diff --git a/warehouse/locale/messages.pot b/warehouse/locale/messages.pot
index d9a71d382d3d..7da2dac95238 100644
--- a/warehouse/locale/messages.pot
+++ b/warehouse/locale/messages.pot
@@ -1239,10 +1239,8 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "Search PyPI"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: warehouse/templates/base.html:257 warehouse/templates/base.html:289
-#: warehouse/templates/error-base-with-search.html:13
-#: warehouse/templates/index.html:35
-msgid "Search projects"
+#: warehouse/templates/base.html:257 warehouse/templates/index.html:35
+msgid "Type '/' to search projects"
 msgstr ""
 
 #: warehouse/templates/base.html:268 warehouse/templates/base.html:297
@@ -1251,6 +1249,11 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "Search"
 msgstr ""
 
+#: warehouse/templates/base.html:289
+#: warehouse/templates/error-base-with-search.html:13
+msgid "Search projects"
+msgstr ""
+
 #: warehouse/templates/base.html:315
 msgid "Help navigation"
 msgstr ""
diff --git a/warehouse/templates/base.html b/warehouse/templates/base.html
index 35b81bfdbb65..a5ef05ea848b 100644
--- a/warehouse/templates/base.html
+++ b/warehouse/templates/base.html
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@
                    class="search-form__search"
                    type="text"
                    name="q"
-                   placeholder="{% trans %}Search projects{% endtrans %}"
+                   placeholder="{% trans %}Type '/' to search projects{% endtrans %}"
                    value="{{ term }}"
                    autocomplete="off"
                    autocapitalize="off"
diff --git a/warehouse/templates/index.html b/warehouse/templates/index.html
index b4e338c9a9ed..ca7aefb2fa5b 100644
--- a/warehouse/templates/index.html
+++ b/warehouse/templates/index.html
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ <h1 class="homepage-banner__title">{{ banner }}</h1>
                class="search-form__search large-input"
                type="text"
                name="q"
-               placeholder="{% trans %}Search projects{% endtrans %}"
+               placeholder="{% trans %}Type '/' to search projects{% endtrans %}"
                autocomplete="off"
                autocapitalize="off"
                spellcheck="false"