add checks that the keydownevent for DeleteButton_KeyDown is triggered from DeleteButton

src/modules/cmdpal/Microsoft.CmdPal.UI/Controls/SearchBar.xaml

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
     xmlns:cpcontrols="using:Microsoft.CmdPal.UI.Controls"
     xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008"
     xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"
+    x:Name="RootSearchBar"
     mc:Ignorable="d">
 
     <UserControl.Resources>

src/modules/cmdpal/Microsoft.CmdPal.UI/Controls/SearchBar.xaml.cs

@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 // The Microsoft Corporation licenses this file to you under the MIT license.
 // See the LICENSE file in the project root for more information.
 
+using System.Windows.Input;
+using CommunityToolkit.Mvvm.Input;
 using CommunityToolkit.Mvvm.Messaging;
 using CommunityToolkit.WinUI;
 using Microsoft.CmdPal.Core.ViewModels;
@@ -36,6 +38,9 @@ public sealed partial class SearchBar : UserControl,
     private string? _lastText;
     private string? _deletedSuggestion;
 
+    // An ICommand for clearing the search box, allowing the DeleteButton to invoke this logic via MVVM command binding.
+    public ICommand ClearSearchCommand { get; }
+
     public PageViewModel? CurrentPageViewModel
     {
         get => (PageViewModel?)GetValue(CurrentPageViewModelProperty);
@@ -75,6 +80,11 @@ public sealed partial class SearchBar : UserControl,
         WeakReferenceMessenger.Default.Register<GoHomeMessage>(this);
         WeakReferenceMessenger.Default.Register<FocusSearchBoxMessage>(this);
         WeakReferenceMessenger.Default.Register<UpdateSuggestionMessage>(this);
+
+        // Attach a keydown event handler Clear Button within the FilterBox to trigger search clearing logic.
+        FilterBox.AddHandler(Button.KeyDownEvent, new KeyEventHandler(DeleteButton_KeyDown), true);
+
+        ClearSearchCommand = new RelayCommand(() => ExecuteDeleteButtonAction());
     }
 
     public void ClearSearch()
@@ -92,6 +102,36 @@ public sealed partial class SearchBar : UserControl,
         }));
     }
 
+    private Button? GetDeleteButton()
+    {
+        // Try to find the DeleteButton in the FilterBox's template
+        return FilterBox?.FindName("DeleteButton") as Button;
+    }
+
+    private bool IsDeleteButtonFocused()
+    {
+        var deleteButton = GetDeleteButton();
+        var focusedElement = FocusManager.GetFocusedElement() as Button;
+        return deleteButton != null && focusedElement == deleteButton;
+    }
+
+    public void DeleteButton_KeyDown(object sender, KeyRoutedEventArgs e)
+    {
+        if (IsDeleteButtonFocused())
+        {
+            if (e.Key == VirtualKey.Enter)
+            {
+                ExecuteDeleteButtonAction();
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    private void ExecuteDeleteButtonAction()
+    {
+        ClearSearch();
+        FilterBox.Focus(Microsoft.UI.Xaml.FocusState.Programmatic);
+    }
+
     public void SelectSearch()
     {
         // TODO GH #239 switch back when using the new MD text block

src/modules/cmdpal/Microsoft.CmdPal.UI/Strings/en-us/Resources.resw

@@ -434,4 +434,7 @@ Right-click to remove the key combination, thereby deactivating the shortcut.</v
   <data name="StatusMessagesButton.[using:Microsoft.UI.Xaml.Controls]ToolTipService.ToolTip" xml:space="preserve">
     <value>Show status messages</value>
   </data>
+  <data name="DeleteButton.AutomationProperties.Name" xml:space="preserve">
+    <value>Clears the search box</value>
+  </data>
 </root>

src/modules/cmdpal/Microsoft.CmdPal.UI/Styles/TextBox.xaml

@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@
         EmptyValue="Visible"
         NotEmptyValue="Collapsed" />
 
+    <converters:StringVisibilityConverter
+        x:Key="StringVisibilityConverter"
+        EmptyValue="Collapsed"
+        NotEmptyValue="Visible" />
+
     <Style x:Key="SearchTextBoxStyle" TargetType="TextBox">
         <Setter Property="Foreground" Value="{ThemeResource TextControlForeground}" />
         <Setter Property="Background" Value="Transparent" />
@@ -166,18 +171,21 @@
                             Visibility="{Binding Description, RelativeSource={RelativeSource TemplatedParent}, Converter={StaticResource ReverseStringVisibilityConverter}, Mode=OneWay}" />
                         <Button
                             x:Name="DeleteButton"
+                            x:Uid="DeleteButton"
                             Grid.Column="2"
                             Margin="0,0,8,0"
                             Padding="4"
                             HorizontalAlignment="Right"
                             VerticalAlignment="Center"
-                            AutomationProperties.AccessibilityView="Raw"
+                            AutomationProperties.AccessibilityView="Content"
                             BorderThickness="{TemplateBinding BorderThickness}"
+                            Command="{Binding ClearSearchCommand, ElementName=RootSearchBar}"
                             CornerRadius="{TemplateBinding CornerRadius}"
                             FontSize="{TemplateBinding FontSize}"
-                            IsTabStop="False"
+                            IsTabStop="True"
+                            KeyDown="DeleteButton_KeyDown"
                             Style="{StaticResource DeleteButtonStyle}"
-                            Visibility="Collapsed" />
+                            Visibility="{Binding Text, RelativeSource={RelativeSource TemplatedParent}, Converter={StaticResource StringVisibilityConverter}, Mode=OneWay}" />
                         <TextBlock
                             x:Name="DescriptionPresenter"
                             Grid.Column="1"