diff --git a/Sources/XCDocsCLI/SearchCommand.swift b/Sources/XCDocsCLI/SearchCommand.swift
index a818346..47baaa4 100644
--- a/Sources/XCDocsCLI/SearchCommand.swift
+++ b/Sources/XCDocsCLI/SearchCommand.swift
@@ -54,26 +54,38 @@ struct SearchCommand: AsyncParsableCommand {
 }
 
 @available(macOS 26, *)
-private func printDocumentationSearchJSON(_ results: [SearchResult]) throws {
-    struct DocumentationSearchDocument: Encodable {
-        let contents: String
-        let score: Double
-        let title: String
-        let uri: String
-
-        init(searchResult: SearchResult) {
-            self.contents = searchResult.entry.content ?? ""
-            self.score = searchResult.score
-            self.title = searchResult.entry.title ?? ""
-            self.uri = searchResult.entry.id
-        }
+struct DocumentationSearchDocument: Encodable {
+    let contents: String?
+    let score: Double
+    let title: String?
+    let uri: String
+
+    init(searchResult: SearchResult) {
+        self.contents = searchResult.entry.content
+        self.score = searchResult.score
+        self.title = searchResult.entry.title
+        self.uri = searchResult.entry.id
     }
 
-    struct DocumentationSearchResponse: Encodable {
-        let documents: [DocumentationSearchDocument]
-
-        init(searchResults: [SearchResult]) { self.documents = searchResults.map(DocumentationSearchDocument.init) }
+    func encode(to encoder: any Encoder) throws {
+        var container = encoder.container(keyedBy: CodingKeys.self)
+        try container.encode(contents, forKey: .contents)
+        try container.encode(score, forKey: .score)
+        try container.encode(title, forKey: .title)
+        try container.encode(uri, forKey: .uri)
     }
 
+    private enum CodingKeys: String, CodingKey { case contents, score, title, uri }
+}
+
+@available(macOS 26, *)
+struct DocumentationSearchResponse: Encodable {
+    let documents: [DocumentationSearchDocument]
+
+    init(searchResults: [SearchResult]) { self.documents = searchResults.map(DocumentationSearchDocument.init) }
+}
+
+@available(macOS 26, *)
+private func printDocumentationSearchJSON(_ results: [SearchResult]) throws {
     try printJSON(DocumentationSearchResponse(searchResults: results), prettyPrinted: false)
 }
diff --git a/Tests/XCDocsCLITests/SearchJSONOutputTests.swift b/Tests/XCDocsCLITests/SearchJSONOutputTests.swift
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3df27f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/XCDocsCLITests/SearchJSONOutputTests.swift
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+import Foundation
+import Testing
+import XCDocs
+
+@testable import XCDocsCLI
+
+@Suite("Search JSON Output")
+struct SearchJSONOutputTests {
+    @Test
+    func searchDocumentEmitsNullForNilFields() throws {
+        guard #available(macOS 26, *) else { return }
+        try assertSearchDocumentEmitsNullForNilFields()
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    func searchDocumentPreservesNonNilValues() throws {
+        guard #available(macOS 26, *) else { return }
+        try assertSearchDocumentPreservesNonNilValues()
+    }
+}
+
+@available(macOS 26, *)
+private func assertSearchDocumentEmitsNullForNilFields() throws {
+    let entry = DocumentationEntry(id: "/documentation/Testing", framework: nil, kind: nil, title: nil, content: nil)
+    let result = SearchResult(score: 0.5, entry: entry)
+
+    let response = DocumentationSearchResponse(searchResults: [result])
+    let data = try JSONEncoder().encode(response)
+    let string = try #require(String(data: data, encoding: .utf8))
+    let json = try #require(JSONSerialization.jsonObject(with: data) as? [String: Any])
+    let documents = try #require(json["documents"] as? [[String: Any]])
+    let doc = try #require(documents.first)
+
+    // nil fields must be encoded as JSON null, not coerced to empty strings or omitted.
+    #expect(doc["title"] is NSNull, "Expected null for nil title, got \(String(describing: doc["title"]))")
+    #expect(doc["contents"] is NSNull, "Expected null for nil contents, got \(String(describing: doc["contents"]))")
+    #expect(!string.contains("\"title\":\"\""), "title should not be an empty string")
+    #expect(!string.contains("\"contents\":\"\""), "contents should not be an empty string")
+    #expect(doc["uri"] as? String == "/documentation/Testing")
+    #expect(doc["score"] as? Double == 0.5)
+}
+
+@available(macOS 26, *)
+private func assertSearchDocumentPreservesNonNilValues() throws {
+    let entry = DocumentationEntry(
+        id: "/documentation/Testing",
+        framework: "Swift Testing",
+        kind: .article,
+        title: "Swift Testing",
+        content: "Create and run tests."
+    )
+    let result = SearchResult(score: 0.75, entry: entry)
+
+    let response = DocumentationSearchResponse(searchResults: [result])
+    let data = try JSONEncoder().encode(response)
+    let json = try #require(JSONSerialization.jsonObject(with: data) as? [String: Any])
+    let documents = try #require(json["documents"] as? [[String: Any]])
+    let doc = try #require(documents.first)
+
+    #expect(doc["title"] as? String == "Swift Testing")
+    #expect(doc["contents"] as? String == "Create and run tests.")
+    #expect(doc["uri"] as? String == "/documentation/Testing")
+    #expect(doc["score"] as? Double == 0.75)
+}