diff --git a/.changeset/twelve-snakes-sell.md b/.changeset/twelve-snakes-sell.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7f91b2910f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/twelve-snakes-sell.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/plugin-search-backend': patch
+---
+
+Set the default length limit to search query to 100. To override it, define `search.maxTermLength` in the config file.
diff --git a/plugins/search-backend/config.d.ts b/plugins/search-backend/config.d.ts
index 3dbdf78dfe..25ae59d273 100644
--- a/plugins/search-backend/config.d.ts
+++ b/plugins/search-backend/config.d.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,11 @@ export interface Config {
      */
     maxPageLimit?: number;
 
+    /**
+     * Sets the maximum term length for the search string. Defaults to 100.
+     */
+    maxTermLength?: number;
+
     /**
      * Options related to the search integration with the Backstage permissions system
      */
diff --git a/plugins/search-backend/src/service/router.test.ts b/plugins/search-backend/src/service/router.test.ts
index 7ec8603307..73523f2b62 100644
--- a/plugins/search-backend/src/service/router.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/search-backend/src/service/router.test.ts
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ describe('createRouter', () => {
       },
       config: new ConfigReader({
         permissions: { enabled: false },
-        search: { maxPageLimit: 200 },
+        search: { maxPageLimit: 200, maxTermLength: 20 },
       }),
       permissions: mockPermissionEvaluator,
       logger,
@@ -162,6 +162,19 @@ describe('createRouter', () => {
       });
     });
 
+    it('should reject term length over configured max', async () => {
+      const response = await request(app).get(
+        `/query?term=HelloWorld1234567890!`,
+      );
+
+      expect(response.status).toEqual(400);
+      expect(response.body).toMatchObject({
+        error: {
+          message: /The term length "21" is greater than "20"/i,
+        },
+      });
+    });
+
     it('removes backend-only properties from search documents', async () => {
       mockSearchEngine.query.mockResolvedValue({
         results: [
diff --git a/plugins/search-backend/src/service/router.ts b/plugins/search-backend/src/service/router.ts
index dca632dfaf..876cb5d103 100644
--- a/plugins/search-backend/src/service/router.ts
+++ b/plugins/search-backend/src/service/router.ts
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ export type RouterOptions = {
 };
 
 const defaultMaxPageLimit = 100;
+const defaultMaxTermLength = 100;
 const allowedLocationProtocols = ['http:', 'https:'];
 
 /**
@@ -77,8 +78,19 @@ export async function createRouter(
   const maxPageLimit =
     config.getOptionalNumber('search.maxPageLimit') ?? defaultMaxPageLimit;
 
+  const maxTermLength =
+    config.getOptionalNumber('search.maxTermLength') ?? defaultMaxTermLength;
+
   const requestSchema = z.object({
-    term: z.string().default(''),
+    term: z
+      .string()
+      .refine(
+        term => term.length <= maxTermLength,
+        term => ({
+          message: `The term length "${term.length}" is greater than "${maxTermLength}"`,
+        }),
+      )
+      .default(''),
     filters: jsonObjectSchema.optional(),
     types: z
       .array(z.string().refine(type => Object.keys(types).includes(type)))