Getting Started with v4
Introduction​
DocSearch v4 provides a significant upgrade over previous versions, offering enhanced accessibility, responsiveness, and an improved search experience for your documentation. Built on Algolia Autocomplete, DocSearch v4 ensures a seamless integration trusted by leading documentation sites worldwide.
Installation​
DocSearch packages are available on the npm registry.
- JavaScript
- React
yarn add @docsearch/js@4
# or with npm
npm install @docsearch/js@4
Without package manager​
Include CSS in your website's <head>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/@docsearch/css@4" />
And the JavaScript at the end of your <body>
:
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/@docsearch/js@4"></script>
yarn add @docsearch/react@4
# or
npm install @docsearch/react@4
Without package manager​
Include CSS in your website's <head>
:
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/@docsearch/css@4" />
And the JavaScript at the end of your <body>
:
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/@docsearch/react@4"></script>
Optimize first query performance​
Enhance your users' first search experience by using preconnect
, see Performance optimization below
Implementation​
- JavaScript
- React
DocSearch requires a dedicated container in your HTML
<div id="docsearch"></div>
Initialize DocSearch by passing your container:
import docsearch from '@docsearch/js';
import '@docsearch/css';
docsearch({
container: '#docsearch',
appId: 'YOUR_APP_ID',
indexName: 'YOUR_INDEX_NAME',
apiKey: 'YOUR_SEARCH_API_KEY',
});
DocSearch generates an accessible, fully-functional search input for you automatically.
Integrating DocSearch into your React app is straightforward:
import { DocSearch } from '@docsearch/react';
import '@docsearch/css';
function App() {
return (
<DocSearch
appId="YOUR_APP_ID"
indexName="YOUR_INDEX_NAME"
apiKey="YOUR_SEARCH_API_KEY"
/>
);
}
export default App;
DocSearch generates a fully accessible search input out-of-the-box.
Quick Testing (without credentials)​
If you'd like to test DocSearch immediately without your own credentials, use our demo configuration:
- JavaScript
- React
docsearch({
appId: 'PMZUYBQDAK',
apiKey: '24b09689d5b4223813d9b8e48563c8f6',
indexName: 'docsearch',
askAi: 'askAIDemo',
});
<DocSearch
appId="PMZUYBQDAK"
apiKey="24b09689d5b4223813d9b8e48563c8f6"
indexName="docsearch"
askAi="askAIDemo"
/>
Or use our new dedicated DocSearch Playground
Using DocSearch with Ask AI​
DocSearch v4 introduces support for Ask AI, Algolia's advanced, AI-powered search capability. Ask AI enhances the user experience by providing contextually relevant and intelligent responses directly from your documentation.
To enable Ask AI, you can add your Algolia Assistant ID as a string, or use an object for more advanced configuration (such as specifying a different index, credentials, or search parameters):
- String
- Object
docsearch({
appId: 'YOUR_APP_ID',
indexName: 'YOUR_INDEX_NAME',
apiKey: 'YOUR_SEARCH_API_KEY',
askAi: 'YOUR_ALGOLIA_ASSISTANT_ID',
});
docsearch({
appId: 'YOUR_APP_ID',
indexName: 'YOUR_INDEX_NAME',
apiKey: 'YOUR_SEARCH_API_KEY',
askAi: {
indexName: 'YOUR_MARKDOWN_INDEX', // Optional: use a different index for Ask AI
apiKey: 'YOUR_SEARCH_API_KEY', // Optional: use a different API key for Ask AI
appId: 'YOUR_APP_ID', // Optional: use a different App ID for Ask AI
assistantId: 'YOUR_ALGOLIA_ASSISTANT_ID',
searchParameters: {
facetFilters: ['language:en', 'version:1.0.0'], // Optional: filter Ask AI context
},
},
});
- Use the string form for a simple setup.
- Use the object form to customize which index, credentials, or filters Ask AI uses.
Filtering search results​
Keyword search​
If your website uses DocSearch meta tags or if you've added custom variables to your config, you'll be able to use the facetFilters
option to scope your search results to a facet
This is useful to limit the scope of the search to one language or one version.
- JavaScript
- React
docsearch({
searchParameters: {
facetFilters: ['language:en', 'version:1.0.0'],
},
});
<DocSearch
searchParameters={{
facetFilters: ['language:en', 'version:1.0.0'],
}}
/>
Ask AI​
Filtering also applies when using Ask AI. This is useful to limit the scope of the LLM's search to only relevant results.
We recommend using the facetFilters
option when using Ask AI with multiple languages or any multi-faceted index.
- JavaScript
- React
docsearch({
askAi: {
assistantId: 'YOUR_ALGOLIA_ASSISTANT_ID',
searchParameters: {
facetFilters: ['language:en', 'version:1.0.0'],
},
},
});
<DocSearch
askAi={{
assistantId: 'YOUR_ALGOLIA_ASSISTANT_ID',
searchParameters: {
facetFilters: ['language:en', 'version:1.0.0'],
},
}}
/>
You can use facetFilters: ['type:content']
to ensure Ask AI only uses records where the type
attribute is content
(i.e., only records that actually have content). This is useful if your index contains records for navigation, metadata, or other non-content types.
Sending events​
You can send search events to your DocSearch index by passing in the insights
parameter when creating your DocSearch instance.
- JavaScript
- React
docsearch({
// other options
+ insights: true,
});
<DocSearch
// other options
+ insights={true}
/>
Performance optimization​
Preconnect​
Improve the loading speed of your initial search request by adding this snippet into your website's <head>
section:
<link rel="preconnect" href="https://YOUR_APP_ID-dsn.algolia.net" crossorigin />
This helps the browser establish a quick connection with Algolia, enhancing user experience, especially on mobile devices.