diff --git a/services/identity/src/websockets/errors.rs b/services/identity/src/websockets/errors.rs
--- a/services/identity/src/websockets/errors.rs
+++ b/services/identity/src/websockets/errors.rs
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 )]
 pub enum WebsocketError {
   InvalidMessage,
+  InvalidSearchQuery,
   UnauthorizedDevice,
   SendError,
   SearchError,
diff --git a/services/identity/src/websockets/mod.rs b/services/identity/src/websockets/mod.rs
--- a/services/identity/src/websockets/mod.rs
+++ b/services/identity/src/websockets/mod.rs
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 use hyper_tungstenite::HyperWebsocket;
 use identity_search_messages::{
   ConnectionInitializationResponse, ConnectionInitializationStatus,
-  SearchResult, User,
+  SearchQuery, SearchResult, User,
 };
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 use tokio::net::TcpListener;
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
 use crate::config::CONFIG;
 use crate::constants::IDENTITY_SERVICE_WEBSOCKET_ADDR;
 use send::{send_error_response, send_message, WebsocketSink};
-
 pub mod errors;
 
 #[derive(Serialize, Deserialize)]
@@ -141,6 +140,35 @@
   }
 }
 
+fn create_json_query(
+  request_message: &str,
+) -> Result<String, errors::WebsocketError> {
+  let search_request: SearchQuery = match serde_json::from_str(request_message)
+  {
+    Ok(search_request) => search_request,
+    Err(_) => {
+      return Err(errors::WebsocketError::InvalidSearchQuery);
+    }
+  };
+
+  match search_request {
+    SearchQuery::Prefix(prefix_request) => {
+      let prefix_query = Query {
+        query: Prefix {
+          prefix: Username {
+            username: prefix_request.prefix.trim().to_string(),
+          },
+        },
+      };
+
+      return serde_json::to_string(&prefix_query).map_err(|e| {
+        error!("Error serializing prefix query: {}", e);
+        errors::WebsocketError::SerializationError
+      });
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 async fn accept_connection(hyper_ws: HyperWebsocket, addr: SocketAddr) {
   debug!("Incoming WebSocket connection from {}", addr);
 
@@ -215,23 +243,11 @@
         }
       }
       Ok(Message::Text(text)) => {
-        let prefix_query = Query {
-          query: Prefix {
-            prefix: Username {
-              username: text.trim().to_string(),
-            },
-          },
-        };
-
-        let json_body = match serde_json::to_string(&prefix_query) {
+        let json_body = match create_json_query(&text) {
           Ok(json_body) => json_body,
           Err(e) => {
-            error!("Error serializing prefix query: {}", e);
-            send_error_response(
-              errors::WebsocketError::SerializationError,
-              outgoing.clone(),
-            )
-            .await;
+            error!("Error creating query: {}", e);
+            send_error_response(e, outgoing.clone()).await;
             continue;
           }
         };
diff --git a/shared/identity_search_messages/src/messages/mod.rs b/shared/identity_search_messages/src/messages/mod.rs
--- a/shared/identity_search_messages/src/messages/mod.rs
+++ b/shared/identity_search_messages/src/messages/mod.rs
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 //! Messages sent from Identity Search server to client
 
 pub mod auth_messages;
+pub mod search_query;
 pub mod search_result;
 
 pub use auth_messages::*;
+pub use search_query::*;
 pub use search_result::*;
 
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
@@ -15,6 +17,7 @@
 #[serde(untagged)]
 pub enum Messages {
   AuthMessage(AuthMessage),
+  SearchQuery(SearchQuery),
   Heartbeat(Heartbeat),
   ConnectionInitializationStatus(ConnectionInitializationStatus),
   ConnectionInitializationResponse(ConnectionInitializationResponse),
diff --git a/shared/identity_search_messages/src/messages/search_query.rs b/shared/identity_search_messages/src/messages/search_query.rs
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/shared/identity_search_messages/src/messages/search_query.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+//! Search Request Messages sent by Client to Identity Search via WebSocket.
+
+use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
+
+#[derive(Debug, Serialize, Deserialize)]
+pub struct Prefix {
+  pub prefix: String,
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug, Serialize, Deserialize)]
+#[serde(untagged)]
+pub enum SearchQuery {
+  Prefix(Prefix),
+}