diff --git a/.scalafmt.conf b/.scalafmt.conf
index a281cdc6..e87d759c 100644
--- a/.scalafmt.conf
+++ b/.scalafmt.conf
@@ -15,7 +15,16 @@ fileOverride {
     runner.dialect = scala213
   }
 
+  "glob:**/modules/api/**" {
+    runner.dialect = scala3
+  }
+
+  "glob:**/modules/client/**" {
+    runner.dialect = scala3
+  }
+
   "glob:**/modules/app/**" {
     runner.dialect = scala3
   }
+
 }
diff --git a/build.sbt b/build.sbt
index 6454b038..f48389af 100644
--- a/build.sbt
+++ b/build.sbt
@@ -61,11 +61,22 @@ lazy val api = (project in file("modules/api"))
   .settings(
     scalaVersion := scala3,
     name := "lila-search-api",
+    smithy4sWildcardArgument := "?",
     libraryDependencies ++= Seq(
       "com.disneystreaming.smithy4s" %% "smithy4s-core" % smithy4sVersion.value
     )
   )
 
+lazy val client = (project in file("modules/client"))
+  .enablePlugins(Smithy4sCodegenPlugin)
+  .settings(
+    scalaVersion := scala3,
+    name := "lila-search-client",
+    libraryDependencies ++= Seq(
+      "com.disneystreaming.smithy4s"  %% "smithy4s-http4s" % smithy4sVersion.value
+    )
+  ).dependsOn(api)
+
 lazy val app = (project in file("modules/app"))
   .enablePlugins(Smithy4sCodegenPlugin)
   .settings(
diff --git a/modules/client/src/main/scala/IOClient.scala b/modules/client/src/main/scala/IOClient.scala
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c89e426d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/client/src/main/scala/IOClient.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+package lila.search
+package client
+
+import smithy4s.http4s.*
+import org.http4s.Uri
+import org.http4s.client.Client
+import cats.effect.IO
+import cats.effect.Resource
+
+// the package under which the scala code was generated
+import lila.search.spec.*
+
+object Clients:
+  def apply(http4sClient: Client[IO], uri: Uri): Resource[IO, SearchService[IO]] =
+    SimpleRestJsonBuilder
+      .apply(SearchService)
+      .client(http4sClient)
+      .uri(uri)
+      .resource
diff --git a/project/.scalafmt.conf b/project/.scalafmt.conf
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e87d759c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/project/.scalafmt.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+version = "3.8.1"
+runner.dialect = scala213
+
+align.preset = more
+maxColumn = 110
+spaces.inImportCurlyBraces = true
+rewrite.rules = [SortModifiers]
+rewrite.redundantBraces.stringInterpolation = true
+
+fileOverride {
+  "glob:**/build.sbt" {
+    runner.dialect = scala213
+  }
+  "glob:**/project/**" {
+    runner.dialect = scala213
+  }
+
+  "glob:**/modules/api/**" {
+    runner.dialect = scala3
+  }
+
+  "glob:**/modules/client/**" {
+    runner.dialect = scala3
+  }
+
+  "glob:**/modules/app/**" {
+    runner.dialect = scala3
+  }
+
+}
diff --git a/project/plugins.sbt b/project/plugins.sbt
index a7f62784..5f862f5a 100644
--- a/project/plugins.sbt
+++ b/project/plugins.sbt
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 addSbtPlugin("com.disneystreaming.smithy4s" % "smithy4s-sbt-codegen" % "0.18.16")
-addSbtPlugin("com.typesafe.play"                                  % "sbt-plugin"   % "2.9.2")
-addSbtPlugin("org.scalameta"                                      % "sbt-scalafmt" % "2.5.2")
+addSbtPlugin("com.typesafe.play"            % "sbt-plugin"           % "2.9.2")
+addSbtPlugin("org.scalameta"                % "sbt-scalafmt"         % "2.5.2")
 addSbtPlugin("org.typelevel"                % "sbt-tpolecat"         % "0.5.1")
-ThisBuild / libraryDependencySchemes += "org.scala-lang.modules" %% "scala-xml"    % VersionScheme.Always