diff --git a/client/src/components/pages/Register/aboutyou.tsx b/client/src/components/pages/Register/aboutyou.tsx
index d1fa048..b7a7ae3 100644
--- a/client/src/components/pages/Register/aboutyou.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/pages/Register/aboutyou.tsx
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ const AboutYou: RegisterVariantType = ({ transitionDisplay }) => {
         setInput(received);
     }, []);
 
+    useEffect(() => {
+        if (authContext.user) navigate('/');
+    }, [authContext]);
+
     const formConfig: FormConfig<IUser> = {
         parent: "register",
         keys: ['firstname', 'lastname', 'handle', 'email', 'password'],
diff --git a/client/src/components/pages/Register/addfriends.tsx b/client/src/components/pages/Register/addfriends.tsx
index 1e5e864..3cdf052 100644
--- a/client/src/components/pages/Register/addfriends.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/pages/Register/addfriends.tsx
@@ -1,20 +1,49 @@
-import { ChangeEvent, useEffect, useState } from "react";
+import { Button, Divider, Page, Panel, TextField, UserCard } from "../../ui";
+import { ChangeEvent, useCallback, useEffect, useState } from "react";
 import { RegisterVariantType, VariantLabel } from ".";
 import { IUser } from "../../../schemas";
-import { Button, Divider, Page, Panel, TextField, UserCard } from "../../ui";
+import { getAllUsers } from "../../../util/apiUtils";
+import { v4 } from 'uuid';
 
 const AddFriends: RegisterVariantType = ({ transitionDisplay }) => {
     const [searchTerm, setSearchTerm] = useState<string>();
-    const [friendResults, setFriendResults] = useState<IUser[]>();
+    const [userPool, setUserPool] = useState<IUser[]>([]);
+    const [friendResults, setFriendResults] = useState<IUser[]>([]);
 
     const handleClick = async () => {
         transitionDisplay(VariantLabel.FinishUp);
     }
 
+    // this isn't really working right now i don't think
+    const handleRequestSent = useCallback((targetid: string | number) => {
+        setUserPool((prev: IUser[]) => {
+            const newResults = prev.filter((user: IUser) => {
+                return user.id !== targetid;
+            })
+
+            return newResults;
+        })
+    }, [])
+
+    // load available user pool on mount
     useEffect(() => {
-        // run search when state changes and store it in friendresults
-        console.log(searchTerm);
-    }, [searchTerm])
+        (async function() {
+            const result = await getAllUsers();
+            if (result) setUserPool(result);
+        })();
+    }, [])
+
+    useEffect(() => {
+        if (!searchTerm) {
+            setFriendResults(new Array<IUser>());
+        } else {
+            const narrowedPool = userPool?.filter((person: IUser) => {
+                if (person.firstname.toLowerCase().includes(searchTerm) || person.lastname.toLowerCase().includes(searchTerm) || person.handle.toLowerCase().includes(searchTerm)) return person;
+            })
+
+            setFriendResults(narrowedPool);
+        }
+    }, [userPool, searchTerm])
 
     return (
         <Page>
@@ -31,11 +60,11 @@ const AddFriends: RegisterVariantType = ({ transitionDisplay }) => {
                 <h3>If you know their email or unique handle, type it in below!</h3>
 
                 <div id="friend-search-widget">
-                    <TextField onChange={(e: ChangeEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => setSearchTerm(e.target.value)} placeholder={'Search'} />
+                    <TextField onChange={(e: ChangeEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => setSearchTerm(e.target.value.toLowerCase())} placeholder={'Search'} />
 
                     {
                         friendResults && friendResults.map((friend: IUser) => {
-                            return <UserCard user={friend} />
+                            return <UserCard key={v4()} user={friend} canAdd liftData={() => handleRequestSent(friend.id!)} />
                         })
                     }
                 </div>
diff --git a/client/src/components/pages/Register/index.tsx b/client/src/components/pages/Register/index.tsx
index ea18269..4d42422 100644
--- a/client/src/components/pages/Register/index.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/pages/Register/index.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
-import { FC, useCallback, useState } from "react";
+import { FC, useEffect, useState } from "react";
 import { useAuthContext } from "../../../context/AuthContext";
 import { IUser } from "../../../schemas";
-import { Page } from "../../ui";
 import AboutYou from "./aboutyou";
 import AddFriends from "./addfriends";
 import InitialCollection from "./collection";
diff --git a/client/src/components/ui/Button.tsx b/client/src/components/ui/Button.tsx
index f73c90c..00b76cb 100644
--- a/client/src/components/ui/Button.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/ui/Button.tsx
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 import { ButtonComponent } from "../../util/types"
 import "/src/sass/components/Button.scss";
 
-const Button: ButtonComponent = ({ onClick = (() => {}), children, extraStyles }) => {
+const Button: ButtonComponent = ({ onClick = (() => {}), children, extraStyles, disabled = false, disabledText = null }) => {
     return (
-        <button onClick={onClick} className={`ui-button ${extraStyles || ''}`}>
-            { children || "Button" }
+        <button onClick={onClick} disabled={disabled} className={`ui-button ${extraStyles || ''}`}>
+            { disabled ? (disabledText || children || "Button") : (children || "Button") }
         </button>
     )
 }
diff --git a/client/src/components/ui/UserCard.tsx b/client/src/components/ui/UserCard.tsx
index 862cc2a..facfee9 100644
--- a/client/src/components/ui/UserCard.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/ui/UserCard.tsx
@@ -1,12 +1,42 @@
+import { useEffect, useState } from "react";
+import { IUser } from "../../schemas";
+import { addFriend, getPendingFriendRequests } from "../../util/apiUtils";
 import { UserCardType } from "../../util/types";
+import Button from "./Button";
 import Card from "./Card";
 
-const UserCard: UserCardType = ({ extraStyles, user }) => {
+const UserCard: UserCardType = ({ extraStyles, user, canAdd = false, liftData }) => {
+    const [shouldDisable, setShouldDisable] = useState<boolean>(false);
+    
+    useEffect(() => {
+        (async function() {
+            const requestsOpen = await getPendingFriendRequests();
+            if (!requestsOpen) return;
+
+            for (let req of requestsOpen) {
+                if (req.targetid == user.id) {
+                    setShouldDisable(true);
+                    console.log(req);
+                    return;
+                }
+            }
+
+            setShouldDisable(false);
+        })();
+    }, [])
+
+    const handleClick = async () => {
+        const { id } = user;
+        const request = await addFriend(id!.toString());
+        if (request) console.log("Friend request sent to " + user.firstname);
+    }
+
     return (
-        <Card extraStyles={extraStyles}>
+        <Card extraStyles={'user-card' + extraStyles}>
             <div className="avatar"></div>
             <h3>{user.firstname} {user.lastname.substring(0,1)}.</h3>
             <h4>@{user.handle}</h4>
+            { canAdd && <Button disabledText={"Request Sent"} disabled={shouldDisable} onClick={handleClick}>Add Me</Button> }
         </Card>
     )
 }
diff --git a/client/src/util/apiUtils.tsx b/client/src/util/apiUtils.tsx
index 8ee8a52..a24900a 100644
--- a/client/src/util/apiUtils.tsx
+++ b/client/src/util/apiUtils.tsx
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ export const getBaseAPI = async () => {
     return fetch(API);
 }
 
-// auth and general user handlers
+// auth and general user management handlers
 export const checkCredientials = async () => {
     try {
         const response = await axios({
@@ -81,7 +81,46 @@ export const createNewCollection = async (body: ICollection) => {
     }
 }
 
-// for user friendships
+// for users and user friendships
+export const getAllUsers = async () => {
+    try {
+        const response = await axios({
+            method: "GET",
+            url: API + '/users'
+        })
+
+        return Promise.resolve(response.data);
+    } catch(e: any) {
+        throw e;
+    }
+}
+
+export const addFriend = async (id: string) => {
+    try {
+        const response = await axios({
+            method: "POST",
+            url: API + '/friend/' + id
+        })
+
+        return Promise.resolve(response.data);
+    } catch (e: any) {
+        throw e;
+    }
+}
+
+export const getPendingFriendRequests = async () => {
+    try {
+        const response = await axios({
+            method: "GET",
+            url: API + '/friend?pending=true'
+        })
+
+        return Promise.resolve(response.data);
+    } catch (e: any) {
+        throw e;
+    }
+}
+
 export const getFriendships = async () => {
     try {
         const response = await axios({
diff --git a/client/src/util/types.ts b/client/src/util/types.ts
index a70d8f1..4482928 100644
--- a/client/src/util/types.ts
+++ b/client/src/util/types.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ interface PortalBase {
 
 interface ButtonParams extends PortalBase {
     onClick?: (params?: any) => any
+    disabled?: boolean
+    disabledText?: string
 }
 
 export interface MultiChildPortal extends PortalBase {
@@ -18,6 +20,8 @@ export interface MultiChildPortal extends PortalBase {
 
 interface UserCardProps extends PortalBase {
     user: IUser
+    canAdd?: boolean
+    liftData?: (data: any) => void
 }
 
 interface NavbarProps {
diff --git a/server/controllers/UserCtl.ts b/server/controllers/UserCtl.ts
index c58696d..8d268c3 100644
--- a/server/controllers/UserCtl.ts
+++ b/server/controllers/UserCtl.ts
@@ -64,6 +64,16 @@ export default class UserCtl {
         }
     }
 
+    async getPendingFriendRequests(senderid: string | number) {
+        try {
+            const { ok, code, result } = await UserInstance.getPendingFriendRequests(senderid);
+            if (ok) return result;
+            throw createError(code, result);
+        } catch (e: any) {
+            throw new Error(e);
+        }
+    }
+
     async addFriendship(userid: number | string, targetid: number | string) {
         try {
             const result = await UserInstance.addFriendship(userid, targetid);
diff --git a/server/models/user.ts b/server/models/user.ts
index 5fa1ed0..ecec676 100644
--- a/server/models/user.ts
+++ b/server/models/user.ts
@@ -123,6 +123,18 @@ export class User {
         }
     }
 
+    async getPendingFriendRequests(senderid: number | string) {
+        try {
+            const statement = `SELECT * FROM recipin.cmp_userfriendships WHERE pending = true AND senderid = $1`
+            const result = await pool.query(statement, [senderid]);
+
+            if (result.rows.length) return { ok: true, code: 200, result: result.rows }
+            return { ok: true, code: 200, result: "No pending friend requests found" }
+        } catch (e: any) {
+            throw new Error(e);
+        }
+    }
+
     async addFriendship(userid: number | string, targetid: number | string) {
         try {
             const statement = `
diff --git a/server/routes/friend.ts b/server/routes/friend.ts
index aaaabb6..76f5765 100644
--- a/server/routes/friend.ts
+++ b/server/routes/friend.ts
@@ -23,10 +23,16 @@ export const friendRouter = (app: Express) => {
     // get all friendships for a user
     router.get('/', async (req, res, next) => {
         const { user }: any = req.user;
+        const { pending } = req.query;
 
         try {
-            const result = await UserInstance.getFriends(user.id);
-            res.status(200).send(result);
+            if (pending) {
+                const result = await UserInstance.getPendingFriendRequests(user.id);
+                res.status(200).send(result);
+            } else {
+                const result = await UserInstance.getFriends(user.id);
+                res.status(200).send(result);
+            }
         } catch(e) {
             next(e);
         }