarea                                                   { background-color:#eee; }
 .negative                                                            { color:#800; }
+.help                                                                {  }
 
 .balancereport .inacct                                               { background-color:#eee; font-weight:bold; }
 .notinacct, .notinacct :link, .notinacct :visited, .notinacct .negative  { /*color:#aaa;*/ }
diff --git a/hledger-web/.hledger/web/templates/searchform.hamlet b/hledger-web/.hledger/web/templates/searchform.hamlet
index d088210e3..372639d80 100644
--- a/hledger-web/.hledger/web/templates/searchform.hamlet
+++ b/hledger-web/.hledger/web/templates/searchform.hamlet
@@ -8,15 +8,21 @@
     <td
      <input name=q size=100 value=#{q}
      <input type=submit value="Search"
+     \ #
+     <a#search-help-link href="#">help
      $if filtering
       \ #
       <span.showall
        <a href=@{here}>clear search
-   <tr.help
+   <tr
     <td
     <td
-     leave blank to see general journal (all postings)<br>
-     inacct:FULLACCTNAME or click an account to focus on one account, or inaccts: to include subs<br>
-     acct:REGEXP to see postings to matched accounts, desc:REGEXP to search by description<br>
-     date:PERIODEXP or edate:PERIODEXP to match by date or effective date<br>
-     not: to negate, single or double quotes to include spaces, multiple patterns are AND'ed
+     <div#search-help.help style="display:none;"
+      Leave blank or click "all accounts" to see general journal (all postings). #
+      Click account links to focus on one account, optionally with subaccounts.
+      <br>
+      acct:REGEXP to filter postings/transactions by account, #
+      desc:REGEXP by description, #
+      date:PERIODEXP or edate:PERIODEXP by date or effective date.
+      <br>
+      not: to negate, use single or double quotes to include spaces, multiple patterns are AND'ed.