diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 204797f..370d765 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package main
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"github.com/lbryio/hub/util"
 	"log"
 	"net"
 	"os"
@@ -166,6 +167,6 @@ func main() {
 	log.Printf("found %d results\n", r.GetTotal())
 
 	for _, t := range r.Txos {
-		fmt.Printf("%s:%d\n", server.FromHash(t.TxHash), t.Nout)
+		fmt.Printf("%s:%d\n", util.FromHash(t.TxHash), t.Nout)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/schema/url.go b/schema/url.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fcce04f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/schema/url.go
@@ -0,0 +1,167 @@
+package schema
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"github.com/lbryio/hub/util"
+	"log"
+	"regexp"
+	"strconv"
+	"strings"
+)
+
+type PathSegment struct {
+	Name        string
+	ClaimId     string
+	AmountOrder int
+}
+
+type URL struct {
+	Stream  *PathSegment
+	Channel *PathSegment
+}
+
+func (ps *PathSegment) Normalized() string {
+	return util.Normalize(ps.Name)
+}
+
+func (ps *PathSegment) IsShortID() bool {
+	return len(ps.ClaimId) < 40
+}
+
+func (ps *PathSegment) IsFullID() bool {
+	return len(ps.ClaimId) == 40
+}
+
+func (ps *PathSegment) String() string {
+	if ps == nil {
+		return ""
+	}
+	if ps.ClaimId != "" {
+		return ps.Name + ":" + ps.ClaimId
+	} else if ps.AmountOrder >= 0 {
+		return fmt.Sprintf("%s$%d", ps.Name, ps.AmountOrder)
+	}
+	return ps.Name
+}
+
+func (url *URL) HasChannel() bool {
+	return url.Channel != nil
+}
+
+func (url *URL) HasStream() bool {
+	return url.Stream != nil
+}
+
+func (url *URL) HasStreamInChannel() bool {
+	return url.HasChannel() && url.HasStream()
+}
+
+func (url *URL) GetParts() []*PathSegment {
+	if url.HasStreamInChannel() {
+		return []*PathSegment{url.Channel, url.Stream}
+	}
+	if url.HasChannel() {
+		return []*PathSegment{url.Channel}
+	}
+	return []*PathSegment{url.Stream}
+}
+
+func (url *URL) String() string {
+	parts := url.GetParts()
+	stringParts := make([]string, len(parts))
+	for i, x := range parts {
+		stringParts[i] = x.String()
+	}
+	return "lbry://" + strings.Join(stringParts, "/")
+}
+
+func ParseURL(url string) *URL {
+	segmentNames := []string{"channel", "stream", "channel_with_stream", "stream_in_channel"}
+	re := createUrlRegex()
+
+	match := re.FindStringSubmatch(url)
+	parts := make(map[string]string)
+	for i, name := range re.SubexpNames() {
+		if i != 0 && name != "" {
+			parts[name] = match[i]
+		}
+	}
+
+	segments := make(map[string]*PathSegment)
+	var amountOrder int
+	for _, segment := range segmentNames {
+		if res, ok := parts[segment + "_name"]; ok && res != ""{
+			x, ok := parts[segment + "_amount_order"]
+			if ok && x != "" {
+				parsedInt, err := strconv.Atoi(x)
+				if err != nil {
+					log.Fatalln("can't parse amount_order")
+				}
+				amountOrder = parsedInt
+			} else {
+				amountOrder = -1
+			}
+			segments[segment] = &PathSegment{
+				Name: parts[segment + "_name"],
+				ClaimId: parts[segment + "_claim_id"],
+				AmountOrder: amountOrder,
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	var stream *PathSegment = nil
+	var channel *PathSegment = nil
+	if _, ok := segments["channel_with_stream"]; ok {
+		stream = segments["channel_with_stream"]
+		channel = segments["stream_in_channel"]
+	} else {
+		stream = segments["channel"]
+		channel = segments["stream"]
+	}
+
+	return &URL{stream,channel}
+}
+
+func createUrlRegex() *regexp.Regexp {
+	//invalidNamesRegex := "[^=&#:$@%?;\"/\\<>%{}|^~`\\[\\]" + "\u0000-\u0020\uD800-\uDFFF\uFFFE-\uFFFF]+"
+	//invalidNamesRegex := "[^=&#:$@%?;\"/\\<>%{}|^~`\\[\\]" + "\u0000-\u0020-\uFFFE-\uFFFF]+"
+	invalidNamesRegex := "[^=&#:$@%?;\"/\\<>%{}|^~`\\[\\]" + "]+"
+
+	named := func (name string, regex string) string {
+		return "(?P<" + name + ">" + regex + ")"
+	}
+
+	group := func(regex string) string {
+		return "(?:" + regex + ")"
+	}
+
+	oneof := func(choices []string) string {
+		return group(strings.Join(choices, "|"))
+	}
+
+	claim := func(name string, prefix string) string {
+		return group(
+			named(name+"_name", prefix + invalidNamesRegex) +
+			oneof(
+				[]string {
+					group("[:#]" + named(name+"_claim_id", "[0-9a-f]{1,40}")),
+					group("\\$" + named(name+"_amount_order", "[1-9][0-9]*")),
+				},
+			) + "?",
+		)
+	}
+
+	finalStr := "^" +
+		named("scheme", "lbry://") + "?" +
+		oneof(
+			[]string {
+				group(claim("channel_with_stream", "@") + "/" + claim("stream_in_channel", "")),
+				claim("channel", "@"),
+				claim("stream", ""),
+			},
+		) +
+		"$"
+
+	re := regexp.MustCompile(finalStr)
+	return re
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/server/search.go b/server/search.go
index 5310d8f..9b06246 100644
--- a/server/search.go
+++ b/server/search.go
@@ -8,10 +8,11 @@ import (
 	"github.com/btcsuite/btcutil/base58"
 	"github.com/golang/protobuf/ptypes/wrappers"
 	pb "github.com/lbryio/hub/protobuf/go"
+	"github.com/lbryio/hub/schema"
+	"github.com/lbryio/hub/util"
 	"github.com/olivere/elastic/v7"
 	"golang.org/x/text/cases"
 	"golang.org/x/text/language"
-	"golang.org/x/text/unicode/norm"
 	"log"
 	"reflect"
 	"strings"
@@ -21,17 +22,21 @@ type record struct {
 	Txid string   `json:"tx_id"`
 	Nout uint32   `json:"tx_nout"`
 	Height uint32 `json:"height"`
+	ClaimId string `json:"claim_id"`
 }
 
 type orderField struct {
 	Field string
 	is_asc bool
 }
-
-func ReverseBytes(s []byte) {
-	for i, j := 0, len(s)-1; i < j; i, j = i+1, j-1 {
-		s[i], s[j] = s[j], s[i]
-	}
+const (
+	errorResolution = iota
+	channelResolution = iota
+	streamResolution = iota
+)
+type urlResolution struct {
+	resolutionType 	int
+	value 			string
 }
 
 func StrArrToInterface(arr []string) []interface{} {
@@ -104,11 +109,6 @@ func AddInvertibleField(field *pb.InvertibleField, name string, q *elastic.BoolQ
 	}
 }
 
-func normalize(s string) string {
-	c := cases.Fold()
-	return c.String(norm.NFD.String(s))
-}
-
 func (s *Server) normalizeTag(tag string) string {
 	c := cases.Lower(language.English)
 	res := s.MultiSpaceRe.ReplaceAll(
@@ -129,12 +129,230 @@ func (s *Server) cleanTags(tags []string) []string {
 	return cleanedTags
 }
 
-func (s *Server) Search(ctx context.Context, in *pb.SearchRequest) (*pb.Outputs, error) {
-	// TODO: reuse elastic client across requests
-	client, err := elastic.NewClient(elastic.SetSniff(false))
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+func (s *Server) fullIdFromShortId(ctx context.Context, channelName string, claimId string) (string, error) {
+	return "", nil
+}
+
+
+func (s *Server) resolveStream(ctx context.Context, url *schema.URL, channelId string) (string, error) {
+	return "", nil
+}
+
+func (s *Server) resolveChannelId(ctx context.Context, url *schema.URL) (string, error) {
+	if !url.HasChannel() {
+		return "", nil
 	}
+	if url.Channel.IsFullID() {
+		return url.Channel.ClaimId, nil
+	}
+	if url.Channel.IsShortID() {
+		channelId, err := s.fullIdFromShortId(ctx, url.Channel.Name, url.Channel.ClaimId)
+		if err != nil {
+			return "", err
+		}
+		return channelId, nil
+	}
+
+	in := &pb.SearchRequest{}
+	in.Normalized = []string{util.Normalize(url.Channel.Name)}
+	if url.Channel.ClaimId == "" && url.Channel.AmountOrder < 0 {
+		in.IsControlling = &wrappers.BoolValue{Value: true}
+	} else {
+		if url.Channel.AmountOrder > 0 {
+			in.AmountOrder = &wrappers.Int32Value{Value: int32(url.Channel.AmountOrder)}
+		}
+		if url.Channel.ClaimId != "" {
+			in.ClaimId = &pb.InvertibleField{
+				Invert: false,
+				Value: []string{url.Channel.ClaimId},
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	var size = 1
+	var from = 0
+	q := elastic.NewBoolQuery()
+	q = AddTermsField(in.Normalized, "normalized", q)
+
+	if in.IsControlling != nil {
+		q = q.Must(elastic.NewTermQuery("is_controlling", in.IsControlling.Value))
+	}
+
+	if in.AmountOrder != nil {
+		in.Limit.Value = 1
+		in.OrderBy = []string{"effective_amount"}
+		in.Offset = &wrappers.Int32Value{Value: in.AmountOrder.Value - 1}
+	}
+
+	if in.Limit != nil {
+		size = int(in.Limit.Value)
+	}
+
+	if in.Offset != nil {
+		from = int(in.Offset.Value)
+	}
+
+	if in.ClaimId != nil {
+		searchVals := StrArrToInterface(in.ClaimId.Value)
+		if len(in.ClaimId.Value) == 1 && len(in.ClaimId.Value[0]) < 20 {
+			if in.ClaimId.Invert {
+				q = q.MustNot(elastic.NewPrefixQuery("claim_id.keyword", in.ClaimId.Value[0]))
+			} else {
+				q = q.Must(elastic.NewPrefixQuery("claim_id.keyword", in.ClaimId.Value[0]))
+			}
+		} else {
+			if in.ClaimId.Invert {
+				q = q.MustNot(elastic.NewTermsQuery("claim_id.keyword", searchVals...))
+			} else {
+				q = q.Must(elastic.NewTermsQuery("claim_id.keyword", searchVals...))
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+
+	searchResult, err := s.EsClient.Search().
+		Query(q). // specify the query
+		From(from).Size(size).
+		Do(ctx)
+
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
+	var r record
+	var channelId string
+	for _, item := range searchResult.Each(reflect.TypeOf(r)) {
+		if t, ok := item.(record); ok {
+			channelId = t.ClaimId
+		}
+	}
+	//matches, err := s.Search(ctx, in)
+	//if err != nil {
+	//	return "", err
+	//}
+
+
+	return channelId, nil
+}
+
+func (s *Server) resolveUrl(ctx context.Context, rawUrl string) *urlResolution {
+	url := schema.ParseURL(rawUrl)
+	if url == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	channelId, err := s.resolveChannelId(ctx, url)
+	if err != nil {
+		return &urlResolution{
+			resolutionType: errorResolution,
+			value: fmt.Sprintf("Could not find channel in \"%s\".", url),
+		}
+	}
+
+	stream, _ := s.resolveStream(ctx, url, channelId)
+
+	if url.HasStream() {
+		return &urlResolution{
+			resolutionType: streamResolution,
+			value: stream,
+		}
+	} else {
+		return &urlResolution{
+			resolutionType: channelResolution,
+			value: channelId,
+		}
+	}
+}
+/*
+   async def resolve_url(self, raw_url):
+       if raw_url not in self.resolution_cache:
+           self.resolution_cache[raw_url] = await self._resolve_url(raw_url)
+       return self.resolution_cache[raw_url]
+
+   async def _resolve_url(self, raw_url):
+       try:
+           url = URL.parse(raw_url)
+       except ValueError as e:
+           return e
+
+       stream = LookupError(f'Could not find claim at "{raw_url}".')
+
+       channel_id = await self.resolve_channel_id(url)
+       if isinstance(channel_id, LookupError):
+           return channel_id
+       stream = (await self.resolve_stream(url, channel_id if isinstance(channel_id, str) else None)) or stream
+       if url.has_stream:
+           return StreamResolution(stream)
+       else:
+           return ChannelResolution(channel_id)
+
+   async def resolve_channel_id(self, url: URL):
+       if not url.has_channel:
+           return
+       if url.channel.is_fullid:
+           return url.channel.claim_id
+       if url.channel.is_shortid:
+           channel_id = await self.full_id_from_short_id(url.channel.name, url.channel.claim_id)
+           if not channel_id:
+               return LookupError(f'Could not find channel in "{url}".')
+           return channel_id
+
+       query = url.channel.to_dict()
+       if set(query) == {'name'}:
+           query['is_controlling'] = True
+       else:
+           query['order_by'] = ['^creation_height']
+       matches, _, _ = await self.search(**query, limit=1)
+       if matches:
+           channel_id = matches[0]['claim_id']
+       else:
+           return LookupError(f'Could not find channel in "{url}".')
+       return channel_id
+
+   async def resolve_stream(self, url: URL, channel_id: str = None):
+       if not url.has_stream:
+           return None
+       if url.has_channel and channel_id is None:
+           return None
+       query = url.stream.to_dict()
+       if url.stream.claim_id is not None:
+           if url.stream.is_fullid:
+               claim_id = url.stream.claim_id
+           else:
+               claim_id = await self.full_id_from_short_id(query['name'], query['claim_id'], channel_id)
+           return claim_id
+
+       if channel_id is not None:
+           if set(query) == {'name'}:
+               # temporarily emulate is_controlling for claims in channel
+               query['order_by'] = ['effective_amount', '^height']
+           else:
+               query['order_by'] = ['^channel_join']
+           query['channel_id'] = channel_id
+           query['signature_valid'] = True
+       elif set(query) == {'name'}:
+           query['is_controlling'] = True
+       matches, _, _ = await self.search(**query, limit=1)
+       if matches:
+           return matches[0]['claim_id']
+
+ */
+
+func (s *Server) Search(ctx context.Context, in *pb.SearchRequest) (*pb.Outputs, error) {
+	var client *elastic.Client = nil
+	if s.EsClient == nil {
+		tmpClient, err := elastic.NewClient(elastic.SetSniff(false))
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		client = tmpClient
+		s.EsClient = client
+	} else {
+		client = s.EsClient
+	}
+
+	res := s.resolveUrl(ctx, "@abc#111")
+	log.Println(res)
 
 	claimTypes := map[string]int {
 		"stream": 1,
@@ -218,7 +436,7 @@ func (s *Server) Search(ctx context.Context, in *pb.SearchRequest) (*pb.Outputs,
 	if len(in.Name) > 0 {
 		normalized := make([]string, len(in.Name))
 		for i := 0; i < len(in.Name); i++ {
-			normalized[i] = normalize(in.Name[i])
+			normalized[i] = util.Normalize(in.Name[i])
 		}
 		in.Normalized = normalized
 	}
@@ -264,7 +482,7 @@ func (s *Server) Search(ctx context.Context, in *pb.SearchRequest) (*pb.Outputs,
 	if len(in.XId) > 0 {
 		searchVals := make([]interface{}, len(in.XId))
 		for i := 0; i < len(in.XId); i++ {
-			ReverseBytes(in.XId[i])
+			util.ReverseBytes(in.XId[i])
 			searchVals[i] = hex.Dump(in.XId[i])
 		}
 		if len(in.XId) == 1 && len(in.XId[0]) < 20 {
@@ -432,7 +650,7 @@ func (s *Server) Search(ctx context.Context, in *pb.SearchRequest) (*pb.Outputs,
 	for i, item := range searchResult.Each(reflect.TypeOf(r)) {
 		if t, ok := item.(record); ok {
 			txos[i] = &pb.Output{
-				TxHash: toHash(t.Txid),
+				TxHash: util.ToHash(t.Txid),
 				Nout:   t.Nout,
 				Height: t.Height,
 			}
@@ -466,32 +684,3 @@ func (s *Server) Search(ctx context.Context, in *pb.SearchRequest) (*pb.Outputs,
 		Offset: uint32(int64(from) + searchResult.TotalHits()),
 	}, nil
 }
-
-// convert txid to txHash
-func toHash(txid string) []byte {
-	t, err := hex.DecodeString(txid)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	// reverse the bytes. thanks, Satoshi 😒
-	for i, j := 0, len(t)-1; i < j; i, j = i+1, j-1 {
-		t[i], t[j] = t[j], t[i]
-	}
-
-	return t
-}
-
-// convert txHash to txid
-func FromHash(txHash []byte) string {
-	t := make([]byte, len(txHash))
-	copy(t, txHash)
-
-	// reverse the bytes. thanks, Satoshi 😒
-	for i, j := 0, len(txHash)-1; i < j; i, j = i+1, j-1 {
-		txHash[i], txHash[j] = txHash[j], txHash[i]
-	}
-
-	return hex.EncodeToString(t)
-
-}
diff --git a/server/server.go b/server/server.go
index 338994f..57af86c 100644
--- a/server/server.go
+++ b/server/server.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package server
 import (
 	"context"
 	pb "github.com/lbryio/hub/protobuf/go"
+	"github.com/olivere/elastic/v7"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/metadata"
 	"log"
@@ -14,6 +15,7 @@ type Server struct {
 	Args 	     *Args
 	MultiSpaceRe *regexp.Regexp
 	WeirdCharsRe *regexp.Regexp
+	EsClient     *elastic.Client
 	pb.UnimplementedHubServer
 }
 
diff --git a/util/util.go b/util/util.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3117409
--- /dev/null
+++ b/util/util.go
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+package util
+
+import (
+	"encoding/hex"
+	"golang.org/x/text/cases"
+	"golang.org/x/text/unicode/norm"
+)
+
+func Normalize(s string) string {
+	c := cases.Fold()
+	return c.String(norm.NFD.String(s))
+}
+
+func ReverseBytes(s []byte) {
+	for i, j := 0, len(s)-1; i < j; i, j = i+1, j-1 {
+		s[i], s[j] = s[j], s[i]
+	}
+}
+
+// convert txid to txHash
+func ToHash(txid string) []byte {
+	t, err := hex.DecodeString(txid)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	// reverse the bytes. thanks, Satoshi 😒
+	for i, j := 0, len(t)-1; i < j; i, j = i+1, j-1 {
+		t[i], t[j] = t[j], t[i]
+	}
+
+	return t
+}
+
+// convert txHash to txid
+func FromHash(txHash []byte) string {
+	t := make([]byte, len(txHash))
+	copy(t, txHash)
+
+	// reverse the bytes. thanks, Satoshi 😒
+	for i, j := 0, len(txHash)-1; i < j; i, j = i+1, j-1 {
+		txHash[i], txHash[j] = txHash[j], txHash[i]
+	}
+
+	return hex.EncodeToString(t)
+
+}