diff --git a/.changeset/search-odd-starfishes-raise.md b/.changeset/search-odd-starfishes-raise.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..73627cf457
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/search-odd-starfishes-raise.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/plugin-search': patch
+---
+
+Captures the search term entered in the SearchBarBase as a `search` event.
diff --git a/docs/plugins/analytics.md b/docs/plugins/analytics.md
index ace9a89968..7fbd256e86 100644
--- a/docs/plugins/analytics.md
+++ b/docs/plugins/analytics.md
@@ -55,10 +55,11 @@ learn how to contribute the integration yourself!
 The following table summarizes events that, depending on the plugins you have
 installed, may be captured.
 
-| Action     | Provided By    | Subject                                   |
-| ---------- | -------------- | ----------------------------------------- |
-| `navigate` | Backstage Core | The URL of the page that was navigated to |
-| `click`    | Backstage Core | The text of the link that was clicked on  |
+| Action     | Provided By    | Subject                                             |
+| ---------- | -------------- | --------------------------------------------------- |
+| `navigate` | Backstage Core | The URL of the page that was navigated to           |
+| `click`    | Backstage Core | The text of the link that was clicked on            |
+| `search`   | Backstage Core | The search term entered in any search bar component |
 
 If there is an event you'd like to see captured, please [open an
 issue][add-event] describing the event you want to see and the questions it
diff --git a/plugins/search/src/components/SearchBar/SearchBar.test.tsx b/plugins/search/src/components/SearchBar/SearchBar.test.tsx
index b3f30473ac..cb4008d494 100644
--- a/plugins/search/src/components/SearchBar/SearchBar.test.tsx
+++ b/plugins/search/src/components/SearchBar/SearchBar.test.tsx
@@ -20,10 +20,10 @@ import userEvent from '@testing-library/user-event';
 import { SearchContextProvider } from '../SearchContext';
 
 import { SearchBar } from './SearchBar';
-import { configApiRef } from '@backstage/core-plugin-api';
+import { configApiRef, analyticsApiRef } from '@backstage/core-plugin-api';
 import { ApiProvider, ConfigReader } from '@backstage/core-app-api';
 import { searchApiRef } from '../../apis';
-import { TestApiRegistry } from '@backstage/test-utils';
+import { MockAnalyticsApi, TestApiRegistry } from '@backstage/test-utils';
 
 jest.mock('@backstage/core-plugin-api', () => ({
   ...jest.requireActual('@backstage/core-plugin-api'),
@@ -38,9 +38,16 @@ describe('SearchBar', () => {
   };
 
   const query = jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({});
+  const analyticsApiSpy = new MockAnalyticsApi();
+  let apiRegistry: TestApiRegistry;
 
-  const apiRegistry = TestApiRegistry.from(
-    [configApiRef, new ConfigReader({ app: { title: 'Mock title' } })],
+  apiRegistry = TestApiRegistry.from(
+    [
+      configApiRef,
+      new ConfigReader({
+        app: { title: 'Mock title' },
+      }),
+    ],
     [searchApiRef, { query }],
   );
 
@@ -210,4 +217,128 @@ describe('SearchBar', () => {
       expect.objectContaining({ term: value }),
     );
   });
+
+  it('does not capture analytics event if not enabled in app', async () => {
+    jest.useFakeTimers();
+
+    const debounceTime = 600;
+
+    render(
+      <ApiProvider apis={apiRegistry}>
+        <SearchContextProvider initialState={initialState}>
+          <SearchBar debounceTime={debounceTime} />
+        </SearchContextProvider>
+        ,
+      </ApiProvider>,
+    );
+
+    await waitFor(() => {
+      expect(screen.getByRole('textbox', { name })).toBeInTheDocument();
+    });
+
+    const textbox = screen.getByRole('textbox', { name });
+
+    const value = 'value';
+
+    userEvent.type(textbox, value);
+
+    act(() => {
+      jest.advanceTimersByTime(debounceTime);
+    });
+
+    await waitFor(() => expect(textbox).toHaveValue(value));
+
+    expect(analyticsApiSpy.getEvents()).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
+
+  it('captures analytics events if enabled in app', async () => {
+    jest.useFakeTimers();
+
+    const debounceTime = 600;
+
+    apiRegistry = TestApiRegistry.from(
+      [analyticsApiRef, analyticsApiSpy],
+      [
+        configApiRef,
+        new ConfigReader({
+          app: {
+            title: 'Mock title',
+            analytics: {
+              ga: {
+                trackingId: 'xyz123',
+              },
+            },
+          },
+        }),
+      ],
+      [searchApiRef, { query }],
+    );
+
+    render(
+      <ApiProvider apis={apiRegistry}>
+        <SearchContextProvider
+          initialState={{
+            term: '',
+            types: ['techdocs', 'software-catalog'],
+            filters: {},
+          }}
+        >
+          <SearchBar debounceTime={debounceTime} />
+        </SearchContextProvider>
+      </ApiProvider>,
+    );
+
+    await waitFor(() => {
+      expect(screen.getByRole('textbox', { name })).toBeInTheDocument();
+    });
+
+    const textbox = screen.getByRole('textbox', { name });
+
+    const value = 'value';
+
+    userEvent.type(textbox, value);
+
+    expect(analyticsApiSpy.getEvents()).toHaveLength(0);
+
+    act(() => {
+      jest.advanceTimersByTime(debounceTime);
+    });
+
+    await waitFor(() => expect(textbox).toHaveValue(value));
+
+    expect(analyticsApiSpy.getEvents()).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(analyticsApiSpy.getEvents()[0]).toEqual({
+      action: 'search',
+      context: {
+        extension: 'App',
+        pluginId: 'root',
+        routeRef: 'unknown',
+        searchTypes: 'software-catalog,techdocs',
+      },
+      subject: 'value',
+    });
+
+    userEvent.clear(textbox);
+
+    // make sure new term is captured
+    userEvent.type(textbox, 'new value');
+
+    act(() => {
+      jest.advanceTimersByTime(debounceTime);
+    });
+
+    await waitFor(() => expect(textbox).toHaveValue('new value'));
+
+    expect(analyticsApiSpy.getEvents()).toHaveLength(2);
+    expect(analyticsApiSpy.getEvents()[1]).toEqual({
+      action: 'search',
+      context: {
+        extension: 'App',
+        pluginId: 'root',
+        routeRef: 'unknown',
+        searchTypes: 'software-catalog,techdocs',
+      },
+      subject: 'new value',
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/plugins/search/src/components/SearchBar/SearchBar.tsx b/plugins/search/src/components/SearchBar/SearchBar.tsx
index 95bf1570e1..aa4b1e728a 100644
--- a/plugins/search/src/components/SearchBar/SearchBar.tsx
+++ b/plugins/search/src/components/SearchBar/SearchBar.tsx
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import SearchIcon from '@material-ui/icons/Search';
 import ClearButton from '@material-ui/icons/Clear';
 
 import { useSearch } from '../SearchContext';
+import { TrackSearch } from '../SearchTracker';
 
 /**
  * Props for {@link SearchBarBase}.
@@ -119,18 +120,20 @@ export const SearchBarBase = ({
   );
 
   return (
-    <InputBase
-      data-testid="search-bar-next"
-      value={value}
-      placeholder={placeholder}
-      startAdornment={startAdornment}
-      endAdornment={clearButton ? endAdornment : defaultEndAdornment}
-      inputProps={{ 'aria-label': 'Search', ...defaultInputProps }}
-      fullWidth={fullWidth}
-      onChange={handleChange}
-      onKeyDown={handleKeyDown}
-      {...props}
-    />
+    <TrackSearch>
+      <InputBase
+        data-testid="search-bar-next"
+        value={value}
+        placeholder={placeholder}
+        startAdornment={startAdornment}
+        endAdornment={clearButton ? endAdornment : defaultEndAdornment}
+        inputProps={{ 'aria-label': 'Search', ...defaultInputProps }}
+        fullWidth={fullWidth}
+        onChange={handleChange}
+        onKeyDown={handleKeyDown}
+        {...props}
+      />
+    </TrackSearch>
   );
 };
 
@@ -150,8 +153,11 @@ export const SearchBar = ({ onChange, ...props }: SearchBarProps) => {
   const { term, setTerm } = useSearch();
 
   const handleChange = (newValue: string) => {
-    setTerm(newValue);
-    if (onChange) onChange(newValue);
+    if (onChange) {
+      onChange(newValue);
+    } else {
+      setTerm(newValue);
+    }
   };
 
   return <SearchBarBase value={term} onChange={handleChange} {...props} />;
diff --git a/plugins/search/src/components/SearchContext/SearchContext.tsx b/plugins/search/src/components/SearchContext/SearchContext.tsx
index dd9310d782..300a191983 100644
--- a/plugins/search/src/components/SearchContext/SearchContext.tsx
+++ b/plugins/search/src/components/SearchContext/SearchContext.tsx
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
  */
 
 import { JsonObject } from '@backstage/types';
-import { useApi } from '@backstage/core-plugin-api';
+import { useApi, AnalyticsContext } from '@backstage/core-plugin-api';
 import { SearchResultSet } from '@backstage/search-common';
 import React, {
   createContext,
@@ -130,7 +130,11 @@ export const SearchContextProvider = ({
     fetchPreviousPage: hasPreviousPage ? fetchPreviousPage : undefined,
   };
 
-  return <SearchContext.Provider value={value} children={children} />;
+  return (
+    <AnalyticsContext attributes={{ searchTypes: types.sort().join(',') }}>
+      <SearchContext.Provider value={value} children={children} />
+    </AnalyticsContext>
+  );
 };
 
 export const useSearch = () => {
diff --git a/plugins/search/src/components/SearchTracker/SearchTracker.tsx b/plugins/search/src/components/SearchTracker/SearchTracker.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b9da9b5560
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/search/src/components/SearchTracker/SearchTracker.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2021 The Backstage Authors
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+import React, { useEffect } from 'react';
+import { useAnalytics } from '@backstage/core-plugin-api';
+import { useSearch } from '../SearchContext';
+
+/**
+ * Capture search event on term change.
+ */
+export const TrackSearch = ({ children }: { children: React.ReactChild }) => {
+  const analytics = useAnalytics();
+  const { term } = useSearch();
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (term) {
+      // Capture analytics search event with search term provided as value
+      analytics.captureEvent('search', term);
+    }
+  }, [analytics, term]);
+
+  return <>{children}</>;
+};
diff --git a/plugins/search/src/components/SearchTracker/index.ts b/plugins/search/src/components/SearchTracker/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5e6a75aa25
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/search/src/components/SearchTracker/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2021 The Backstage Authors
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+export { TrackSearch } from './SearchTracker';