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
@@ -182,8 +182,8 @@
       Ok(())
     }
     Messages::SearchQuery(search_request) => {
-      let search_result = match search_request {
-        SearchQuery::Prefix(prefix_request) => {
+      let search_result = match search_request.search_method {
+        SearchMethod::Prefix(prefix_request) => {
           handle_prefix_search(&prefix_request.prefix).await
         }
       }?;
diff --git a/shared/identity_search_messages/src/messages/search_query.rs b/shared/identity_search_messages/src/messages/search_query.rs
--- a/shared/identity_search_messages/src/messages/search_query.rs
+++ b/shared/identity_search_messages/src/messages/search_query.rs
@@ -9,6 +9,12 @@
 
 #[derive(Debug, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 #[serde(tag = "type")]
-pub enum SearchQuery {
+pub enum SearchMethod {
   Prefix(Prefix),
 }
+
+#[derive(Debug, Serialize, Deserialize)]
+#[serde(tag = "type", rename_all = "camelCase")]
+pub struct SearchQuery {
+  pub search_method: SearchMethod,
+}