diff --git a/webui/index.html b/webui/index.html
index 310b8fca..cd2838b1 100644
--- a/webui/index.html
+++ b/webui/index.html
@@ -7886,6 +7886,11 @@
     <script src="{{ url_for('static', filename='pages-extra.js') }}"></script>
     <script src="{{ url_for('static', filename='init.js') }}"></script>
     <!-- Notification bell + floating helper toggle — always accessible above modals -->
+    <!-- Ambient glow under the global search bar. Radial gradient, brightest
+         directly under the bar, tapering out toward the window corners.
+         Purely decorative (pointer-events: none). Visibility follows the bar
+         via _gsUpdateVisibility(). -->
+    <div class="gsearch-aura" id="gsearch-aura"></div>
     <!-- Global Search Bar — Spotlight-style search from anywhere -->
     <div class="gsearch-bar" id="gsearch-bar">
         <div class="gsearch-icon">
diff --git a/webui/static/downloads.js b/webui/static/downloads.js
index a772d9e5..ec55d38f 100644
--- a/webui/static/downloads.js
+++ b/webui/static/downloads.js
@@ -5043,6 +5043,8 @@ for (const _src of SOURCE_ORDER) _gsState.configuredSources[_src] = true;
 
         input.addEventListener('focus', () => {
             bar.classList.add('active');
+            const aura = document.getElementById('gsearch-aura');
+            if (aura) aura.classList.add('active');
             _gsState.active = true;
             const shortcut = document.getElementById('gsearch-shortcut');
             if (shortcut) shortcut.style.display = 'none';
@@ -5125,18 +5127,22 @@ for (const _src of SOURCE_ORDER) _gsState.configuredSources[_src] = true;
 
 function _gsUpdateVisibility() {
     const bar = document.getElementById('gsearch-bar');
+    const aura = document.getElementById('gsearch-aura');
     if (!bar) return;
     // Hide on the Search page where the unified search already exists. Accept the
     // legacy 'downloads' id for callers that predate the page rename.
     const onSearchPage = typeof currentPage !== 'undefined' && (currentPage === 'search' || currentPage === 'downloads');
     bar.style.display = onSearchPage ? 'none' : '';
+    if (aura) aura.classList.toggle('hidden', onSearchPage);
     if (onSearchPage && _gsState.active) _gsDeactivate();
 }
 
 function _gsDeactivate() {
     const bar = document.getElementById('gsearch-bar');
+    const aura = document.getElementById('gsearch-aura');
     const shortcut = document.getElementById('gsearch-shortcut');
     if (bar) bar.classList.remove('active');
+    if (aura) aura.classList.remove('active');
     if (shortcut) shortcut.style.display = '';
     _gsState.active = false;
     _gsHideResults();
diff --git a/webui/static/style.css b/webui/static/style.css
index b2d70932..c7743e65 100644
--- a/webui/static/style.css
+++ b/webui/static/style.css
@@ -5336,6 +5336,38 @@ body.helper-mode-active #dashboard-activity-feed:hover {
    GLOBAL SEARCH BAR — Spotlight-style search from anywhere
    ================================================================================== */
 
+/* Ambient glow under the global search bar — a radial gradient that emanates
+   from the bar's position and tapers out toward the window corners. Pointer
+   events disabled so it never intercepts clicks; hidden on /search where the
+   bar itself is hidden. */
+.gsearch-aura {
+    position: fixed;
+    bottom: 0;
+    left: 0;
+    right: 0;
+    height: 260px;
+    pointer-events: none;
+    z-index: 99990; /* below the bar (99998) but above most page content */
+    opacity: 0.55;
+    transition: opacity 0.4s ease, background 0.4s ease;
+    background:
+        radial-gradient(ellipse 620px 230px at 50% 100%,
+            rgba(var(--accent-rgb), 0.22) 0%,
+            rgba(var(--accent-rgb), 0.10) 32%,
+            rgba(var(--accent-rgb), 0.03) 62%,
+            transparent 85%);
+}
+.gsearch-aura.hidden { display: none; }
+.gsearch-aura.active {
+    opacity: 1;
+    background:
+        radial-gradient(ellipse 820px 280px at 50% 100%,
+            rgba(var(--accent-rgb), 0.40) 0%,
+            rgba(var(--accent-rgb), 0.18) 28%,
+            rgba(var(--accent-rgb), 0.05) 58%,
+            transparent 85%);
+}
+
 .gsearch-bar {
     position: fixed;
     bottom: 24px;