diff --git a/apps/api/src/knowledge/dto/index.ts b/apps/api/src/knowledge/dto/index.ts
index 779082c..4e28afe 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/knowledge/dto/index.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/knowledge/dto/index.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,14 @@ export { EntryQueryDto } from "./entry-query.dto";
 export { CreateTagDto } from "./create-tag.dto";
 export { UpdateTagDto } from "./update-tag.dto";
 export { RestoreVersionDto } from "./restore-version.dto";
-export { SearchQueryDto, TagSearchDto, RecentEntriesDto } from "./search-query.dto";
+export {
+  SearchQueryDto,
+  TagSearchDto,
+  RecentEntriesDto,
+  SemanticSearchBodyDto,
+  SemanticSearchQueryDto,
+  HybridSearchBodyDto,
+} from "./search-query.dto";
 export { GraphQueryDto, GraphFilterDto } from "./graph-query.dto";
 export { ExportQueryDto, ExportFormat } from "./import-export.dto";
 export type { ImportResult, ImportResponseDto } from "./import-export.dto";
diff --git a/apps/api/src/knowledge/dto/search-query.dto.ts b/apps/api/src/knowledge/dto/search-query.dto.ts
index c6ee938..d7428a7 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/knowledge/dto/search-query.dto.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/knowledge/dto/search-query.dto.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { IsOptional, IsString, IsInt, Min, Max, IsArray, IsEnum } from "class-validator";
+import { IsOptional, IsString, IsInt, Min, Max, IsArray, IsEnum, MaxLength } from "class-validator";
 import { Type, Transform } from "class-transformer";
 import { EntryStatus } from "@prisma/client";
 
@@ -75,3 +75,49 @@ export class RecentEntriesDto {
   @IsEnum(EntryStatus, { message: "status must be a valid EntryStatus" })
   status?: EntryStatus;
 }
+
+/**
+ * DTO for semantic search request body
+ * Validates the query string and optional status filter
+ */
+export class SemanticSearchBodyDto {
+  @IsString({ message: "query must be a string" })
+  @MaxLength(500, { message: "query must not exceed 500 characters" })
+  query!: string;
+
+  @IsOptional()
+  @IsEnum(EntryStatus, { message: "status must be a valid EntryStatus" })
+  status?: EntryStatus;
+}
+
+/**
+ * DTO for semantic/hybrid search query parameters (pagination)
+ */
+export class SemanticSearchQueryDto {
+  @IsOptional()
+  @Type(() => Number)
+  @IsInt({ message: "page must be an integer" })
+  @Min(1, { message: "page must be at least 1" })
+  page?: number;
+
+  @IsOptional()
+  @Type(() => Number)
+  @IsInt({ message: "limit must be an integer" })
+  @Min(1, { message: "limit must be at least 1" })
+  @Max(100, { message: "limit must not exceed 100" })
+  limit?: number;
+}
+
+/**
+ * DTO for hybrid search request body
+ * Validates the query string and optional status filter
+ */
+export class HybridSearchBodyDto {
+  @IsString({ message: "query must be a string" })
+  @MaxLength(500, { message: "query must not exceed 500 characters" })
+  query!: string;
+
+  @IsOptional()
+  @IsEnum(EntryStatus, { message: "status must be a valid EntryStatus" })
+  status?: EntryStatus;
+}
diff --git a/apps/api/src/knowledge/search.controller.spec.ts b/apps/api/src/knowledge/search.controller.spec.ts
index d9e84ad..6175793 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/knowledge/search.controller.spec.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/knowledge/search.controller.spec.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,13 @@
 import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, vi } from "vitest";
 import { Test, TestingModule } from "@nestjs/testing";
 import { EntryStatus } from "@prisma/client";
+import { validate } from "class-validator";
+import { plainToInstance } from "class-transformer";
 import { SearchController } from "./search.controller";
 import { SearchService } from "./services/search.service";
 import { AuthGuard } from "../auth/guards/auth.guard";
 import { WorkspaceGuard, PermissionGuard } from "../common/guards";
+import { SemanticSearchBodyDto, SemanticSearchQueryDto, HybridSearchBodyDto } from "./dto";
 
 describe("SearchController", () => {
   let controller: SearchController;
@@ -15,6 +18,8 @@ describe("SearchController", () => {
     search: vi.fn(),
     searchByTags: vi.fn(),
     recentEntries: vi.fn(),
+    semanticSearch: vi.fn(),
+    hybridSearch: vi.fn(),
   };
 
   beforeEach(async () => {
@@ -217,4 +222,266 @@ describe("SearchController", () => {
       );
     });
   });
+
+  describe("semanticSearch", () => {
+    it("should call searchService.semanticSearch with correct parameters", async () => {
+      const mockResult = {
+        data: [],
+        pagination: { page: 1, limit: 20, total: 0, totalPages: 0 },
+        query: "machine learning",
+      };
+      mockSearchService.semanticSearch.mockResolvedValue(mockResult);
+
+      const body = plainToInstance(SemanticSearchBodyDto, {
+        query: "machine learning",
+      });
+      const query = plainToInstance(SemanticSearchQueryDto, {
+        page: 1,
+        limit: 20,
+      });
+
+      const result = await controller.semanticSearch(mockWorkspaceId, body, query);
+
+      expect(mockSearchService.semanticSearch).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        "machine learning",
+        mockWorkspaceId,
+        {
+          status: undefined,
+          page: 1,
+          limit: 20,
+        }
+      );
+      expect(result).toEqual(mockResult);
+    });
+
+    it("should pass status filter from body to service", async () => {
+      mockSearchService.semanticSearch.mockResolvedValue({
+        data: [],
+        pagination: { page: 1, limit: 20, total: 0, totalPages: 0 },
+        query: "test",
+      });
+
+      const body = plainToInstance(SemanticSearchBodyDto, {
+        query: "test",
+        status: EntryStatus.PUBLISHED,
+      });
+      const query = plainToInstance(SemanticSearchQueryDto, {});
+
+      await controller.semanticSearch(mockWorkspaceId, body, query);
+
+      expect(mockSearchService.semanticSearch).toHaveBeenCalledWith("test", mockWorkspaceId, {
+        status: EntryStatus.PUBLISHED,
+        page: undefined,
+        limit: undefined,
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe("hybridSearch", () => {
+    it("should call searchService.hybridSearch with correct parameters", async () => {
+      const mockResult = {
+        data: [],
+        pagination: { page: 1, limit: 20, total: 0, totalPages: 0 },
+        query: "deep learning",
+      };
+      mockSearchService.hybridSearch.mockResolvedValue(mockResult);
+
+      const body = plainToInstance(HybridSearchBodyDto, {
+        query: "deep learning",
+      });
+      const query = plainToInstance(SemanticSearchQueryDto, {
+        page: 2,
+        limit: 10,
+      });
+
+      const result = await controller.hybridSearch(mockWorkspaceId, body, query);
+
+      expect(mockSearchService.hybridSearch).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        "deep learning",
+        mockWorkspaceId,
+        {
+          status: undefined,
+          page: 2,
+          limit: 10,
+        }
+      );
+      expect(result).toEqual(mockResult);
+    });
+
+    it("should pass status filter from body to service", async () => {
+      mockSearchService.hybridSearch.mockResolvedValue({
+        data: [],
+        pagination: { page: 1, limit: 20, total: 0, totalPages: 0 },
+        query: "test",
+      });
+
+      const body = plainToInstance(HybridSearchBodyDto, {
+        query: "test",
+        status: EntryStatus.DRAFT,
+      });
+      const query = plainToInstance(SemanticSearchQueryDto, {});
+
+      await controller.hybridSearch(mockWorkspaceId, body, query);
+
+      expect(mockSearchService.hybridSearch).toHaveBeenCalledWith("test", mockWorkspaceId, {
+        status: EntryStatus.DRAFT,
+        page: undefined,
+        limit: undefined,
+      });
+    });
+  });
+});
+
+describe("SemanticSearchBodyDto validation", () => {
+  it("should pass with valid query", async () => {
+    const dto = plainToInstance(SemanticSearchBodyDto, { query: "test search" });
+    const errors = await validate(dto);
+    expect(errors).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
+
+  it("should pass with query and valid status", async () => {
+    const dto = plainToInstance(SemanticSearchBodyDto, {
+      query: "test search",
+      status: EntryStatus.PUBLISHED,
+    });
+    const errors = await validate(dto);
+    expect(errors).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
+
+  it("should fail when query is missing", async () => {
+    const dto = plainToInstance(SemanticSearchBodyDto, {});
+    const errors = await validate(dto);
+    expect(errors.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    const queryError = errors.find((e) => e.property === "query");
+    expect(queryError).toBeDefined();
+  });
+
+  it("should fail when query is not a string", async () => {
+    const dto = plainToInstance(SemanticSearchBodyDto, { query: 12345 });
+    const errors = await validate(dto);
+    expect(errors.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    const queryError = errors.find((e) => e.property === "query");
+    expect(queryError).toBeDefined();
+  });
+
+  it("should fail when query exceeds 500 characters", async () => {
+    const dto = plainToInstance(SemanticSearchBodyDto, {
+      query: "a".repeat(501),
+    });
+    const errors = await validate(dto);
+    expect(errors.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    const queryError = errors.find((e) => e.property === "query");
+    expect(queryError).toBeDefined();
+  });
+
+  it("should pass when query is exactly 500 characters", async () => {
+    const dto = plainToInstance(SemanticSearchBodyDto, {
+      query: "a".repeat(500),
+    });
+    const errors = await validate(dto);
+    expect(errors).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
+
+  it("should fail with invalid status value", async () => {
+    const dto = plainToInstance(SemanticSearchBodyDto, {
+      query: "test",
+      status: "INVALID_STATUS",
+    });
+    const errors = await validate(dto);
+    expect(errors.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    const statusError = errors.find((e) => e.property === "status");
+    expect(statusError).toBeDefined();
+  });
+});
+
+describe("HybridSearchBodyDto validation", () => {
+  it("should pass with valid query", async () => {
+    const dto = plainToInstance(HybridSearchBodyDto, { query: "test search" });
+    const errors = await validate(dto);
+    expect(errors).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
+
+  it("should pass with query and valid status", async () => {
+    const dto = plainToInstance(HybridSearchBodyDto, {
+      query: "hybrid search",
+      status: EntryStatus.DRAFT,
+    });
+    const errors = await validate(dto);
+    expect(errors).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
+
+  it("should fail when query is missing", async () => {
+    const dto = plainToInstance(HybridSearchBodyDto, {});
+    const errors = await validate(dto);
+    expect(errors.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    const queryError = errors.find((e) => e.property === "query");
+    expect(queryError).toBeDefined();
+  });
+
+  it("should fail when query exceeds 500 characters", async () => {
+    const dto = plainToInstance(HybridSearchBodyDto, {
+      query: "a".repeat(501),
+    });
+    const errors = await validate(dto);
+    expect(errors.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    const queryError = errors.find((e) => e.property === "query");
+    expect(queryError).toBeDefined();
+  });
+
+  it("should fail with invalid status value", async () => {
+    const dto = plainToInstance(HybridSearchBodyDto, {
+      query: "test",
+      status: "NOT_A_STATUS",
+    });
+    const errors = await validate(dto);
+    expect(errors.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    const statusError = errors.find((e) => e.property === "status");
+    expect(statusError).toBeDefined();
+  });
+});
+
+describe("SemanticSearchQueryDto validation", () => {
+  it("should pass with valid page and limit", async () => {
+    const dto = plainToInstance(SemanticSearchQueryDto, { page: 1, limit: 20 });
+    const errors = await validate(dto);
+    expect(errors).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
+
+  it("should pass with no parameters (all optional)", async () => {
+    const dto = plainToInstance(SemanticSearchQueryDto, {});
+    const errors = await validate(dto);
+    expect(errors).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
+
+  it("should fail when page is less than 1", async () => {
+    const dto = plainToInstance(SemanticSearchQueryDto, { page: 0 });
+    const errors = await validate(dto);
+    expect(errors.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    const pageError = errors.find((e) => e.property === "page");
+    expect(pageError).toBeDefined();
+  });
+
+  it("should fail when limit exceeds 100", async () => {
+    const dto = plainToInstance(SemanticSearchQueryDto, { limit: 101 });
+    const errors = await validate(dto);
+    expect(errors.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    const limitError = errors.find((e) => e.property === "limit");
+    expect(limitError).toBeDefined();
+  });
+
+  it("should fail when limit is less than 1", async () => {
+    const dto = plainToInstance(SemanticSearchQueryDto, { limit: 0 });
+    const errors = await validate(dto);
+    expect(errors.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    const limitError = errors.find((e) => e.property === "limit");
+    expect(limitError).toBeDefined();
+  });
+
+  it("should fail when page is not an integer", async () => {
+    const dto = plainToInstance(SemanticSearchQueryDto, { page: 1.5 });
+    const errors = await validate(dto);
+    expect(errors.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    const pageError = errors.find((e) => e.property === "page");
+    expect(pageError).toBeDefined();
+  });
 });
diff --git a/apps/api/src/knowledge/search.controller.ts b/apps/api/src/knowledge/search.controller.ts
index 43fee1c..fc7607f 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/knowledge/search.controller.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/knowledge/search.controller.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,16 @@
 import { Controller, Get, Post, Body, Query, UseGuards } from "@nestjs/common";
 import { SearchService, PaginatedSearchResults } from "./services/search.service";
-import { SearchQueryDto, TagSearchDto, RecentEntriesDto } from "./dto";
+import {
+  SearchQueryDto,
+  TagSearchDto,
+  RecentEntriesDto,
+  SemanticSearchBodyDto,
+  SemanticSearchQueryDto,
+  HybridSearchBodyDto,
+} from "./dto";
 import { AuthGuard } from "../auth/guards/auth.guard";
 import { WorkspaceGuard, PermissionGuard } from "../common/guards";
 import { Workspace, Permission, RequirePermission } from "../common/decorators";
-import { EntryStatus } from "@prisma/client";
 import type { PaginatedEntries, KnowledgeEntryWithTags } from "./entities/knowledge-entry.entity";
 
 /**
@@ -112,14 +118,13 @@ export class SearchController {
   @RequirePermission(Permission.WORKSPACE_ANY)
   async semanticSearch(
     @Workspace() workspaceId: string,
-    @Body() body: { query: string; status?: EntryStatus },
-    @Query("page") page?: number,
-    @Query("limit") limit?: number
+    @Body() body: SemanticSearchBodyDto,
+    @Query() query: SemanticSearchQueryDto
   ): Promise<PaginatedSearchResults> {
     return this.searchService.semanticSearch(body.query, workspaceId, {
       status: body.status,
-      page,
-      limit,
+      page: query.page,
+      limit: query.limit,
     });
   }
 
@@ -138,14 +143,13 @@ export class SearchController {
   @RequirePermission(Permission.WORKSPACE_ANY)
   async hybridSearch(
     @Workspace() workspaceId: string,
-    @Body() body: { query: string; status?: EntryStatus },
-    @Query("page") page?: number,
-    @Query("limit") limit?: number
+    @Body() body: HybridSearchBodyDto,
+    @Query() query: SemanticSearchQueryDto
   ): Promise<PaginatedSearchResults> {
     return this.searchService.hybridSearch(body.query, workspaceId, {
       status: body.status,
-      page,
-      limit,
+      page: query.page,
+      limit: query.limit,
     });
   }
 }