diff --git a/cli/command/registry/formatter_search.go b/cli/command/registry/formatter_search.go
index 9a1600c3de..3a7cb187b9 100644
--- a/cli/command/registry/formatter_search.go
+++ b/cli/command/registry/formatter_search.go
@@ -16,8 +16,15 @@ const (
 	automatedHeader = "AUTOMATED"
 )
 
-// NewSearchFormat returns a Format for rendering using a network Context
+// NewSearchFormat returns a Format for rendering using a search Context
+//
+// Deprecated: this function was only used internally and will be removed in the next release.
 func NewSearchFormat(source string) formatter.Format {
+	return newFormat(source)
+}
+
+// newFormat returns a Format for rendering using a searchContext.
+func newFormat(source string) formatter.Format {
 	switch source {
 	case "", formatter.TableFormatKey:
 		return defaultSearchTableFormat
@@ -26,10 +33,17 @@ func NewSearchFormat(source string) formatter.Format {
 }
 
 // SearchWrite writes the context
-func SearchWrite(ctx formatter.Context, results []registrytypes.SearchResult) error {
+//
+// Deprecated: this function was only used internally and will be removed in the next release.
+func SearchWrite(fmtCtx formatter.Context, results []registrytypes.SearchResult) error {
+	return formatWrite(fmtCtx, results)
+}
+
+// formatWrite writes the context.
+func formatWrite(fmtCtx formatter.Context, results []registrytypes.SearchResult) error {
 	render := func(format func(subContext formatter.SubContext) error) error {
 		for _, result := range results {
-			searchCtx := &searchContext{trunc: ctx.Trunc, s: result}
+			searchCtx := &searchContext{trunc: fmtCtx.Trunc, s: result}
 			if err := format(searchCtx); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
@@ -43,7 +57,7 @@ func SearchWrite(ctx formatter.Context, results []registrytypes.SearchResult) er
 		"StarCount":   starsHeader,
 		"IsOfficial":  officialHeader,
 	}
-	return ctx.Write(&searchCtx, render)
+	return fmtCtx.Write(&searchCtx, render)
 }
 
 type searchContext struct {
diff --git a/cli/command/registry/formatter_search_test.go b/cli/command/registry/formatter_search_test.go
index 88c60203b6..e23a263467 100644
--- a/cli/command/registry/formatter_search_test.go
+++ b/cli/command/registry/formatter_search_test.go
@@ -157,12 +157,12 @@ func TestSearchContextWrite(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		{
 			doc:      "Table format",
-			format:   NewSearchFormat("table"),
+			format:   newFormat("table"),
 			expected: string(golden.Get(t, "search-context-write-table.golden")),
 		},
 		{
 			doc:    "Table format, single column",
-			format: NewSearchFormat("table {{.Name}}"),
+			format: newFormat("table {{.Name}}"),
 			expected: `NAME
 result1
 result2
@@ -170,14 +170,14 @@ result2
 		},
 		{
 			doc:    "Custom format, single field",
-			format: NewSearchFormat("{{.Name}}"),
+			format: newFormat("{{.Name}}"),
 			expected: `result1
 result2
 `,
 		},
 		{
 			doc:    "Custom Format, two columns",
-			format: NewSearchFormat("{{.Name}} {{.StarCount}}"),
+			format: newFormat("{{.Name}} {{.StarCount}}"),
 			expected: `result1 5000
 result2 5
 `,
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ result2 5
 	for _, tc := range cases {
 		t.Run(tc.doc, func(t *testing.T) {
 			var out bytes.Buffer
-			err := SearchWrite(formatter.Context{Format: tc.format, Output: &out}, results)
+			err := formatWrite(formatter.Context{Format: tc.format, Output: &out}, results)
 			if tc.expectedErr != "" {
 				assert.Check(t, is.Error(err, tc.expectedErr))
 			} else {
diff --git a/cli/command/registry/search.go b/cli/command/registry/search.go
index 59865e4f4f..ff42de5ca4 100644
--- a/cli/command/registry/search.go
+++ b/cli/command/registry/search.go
@@ -74,10 +74,10 @@ func runSearch(ctx context.Context, dockerCli command.Cli, options searchOptions
 
 	searchCtx := formatter.Context{
 		Output: dockerCli.Out(),
-		Format: NewSearchFormat(options.format),
+		Format: newFormat(options.format),
 		Trunc:  !options.noTrunc,
 	}
-	return SearchWrite(searchCtx, results)
+	return formatWrite(searchCtx, results)
 }
 
 // authConfigKey is the key used to store credentials for Docker Hub. It is