diff --git a/src/Listener/ViewSearchListener.php b/src/Listener/ViewSearchListener.php
index c29b329..2a09892 100644
--- a/src/Listener/ViewSearchListener.php
+++ b/src/Listener/ViewSearchListener.php
@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@
 use Cake\Event\EventInterface;
 use Cake\Routing\Router;
 use Cake\Utility\Hash;
+use Cake\Utility\Inflector;
 use Crud\Listener\BaseListener;
+use function Cake\I18n\__d;
 
 /**
  * @method \Cake\ORM\Table _model()
@@ -82,14 +84,14 @@ public function afterPaginate(EventInterface $event): void
      */
     public function fields(): array
     {
-        $fields = $this->getConfig('fields') ?: [];
+        $fields = Hash::normalize($this->getConfig('fields'), default: []) ?: [];
         $config = $this->getConfig();
 
         $schema = $this->_model()->getSchema();
         $request = $this->_request();
 
         if ($fields) {
-            $fields = Hash::normalize($fields);
+            $fields = Hash::normalize($fields, default: []);
         } else {
             $filters = $this->_model()->searchManager()->getFilters($config['collection']);
 
@@ -109,21 +111,21 @@ public function fields(): array
                 'type' => 'text',
             ];
 
-            if (substr($field, -3) === '_id' && $field !== '_id') {
+            if (str_ends_with($field, '_id') && $field !== '_id') {
                 $input['type'] = 'select';
             }
 
-            $input = (array)$opts + $input;
+            $input = $opts + $input;
 
             $input['value'] = $request->getQuery($field);
 
             if (empty($input['options']) && $schema->getColumnType($field) === 'boolean') {
-                $input['options'] = ['No', 'Yes'];
+                $input['options'] = [__d('crud', 'No'), __d('crud', 'Yes')];
                 $input['type'] = 'select';
             }
 
             if (!empty($input['options'])) {
-                $input['empty'] = true;
+                $input['empty'] ??= $this->getPlaceholder($field);
                 if (empty($input['class']) && !$config['select2']) {
                     $input['class'] = 'no-select2';
                 }
@@ -156,6 +158,13 @@ public function fields(): array
                 ];
             }
 
+            if ($input['type'] === 'text') {
+                $input['placeholder'] ??= $this->getPlaceholder($field);
+            }
+            if ($input['type'] === 'select') {
+                $input['empty'] ??= $this->getPlaceholder($field);
+            }
+
             $urlArgs = [];
 
             $fieldKeys = $input['fields'] ?? ['id' => $field, 'value' => $field];
@@ -174,4 +183,17 @@ public function fields(): array
 
         return $fields;
     }
+
+    protected function getPlaceholder(string $field): string
+    {
+        if (str_contains($field, '.')) {
+            [, $field] = explode('.', $field);
+        }
+
+        if (str_ends_with($field, '_id') && $field !== '_id') {
+            $field = substr($field, 0, -3);
+        }
+
+        return Inflector::humanize($field);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/templates/element/search.php b/templates/element/search.php
index 990e513..0c16d1f 100644
--- a/templates/element/search.php
+++ b/templates/element/search.php
@@ -7,19 +7,19 @@
 <div class="search-filters">
     <?php
     $searchOptions = $searchOptions ?? [];
-    $searchOptions += ['class' => 'form-inline', 'id' => 'searchFilter'];
+    $searchOptions += ['align' => 'inline', 'id' => 'searchFilter'];
 
     echo $this->Form->create(null, $searchOptions);
     echo $this->Form->hidden('_search');
     ?>
 
     <?= $this->Form->controls($searchInputs, ['fieldset' => false]); ?>
-    <div class="form-group">
-        <?= $this->Form->button(__d('crud', 'Filter results'), ['type' => 'submit', 'class' => 'btn btn-primary']); ?>
-        <?php if ($this->Search->isSearch()) : ?>
+    <?= $this->Form->button(__d('crud', 'Filter results'), ['type' => 'submit', 'class' => 'btn btn-primary']); ?>
+    <?php if ($this->Search->isSearch()) : ?>
+        <div class="col-auto">
             <?= $this->Search->resetLink(__d('crud', 'Reset'), ['class' => 'btn btn-primary']) ?>
-        <?php endif ?>
-    </div>
+        </div>
+    <?php endif ?>
 
     <?= $this->Form->end(); ?>
 </div>
diff --git a/webroot/css/local.css b/webroot/css/local.css
index 94b1ad8..aad75f9 100644
--- a/webroot/css/local.css
+++ b/webroot/css/local.css
@@ -43,21 +43,25 @@ h2 .actions {
     margin-left: 15px;
 }
 
-.search-filters .form-inline .form-group label,
-.search-filters .form-inline .btn {
-    margin-right: .25rem !important;
+
+.search-filters .form-inline .col-auto {
+    margin-bottom: var(--bs-gutter-y) !important;
 }
 
-.search-filters .form-inline .form-group {
-    margin-right: .5rem !important;
+.search-filters .form-inline .form-control input {
+    min-width: 90px !important;
 }
 
-.search-filters .form-inline .form-group {
-    margin-bottom: 1rem !important;
+.search-filters .form-inline option {
+    color: var(--bs-body-color);
+    font-style: normal;
 }
 
-.search-filters .form-inline .form-control input {
-    min-width: 90px !important;
+.search-filters .form-inline select:invalid,
+.search-filters .form-inline select:has(option[value=""]:checked),
+.search-filters .form-inline option[value=""] {
+    font-style: italic;
+    color: #777;
 }
 
 .search-filters .form-inline select.autocomplete {