diff --git a/blocks/html/classes/search/content.php b/blocks/html/classes/search/content.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..32b20b9ee92d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/blocks/html/classes/search/content.php
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+<?php
+// This file is part of Moodle - http://moodle.org/
+//
+// Moodle is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+// it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+// the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+// (at your option) any later version.
+//
+// Moodle is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+// but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+// MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+// GNU General Public License for more details.
+//
+// You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+// along with Moodle.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+/**
+ * Search area for block_html blocks
+ *
+ * @package block_html
+ * @copyright 2017 The Open University
+ * @license http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU GPL v3 or later
+ */
+
+namespace block_html\search;
+
+use core_search\moodle_recordset;
+
+defined('MOODLE_INTERNAL') || die();
+
+/**
+ * Search area for block_html blocks
+ *
+ * @package block_html
+ * @copyright 2017 The Open University
+ * @license http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU GPL v3 or later
+ */
+class content extends \core_search\base_block {
+
+    public function get_document($record, $options = array()) {
+        // Create empty document.
+        $doc = \core_search\document_factory::instance($record->id,
+                $this->componentname, $this->areaname);
+
+        // Get stdclass object with data from DB.
+        $data = unserialize(base64_decode($record->configdata));
+
+        // Get content.
+        $content = content_to_text($data->text, $data->format);
+        $doc->set('content', $content);
+
+        if (isset($data->title)) {
+            // If there is a title, use it as title.
+            $doc->set('title', content_to_text($data->title, false));
+        } else {
+            // If there is no title, use the content text again.
+            $doc->set('title', shorten_text($content));
+        }
+
+        // Set standard fields.
+        $doc->set('contextid', $record->contextid);
+        $doc->set('type', \core_search\manager::TYPE_TEXT);
+        $doc->set('courseid', $record->courseid);
+        $doc->set('modified', $record->timemodified);
+        $doc->set('owneruserid', \core_search\manager::NO_OWNER_ID);
+
+        // Mark document new if appropriate.
+        if (isset($options['lastindexedtime']) &&
+                ($options['lastindexedtime'] < $record->timecreated)) {
+            // If the document was created after the last index time, it must be new.
+            $doc->set_is_new(true);
+        }
+
+        return $doc;
+    }
+
+    public function uses_file_indexing() {
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    public function attach_files($document) {
+        $fs = get_file_storage();
+
+        $context = \context::instance_by_id($document->get('contextid'));
+
+        $files = $fs->get_area_files($context->id, 'block_html', 'content');
+        foreach ($files as $file) {
+            $document->add_stored_file($file);
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/blocks/html/lang/en/block_html.php b/blocks/html/lang/en/block_html.php
index bf6df6febe76c..7eb2ad4f2cfd8 100644
--- a/blocks/html/lang/en/block_html.php
+++ b/blocks/html/lang/en/block_html.php
@@ -33,3 +33,4 @@
 $string['leaveblanktohide'] = 'leave blank to hide the title';
 $string['newhtmlblock'] = '(new HTML block)';
 $string['pluginname'] = 'HTML';
+$string['search:content'] = 'HTML block content';
diff --git a/blocks/html/tests/search_content_test.php b/blocks/html/tests/search_content_test.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..5afb8cd60fd64
--- /dev/null
+++ b/blocks/html/tests/search_content_test.php
@@ -0,0 +1,191 @@
+<?php
+// This file is part of Moodle - http://moodle.org/
+//
+// Moodle is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+// it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+// the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+// (at your option) any later version.
+//
+// Moodle is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+// but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+// MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+// GNU General Public License for more details.
+//
+// You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+// along with Moodle.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+/**
+ * Unit test for search indexing.
+ *
+ * @package block_html
+ * @copyright 2017 The Open University
+ * @license http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU GPL v3 or later
+ */
+
+namespace block_html;
+
+defined('MOODLE_INTERNAL') || die();
+
+/**
+ * Unit test for search indexing.
+ *
+ * @package block_html
+ * @copyright 2017 The Open University
+ * @license http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU GPL v3 or later
+ */
+class search_content_testcase extends \advanced_testcase {
+
+    /**
+     * Creates an HTML block on a course.
+     *
+     * @param \stdClass $course Course object
+     * @return \block_html Block instance object
+     */
+    protected function create_block($course) {
+        $page = self::construct_page($course);
+        $page->blocks->add_block_at_end_of_default_region('html');
+
+        // Load the block.
+        $page = self::construct_page($course);
+        $page->blocks->load_blocks();
+        $blocks = $page->blocks->get_blocks_for_region($page->blocks->get_default_region());
+        $block = end($blocks);
+        return $block;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Constructs a page object for the test course.
+     *
+     * @param \stdClass $course Moodle course object
+     * @return \moodle_page Page object representing course view
+     */
+    protected static function construct_page($course) {
+        $context = \context_course::instance($course->id);
+        $page = new \moodle_page();
+        $page->set_context($context);
+        $page->set_course($course);
+        $page->set_pagelayout('standard');
+        $page->set_pagetype('course-view');
+        $page->blocks->load_blocks();
+        return $page;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Tests all functionality in the search area.
+     */
+    public function test_search_area() {
+        global $CFG, $USER, $DB;
+        require_once($CFG->dirroot . '/search/tests/fixtures/testable_core_search.php');
+
+        $this->resetAfterTest();
+        $this->setAdminUser();
+
+        // Create course and add HTML block.
+        $generator = $this->getDataGenerator();
+        $course = $generator->create_course();
+        $before = time();
+        $block = $this->create_block($course);
+
+        // Change block settings to add some text and a file.
+        $itemid = file_get_unused_draft_itemid();
+        $fs = get_file_storage();
+        $usercontext = \context_user::instance($USER->id);
+        $fs->create_file_from_string(['component' => 'user', 'filearea' => 'draft',
+                'contextid' => $usercontext->id, 'itemid' => $itemid, 'filepath' => '/',
+                'filename' => 'file.txt'], 'File content');
+        $data = (object)['title' => 'Block title', 'text' => ['text' => 'Block text',
+                'itemid' => $itemid, 'format' => FORMAT_HTML]];
+        $block->instance_config_save($data);
+        $after = time();
+
+        // Set up fake search engine so we can create documents.
+        \testable_core_search::instance();
+
+        // Do indexing query.
+        $area = new \block_html\search\content();
+        $this->assertEquals('html', $area->get_block_name());
+        $rs = $area->get_recordset_by_timestamp();
+        $count = 0;
+        foreach ($rs as $record) {
+            $count++;
+
+            $this->assertEquals($course->id, $record->courseid);
+
+            // Check context is correct.
+            $blockcontext = \context::instance_by_id($record->contextid);
+            $this->assertInstanceOf('\context_block', $blockcontext);
+            $coursecontext = $blockcontext->get_parent_context();
+            $this->assertEquals($course->id, $coursecontext->instanceid);
+
+            // Check created and modified times are correct.
+            $this->assertTrue($record->timecreated >= $before && $record->timecreated <= $after);
+            $this->assertTrue($record->timemodified >= $before && $record->timemodified <= $after);
+
+            // Get config data.
+            $data = unserialize(base64_decode($record->configdata));
+            $this->assertEquals('Block title', $data->title);
+            $this->assertEquals('Block text', $data->text);
+            $this->assertEquals(FORMAT_HTML, $data->format);
+
+            // Check the get_document function 'new' flag.
+            $doc = $area->get_document($record, ['lastindexedtime' => 1]);
+            $this->assertTrue($doc->get_is_new());
+            $doc = $area->get_document($record, ['lastindexedtime' => time() + 1]);
+            $this->assertFalse($doc->get_is_new());
+
+            // Check the attach_files function results in correct list of associated files.
+            $this->assertCount(0, $doc->get_files());
+            $area->attach_files($doc);
+            $files = $doc->get_files();
+            $this->assertCount(2, $files);
+            foreach ($files as $file) {
+                if ($file->is_directory()) {
+                    continue;
+                }
+                $this->assertEquals('file.txt', $file->get_filename());
+                $this->assertEquals('File content', $file->get_content());
+            }
+
+            // Check the document fields are all as expected.
+            $this->assertEquals('Block title', $doc->get('title'));
+            $this->assertEquals('Block text', $doc->get('content'));
+            $this->assertEquals($blockcontext->id, $doc->get('contextid'));
+            $this->assertEquals(\core_search\manager::TYPE_TEXT, $doc->get('type'));
+            $this->assertEquals($course->id, $doc->get('courseid'));
+            $this->assertEquals($record->timemodified, $doc->get('modified'));
+            $this->assertEquals(\core_search\manager::NO_OWNER_ID, $doc->get('owneruserid'));
+
+            // Also check getting the doc url and context url.
+            $url = new \moodle_url('/course/view.php', ['id' => $course->id], 'inst' . $record->id);
+            $this->assertTrue($url->compare($area->get_doc_url($doc)));
+            $this->assertTrue($url->compare($area->get_context_url($doc)));
+        }
+        $rs->close();
+
+        // Should only be one HTML block systemwide.
+        $this->assertEquals(1, $count);
+
+        // If we run the query starting from 1 second after now, there should be no results.
+        $rs = $area->get_recordset_by_timestamp($after + 1);
+        $count = 0;
+        foreach ($rs as $record) {
+            $count++;
+        }
+        $rs->close();
+        $this->assertEquals(0, $count);
+
+        // Create another block, but this time leave it empty (no data set). Hack the time though.
+        $block = $this->create_block($course);
+        $DB->set_field('block_instances', 'timemodified',
+                $after + 10, ['id' => $block->instance->id]);
+        $rs = $area->get_recordset_by_timestamp($after + 10);
+        $count = 0;
+        foreach ($rs as $record) {
+            // Because there is no configdata we don't index it.
+            $count++;
+        }
+        $rs->close();
+        $this->assertEquals(0, $count);
+    }
+}
+