diff --git a/src/public/app/widgets/search_actions/delete_label.js b/src/public/app/widgets/search_actions/delete_label.js
index 0af3bca3a..7141e44e7 100644
--- a/src/public/app/widgets/search_actions/delete_label.js
+++ b/src/public/app/widgets/search_actions/delete_label.js
@@ -7,16 +7,13 @@ const TPL = `
         Delete label:
     </td>
     <td>
-        <div style="display: flex; align-items: center">
-            <div style="margin-right: 15px;" class="text-nowrap">Label name:</div> 
-            
-            <input type="text" 
-               class="form-control label-name"
-               pattern="[\\p{L}\\p{N}_:]+"
-               title="Alphanumeric characters, underscore and colon are allowed characters."/>
-        </div>
+        <input type="text" 
+           class="form-control label-name"
+           pattern="[\\p{L}\\p{N}_:]+"
+           title="Alphanumeric characters, underscore and colon are allowed characters."
+           placeholder="label name"/>
     </td>
-    <td>
+    <td class="button-column">
         <span class="bx bx-x icon-action action-conf-del"></span>
     </td>
 </tr>`;
diff --git a/src/public/app/widgets/search_actions/delete_note.js b/src/public/app/widgets/search_actions/delete_note.js
index b4927d09b..9de251a4d 100644
--- a/src/public/app/widgets/search_actions/delete_note.js
+++ b/src/public/app/widgets/search_actions/delete_note.js
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ const TPL = `
     
         Delete matched note
     </td>
-    <td>
+    <td class="button-column">
         <span class="bx bx-x icon-action action-conf-del"></span>
     </td>
 </tr>`;
diff --git a/src/public/app/widgets/search_actions/delete_relation.js b/src/public/app/widgets/search_actions/delete_relation.js
index 5176633c8..eb60bae35 100644
--- a/src/public/app/widgets/search_actions/delete_relation.js
+++ b/src/public/app/widgets/search_actions/delete_relation.js
@@ -8,15 +8,14 @@ const TPL = `
     </td>
     <td>
         <div style="display: flex; align-items: center">
-            <div style="margin-right: 15px;" class="text-nowrap">Relation name:</div> 
-            
             <input type="text" 
                 class="form-control relation-name"                    
                 pattern="[\\p{L}\\p{N}_:]+"
+                placeholder="relation name"
                 title="Alphanumeric characters, underscore and colon are allowed characters."/>
         </div>
     </td>
-    <td>
+    <td class="button-column">
         <span class="bx bx-x icon-action action-conf-del"></span>
     </td>
 </tr>`;
diff --git a/src/public/app/widgets/search_actions/execute_script.js b/src/public/app/widgets/search_actions/execute_script.js
index f340c2334..e7140dbd0 100644
--- a/src/public/app/widgets/search_actions/execute_script.js
+++ b/src/public/app/widgets/search_actions/execute_script.js
@@ -7,15 +7,11 @@ const TPL = `
         Execute script:
     </td>
     <td>
-        <div style="display: flex; align-items: center">
-            <div style="margin-right: 15px;" class="text-nowrap">Script: </div> 
-            
-            <input type="text" 
-               class="form-control script"
-               placeholder="note.title = note.title + '- suffix';"/>
-        </div>
+        <input type="text" 
+           class="form-control script"
+           placeholder="note.title = note.title + '- suffix';"/>
     </td>
-    <td>
+    <td class="button-column">
         <span class="bx bx-x icon-action action-conf-del"></span>
     </td>
 </tr>`;
diff --git a/src/public/app/widgets/search_actions/rename_label.js b/src/public/app/widgets/search_actions/rename_label.js
index bd3c958c5..9ab6930de 100644
--- a/src/public/app/widgets/search_actions/rename_label.js
+++ b/src/public/app/widgets/search_actions/rename_label.js
@@ -3,13 +3,10 @@ import AbstractSearchAction from "./abstract_search_action.js";
 
 const TPL = `
 <tr>
-    <td>
-        Rename label:
-    </td>
-    <td>
+    <td colspan="2">
         <div style="display: flex; align-items: center">
             <div style="display: flex; align-items: center">
-                <div style="margin-right: 15px;">From:</div> 
+                <div style="margin-right: 15px;">Rename label from:</div> 
                 
                 <input type="text" 
                     class="form-control old-label-name" 
@@ -27,7 +24,7 @@ const TPL = `
             </div>
         </div>
     </td>
-    <td>
+    <td class="button-column">
         <span class="bx bx-x icon-action action-conf-del"></span>
     </td>
 </tr>`;
diff --git a/src/public/app/widgets/search_actions/rename_relation.js b/src/public/app/widgets/search_actions/rename_relation.js
index 13795a4b5..152d996a3 100644
--- a/src/public/app/widgets/search_actions/rename_relation.js
+++ b/src/public/app/widgets/search_actions/rename_relation.js
@@ -3,13 +3,10 @@ import AbstractSearchAction from "./abstract_search_action.js";
 
 const TPL = `
 <tr>
-    <td>
-        Rename relation:
-    </td>
-    <td>
+    <td colspan="2">
         <div style="display: flex; align-items: center">
             <div style="display: flex; align-items: center">
-                <div style="margin-right: 15px;">From:</div> 
+                <div style="margin-right: 15px;">Rename relation from:</div> 
                 
                 <input type="text" 
                     class="form-control old-relation-name" 
@@ -27,7 +24,7 @@ const TPL = `
             </div>
         </div>
     </td>
-    <td>
+    <td class="button-column">
         <span class="bx bx-x icon-action action-conf-del"></span>
     </td>
 </tr>`;
diff --git a/src/public/app/widgets/search_actions/set_label_value.js b/src/public/app/widgets/search_actions/set_label_value.js
index 63215673e..0c04a0472 100644
--- a/src/public/app/widgets/search_actions/set_label_value.js
+++ b/src/public/app/widgets/search_actions/set_label_value.js
@@ -3,10 +3,7 @@ import AbstractSearchAction from "./abstract_search_action.js";
 
 const TPL = `
 <tr>
-    <td>
-        Set label value:
-    </td>
-    <td>
+    <td colspan="2">
         <div style="display: flex; align-items: center">
             <div style="display: flex; align-items: center">
                 <div style="margin-right: 15px;" class="text-nowrap">Set label</div> 
@@ -23,7 +20,7 @@ const TPL = `
             </div>
         </div>
     </td>
-    <td>
+    <td class="button-column">
         <span class="bx bx-x icon-action action-conf-del"></span>
     </td>
 </tr>`;
diff --git a/src/public/app/widgets/search_actions/set_relation_target.js b/src/public/app/widgets/search_actions/set_relation_target.js
index cb3d8ef7c..d80b6d8ae 100644
--- a/src/public/app/widgets/search_actions/set_relation_target.js
+++ b/src/public/app/widgets/search_actions/set_relation_target.js
@@ -4,10 +4,7 @@ import noteAutocompleteService from "../../services/note_autocomplete.js";
 
 const TPL = `
 <tr>
-    <td>
-        Set relation target note:
-    </td>
-    <td>        
+    <td colspan="2">
         <div style="display: flex; align-items: center">
             <div style="margin-right: 15px;" class="text-nowrap">Set relation</div> 
             
@@ -23,7 +20,7 @@ const TPL = `
             <input type="text" class="form-control target-note"/>
         </div>
     </td>
-    <td>
+    <td class="button-column">
         <span class="bx bx-x icon-action action-conf-del"></span>
     </td>
 </tr>`;
diff --git a/src/public/app/widgets/search_definition.js b/src/public/app/widgets/search_definition.js
index cc8821f05..778dbd470 100644
--- a/src/public/app/widgets/search_definition.js
+++ b/src/public/app/widgets/search_definition.js
@@ -30,6 +30,23 @@ const TPL = `
         border-spacing: 10px;
     }
     
+    .search-setting-table .button-column {
+        /* minimal width so that table remains static sized and most space remains for middle column with settings */
+        width: 50px;
+        white-space: nowrap;
+        text-align: right;
+    }
+    
+    .search-setting-table .title-column {
+        /* minimal width so that table remains static sized and most space remains for middle column with settings */
+        width: 50px;
+        white-space: nowrap;    
+    }
+    
+    .search-setting-table .button-column .dropdown-menu {
+        white-space: normal;
+    }
+    
     .attribute-list hr {
         height: 1px;
         border-color: var(--main-border-color);
@@ -47,7 +64,7 @@ const TPL = `
     <div class="search-settings">
         <table class="search-setting-table">
             <tr>
-                <td>Add search option:</td>
+                <td class="title-column">Add search option:</td>
                 <td colspan="2" class="add-search-option">
                     <button type="button" class="btn btn-sm" data-search-option-add="searchString">
                         <span class="bx bx-text"></span> 
diff --git a/src/public/app/widgets/search_options/ancestor.js b/src/public/app/widgets/search_options/ancestor.js
index ff8071fde..3866430e1 100644
--- a/src/public/app/widgets/search_options/ancestor.js
+++ b/src/public/app/widgets/search_options/ancestor.js
@@ -3,14 +3,15 @@ import noteAutocompleteService from "../../services/note_autocomplete.js";
 
 const TPL = `
 <tr>
-    <td title="Matched notes must be within subtree of given note.">
-        Ancestor: </td>
+    <td class="title-column" title="Matched notes must be within subtree of given note.">
+        Ancestor: 
+    </td>
     <td>
         <div class="input-group">
             <input class="ancestor form-control" placeholder="search for note by its name">
         </div>
     </td>
-    <td>
+    <td class="button-column">
         <span class="bx bx-x icon-action search-option-del"></span>
     </td>
 </tr>`;
diff --git a/src/public/app/widgets/search_options/fast_search.js b/src/public/app/widgets/search_options/fast_search.js
index f57160117..6f42f758f 100644
--- a/src/public/app/widgets/search_options/fast_search.js
+++ b/src/public/app/widgets/search_options/fast_search.js
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ const TPL = `
 
         Fast search
     </td>
-    <td>
+    <td class="button-column">
         <span class="bx bx-x icon-action search-option-del"></span>
     </td>
 </tr>`;
diff --git a/src/public/app/widgets/search_options/include_archived_notes.js b/src/public/app/widgets/search_options/include_archived_notes.js
index 746aae56b..a5a0fbe7d 100644
--- a/src/public/app/widgets/search_options/include_archived_notes.js
+++ b/src/public/app/widgets/search_options/include_archived_notes.js
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ const TPL = `
     
         Include archived notes
     </td>
-    <td>
+    <td class="button-column">
         <span class="bx bx-x icon-action search-option-del"></span>
     </td>
 </tr>`;
diff --git a/src/public/app/widgets/search_options/order_by.js b/src/public/app/widgets/search_options/order_by.js
index 06b1fe9c0..484d272fc 100644
--- a/src/public/app/widgets/search_options/order_by.js
+++ b/src/public/app/widgets/search_options/order_by.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import AbstractSearchOption from "./abstract_search_option.js";
 
 const TPL = `
 <tr data-search-option-conf="orderBy">
-    <td>
+    <td class="title-column">
         <span class="bx bx-arrow-from-top"></span>
     
         Order by
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ const TPL = `
             <option value="desc">Descending</option>
         </select>
     </td>
-    <td>
+    <td class="button-column">
         <span class="bx bx-x icon-action search-option-del"></span>
     </td>
 </tr>`;
diff --git a/src/public/app/widgets/search_options/search_string.js b/src/public/app/widgets/search_options/search_string.js
index df4f5d119..d40908c54 100644
--- a/src/public/app/widgets/search_options/search_string.js
+++ b/src/public/app/widgets/search_options/search_string.js
@@ -5,15 +5,13 @@ import server from "../../services/server.js";
 
 const TPL = `
 <tr>
-    <td>Search string:</td>
+    <td class="title-column">Search string:</td>
     <td>
         <input type="text" class="form-control search-string">
     </td>
-    <td>
+    <td class="button-column">
         <div class="dropdown">
-          <button class="btn btn-secondary dropdown-toggle" type="button" data-toggle="dropdown" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false">
-            ?
-          </button>
+          <span class="bx bx-help-circle icon-action" data-toggle="dropdown" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false"></span>
           <div class="dropdown-menu dropdown-menu-right p-4" style="width: 500px;">
             <strong>Search tips</strong> - also see <button class="btn btn-sm" type="button" data-help-page="Search">complete help on search</button>
             <p>