Trigger datatable search when user stops typing By default datatables filters by keypress (to be specific keyup event) Based on http://stackoverflow.com/questions/14042193/how-to-trigger-an-event-in-input-text-after-i-stop-typing-writting

datatables_search.js

// INITIATE DATATABLE
$(this).dataTable();

// Change the behaviour of datatables filter (wait until user stops typing)
var $filterBox = $(this).parents('.dataTables_wrapper').find('.dataTables_filter input')
  , handlers = $.extend({}, $._data($filterBox[0], 'events')['keyup']); // Clone the object

// Remove all keyup methods, we will run them later
$filterBox.off('keyup')

var stoppedTyping; // we want to capture our timer to remove it
$filterBox.on('keyup', function() {
  // remove existing timer
  if (stoppedTyping) clearTimeout(stoppedTyping);

  // Set a timer to check if we stopped typing
  stoppedTyping = setTimeout($.proxy(function(e) {
    for (var i in handlers) {
      if (handlers[i].guid) {
        handlers[i].handler.apply(this, [e]);
      }
    }
  }, this), 500);

  return false;
});