The technology described herein is directed towards a system that provides a user propagated search platform. The system maintains campaign data for offers that when active, are made available to users of the platform. When a user of a (typically mobile) device selectively attaches to an active offer, the user device clones that offer, and as the user device travels, propagates the clone of the offer to other users (their user devices) for potential attachment. Those other users can in turn attach to the clone, to facilitate further propagation. The campaign data, as provided by a campaign producer such as a merchant, can specify various parameters, including location areas for attachment and clone travel, start and end times for a campaign's offer, different zones that can control different clone-related actions, and incentives for a user to attach to and propagate a clone of an offer.