diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/work_items/components/shared/work_item_sidebar_dropdown_widget.vue b/app/assets/javascripts/work_items/components/shared/work_item_sidebar_dropdown_widget.vue
index bcf4deecea7ed5c7e8616f33e777cddcf578c40b..55e4de8183b3d0642698948783f3b61c618a3e59 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/work_items/components/shared/work_item_sidebar_dropdown_widget.vue
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/work_items/components/shared/work_item_sidebar_dropdown_widget.vue
@@ -103,6 +103,11 @@ export default {
       required: false,
       default: undefined,
     },
+    searchPlaceholder: {
+      type: String,
+      required: false,
+      default: __('Search'),
+    },
   },
   data() {
     return {
@@ -229,6 +234,7 @@ export default {
           :searching="loading"
           :header-text="headerText"
           :toggle-text="toggleText"
+          :search-placeholder="searchPlaceholder"
           :no-results-text="$options.i18n.noMatchingResults"
           :items="listItems"
           :selected="localSelectedItem"
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/work_items/components/work_item_parent.vue b/app/assets/javascripts/work_items/components/work_item_parent.vue
index cfab8ea34d0ff565b353ab85bf1235fa010ced57..ca9ed8c29328b73bb983aa50a5d7e11710fb2677 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/work_items/components/work_item_parent.vue
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/work_items/components/work_item_parent.vue
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ export default {
     workItemsFetchError: s__(
       'WorkItem|Something went wrong while fetching items. Please try again.',
     ),
+    searchPlaceholder: s__('WorkItem|Search or paste URL'),
   },
   components: {
     GlLink,
@@ -314,6 +315,7 @@ export default {
     :update-in-progress="updateInProgress"
     :reset-button-label="$options.i18n.unAssign"
     :toggle-dropdown-text="listboxText"
+    :search-placeholder="$options.i18n.searchPlaceholder"
     data-testid="work-item-parent"
     @dropdownShown="onListboxShown"
     @dropdownHidden="onListboxHide"
diff --git a/locale/gitlab.pot b/locale/gitlab.pot
index c99622432b3594cade1aa05ea53a17aa690dd1d4..d21a1fafa82aa2bae6d682aaffde58bd910eab37 100644
--- a/locale/gitlab.pot
+++ b/locale/gitlab.pot
@@ -66670,6 +66670,9 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "WorkItem|Search existing items, paste URL, or enter reference ID"
 msgstr ""
 
+msgid "WorkItem|Search or paste URL"
+msgstr ""
+
 msgid "WorkItem|Select a group"
 msgstr ""