diff --git a/src/utils/search.ts b/src/utils/search.ts
index 3b10bb6..ec0d682 100644
--- a/src/utils/search.ts
+++ b/src/utils/search.ts
@@ -182,6 +182,29 @@ export function findExample(name: string): FileInfo | null {
   return match || null;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Get numeric priority for a search result (lower = higher priority).
+ * SDK sources rank above example apps.
+ */
+export function getResultPriority(result: SearchResult): number {
+  const { repo, file } = result;
+
+  if (repo === "aztec-packages") {
+    if (/\baztec-nr\b/.test(file) || /\byarn-project\b/.test(file)) return 1;
+    if (/\bnoir-contracts\b/.test(file)) return 2;
+    // Other aztec-packages paths (boxes, playground, etc.)
+    return 4;
+  }
+
+  if (repo === "noir") {
+    if (/\bnoir_stdlib\b/.test(file)) return 3;
+    return 4;
+  }
+
+  // Example apps / community repos
+  return 5;
+}
+
 // --- Helper functions ---
 
 /**
@@ -197,8 +220,6 @@ function parseRgOutput(output: string, maxResults: number): SearchResult[] {
   const lines = output.split("\n").filter(Boolean);
 
   for (const line of lines) {
-    if (results.length >= maxResults) break;
-
     // Format: /path/to/file:linenum:content
     const match = line.match(/^(.+?):(\d+):(.*)$/);
     if (match) {
@@ -215,7 +236,8 @@ function parseRgOutput(output: string, maxResults: number): SearchResult[] {
     }
   }
 
-  return results;
+  results.sort((a, b) => getResultPriority(a) - getResultPriority(b));
+  return results.slice(0, maxResults);
 }
 
 function manualSearch(
@@ -243,15 +265,11 @@ function manualSearch(
     }
 
     for (const file of files) {
-      if (results.length >= maxResults) break;
-
       try {
         const content = readFileSync(file, "utf-8");
         const lines = content.split("\n");
 
         for (let i = 0; i < lines.length; i++) {
-          if (results.length >= maxResults) break;
-
           if (searchRegex.test(lines[i])) {
             const relativePath = relative(REPOS_DIR, file);
             const repoPart = relativePath.split("/")[0];
@@ -275,7 +293,8 @@ function manualSearch(
     // Globby error, return empty
   }
 
-  return results;
+  results.sort((a, b) => getResultPriority(a) - getResultPriority(b));
+  return results.slice(0, maxResults);
 }
 
 function findContracts(basePath: string, repoName: string): FileInfo[] {
diff --git a/tests/utils/search.test.ts b/tests/utils/search.test.ts
index e87905e..1b557e5 100644
--- a/tests/utils/search.test.ts
+++ b/tests/utils/search.test.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import {
   readFile,
   findExample,
   getFileType,
+  getResultPriority,
 } from "../../src/utils/search.js";
 
 const mockExecSync = vi.mocked(execSync);
@@ -365,3 +366,83 @@ describe("findExample", () => {
     expect(result).toBeNull();
   });
 });
+
+describe("getResultPriority", () => {
+  it("ranks aztec-nr / yarn-project as highest priority (1)", () => {
+    expect(getResultPriority({ repo: "aztec-packages", file: "aztec-packages/yarn-project/aztec.js/src/main.ts", content: "", line: 1 })).toBe(1);
+    expect(getResultPriority({ repo: "aztec-packages", file: "aztec-packages/aztec-nr/aztec/src/lib.nr", content: "", line: 1 })).toBe(1);
+  });
+
+  it("ranks noir-contracts as priority 2", () => {
+    expect(getResultPriority({ repo: "aztec-packages", file: "aztec-packages/noir-projects/noir-contracts/token/src/main.nr", content: "", line: 1 })).toBe(2);
+  });
+
+  it("ranks noir_stdlib as priority 3", () => {
+    expect(getResultPriority({ repo: "noir", file: "noir/noir_stdlib/src/hash.nr", content: "", line: 1 })).toBe(3);
+  });
+
+  it("ranks other aztec-packages and noir paths as priority 4", () => {
+    expect(getResultPriority({ repo: "aztec-packages", file: "aztec-packages/boxes/token/src/main.nr", content: "", line: 1 })).toBe(4);
+    expect(getResultPriority({ repo: "noir", file: "noir/tooling/nargo/src/lib.rs", content: "", line: 1 })).toBe(4);
+  });
+
+  it("ranks example repos as lowest priority (5)", () => {
+    expect(getResultPriority({ repo: "aztec-examples", file: "aztec-examples/token/src/main.nr", content: "", line: 1 })).toBe(5);
+    expect(getResultPriority({ repo: "aztec-starter", file: "aztec-starter/src/main.nr", content: "", line: 1 })).toBe(5);
+    expect(getResultPriority({ repo: "gregoswap", file: "gregoswap/src/main.nr", content: "", line: 1 })).toBe(5);
+  });
+});
+
+describe("search result sorting", () => {
+  it("sorts ripgrep results by source priority", () => {
+    mockExistsSync.mockReturnValue(true);
+    mockExecSync.mockReturnValue(
+      "/fake/repos/gregoswap/src/main.nr:1:fn transfer() {\n" +
+      "/fake/repos/aztec-packages/yarn-project/aztec.js/src/main.ts:5:fn transfer() {\n" +
+      "/fake/repos/aztec-examples/token/src/main.nr:3:fn transfer() {\n" +
+      "/fake/repos/aztec-packages/noir-projects/noir-contracts/token/src/main.nr:10:fn transfer() {\n" +
+      "/fake/repos/noir/noir_stdlib/src/hash.nr:7:fn transfer() {\n"
+    );
+
+    const results = searchCode("transfer");
+    expect(results[0].repo).toBe("aztec-packages");
+    expect(results[0].file).toContain("yarn-project");
+    expect(results[1].repo).toBe("aztec-packages");
+    expect(results[1].file).toContain("noir-contracts");
+    expect(results[2].repo).toBe("noir");
+    expect(results[2].file).toContain("noir_stdlib");
+    expect(results[3].repo).toBe("gregoswap");
+    expect(results[4].repo).toBe("aztec-examples");
+  });
+
+  it("sorts manual search results by source priority", () => {
+    mockExistsSync.mockReturnValue(true);
+    mockExecSync.mockImplementation(() => { throw new Error("rg not found"); });
+    mockGlobbySync.mockReturnValue([
+      "/fake/repos/aztec-starter/src/main.nr",
+      "/fake/repos/aztec-packages/yarn-project/aztec.js/src/lib.nr",
+    ]);
+    mockReadFileSync
+      .mockReturnValueOnce("fn transfer() {" as any)
+      .mockReturnValueOnce("fn transfer() {" as any);
+
+    const results = searchCode("transfer");
+    expect(results).toHaveLength(2);
+    expect(results[0].repo).toBe("aztec-packages");
+    expect(results[1].repo).toBe("aztec-starter");
+  });
+
+  it("applies sorting before maxResults limit", () => {
+    mockExistsSync.mockReturnValue(true);
+    mockExecSync.mockReturnValue(
+      "/fake/repos/gregoswap/src/a.nr:1:match\n" +
+      "/fake/repos/aztec-examples/src/b.nr:2:match\n" +
+      "/fake/repos/aztec-packages/yarn-project/c.nr:3:match\n"
+    );
+
+    const results = searchCode("match", { maxResults: 2 });
+    expect(results).toHaveLength(2);
+    // SDK result should be kept even though it appeared last in raw output
+    expect(results[0].repo).toBe("aztec-packages");
+  });
+});