You asked for it, and it's finally here! Search analytics has officially landed in the Meilisearch Cloud! We've received numerous [requests](https://roadmap.meilisearch.com/tabs/1-under-consideration) for a way to track key analytics in the Meilisearch Cloud, and we've been hard at work developing a solution that not only empowers you to make data-driven decisions, but also enhances the overall user experience.

So, what's all the buzz about? 🤔
---------------------------------

The new dashboard incorporates a set of metrics providing insights into your users' search behaviors. Its purpose is to give you a quick and comprehensible overview of user search queries and highlight what they might be missing. The implications are vast:

*   Improve recommendations and popular search sections, bolstering e-commerce through cross-selling.
*   Create intelligence reports for your customers.
*   Fine-tune settings and ranking rules to optimize search experiences and inform business decisions.

![](https://unable-actionable-car.media.strapiapp.com/search_analytics_gif_093e60c664.jpg)

What metrics can you expect?
----------------------------

The first iteration of cloud analytics covers the following metrics:

*   Daily searches chart
*   Most searched queries
*   Searches without results
*   Daily search latency
*   Total searches
*   Total users
*   No result rate
*   Click through rate\*
*   Average click position
*   Daily searches per index
*   Conversion\*

\*_The CTR (click-through rate) and the conversion rate_ [_must be configured_](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/learn/cloud/analytics?utm_campaign=analytics-v1&utm_source=blog) _to fit a specific use case or need._

The default view combines the data from the indexes per project, but it’s also possible to filter out the insights for a specific project of your choice. The dashboard also allows you to select a custom range using a date picker:

![](https://unable-actionable-car.media.strapiapp.com/sa_index_data_picker_gif_56b1687bfd.jpg)

For a detailed walkthrough, check out the [live demo recording of search analytics](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCQWha562M0) on our YouTube channel.

The benefits of search analytics insights
-----------------------------------------

There are numerous advantages to gaining deeper insights into how your users interact with search. With our brand-new dashboard, you can:

*   **Gain rapid, actionable insights into your search performance** at a glance.
*   **Enhance your users' experience** by continuously optimizing result relevancy.
*   **Make more informed business decisions** by understanding your users and their needs.
*   For eCommerce and marketplaces: **develop cross-selling and upselling strategies to boost conversions.**

This marks just the beginning of our optimization and insights journey. Stay tuned for v2, where we will introduce advanced analytics capabilities and subviews.

### Availability and plans

The new Cloud search analytics are available for all Cloud users across all pricing tiers. Each tier has access to the same analytics and chart functionalities of the search analytics dashboard, with the distinction occurring in the _length of data retention_ provided to each tier: 7 days for the Build plan, 30 days for the Grow plan, and 90 days for both Pro and Enterprise plans.

[Try it in Meilisearch Cloud](https://cloud.meilisearch.com/?utm_campaign=analytics-v1&utm_source=blog)

Learn how to [get started with Meilisearch Cloud](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/learn/getting_started/cloud_quick_start?utm_campaign=analytics-v1&utm_source=blog) and read the [Analytics documentation](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/learn/cloud/analytics?utm_campaign=analytics-v1&utm_source=blog).

* * *

Stay in the loop by subscribing to our [newsletter](https://meilisearch.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=27870f7b71c908a8b359599fb&id=79582d828e&utm_campaign=teams-release&utm_source=blog). To learn more about Meilisearch's future and help shape it, take a look at our [roadmap](https://roadmap.meilisearch.com/?utm_campaign=teams-release&utm_source=blog) and participate in our [Product Discussions](https://github.com/meilisearch/product/discussions/?utm_campaign=teams-release&utm_source=blog).

For anything else, join our developer community on [Discord](https://discord.meilisearch.com/?utm_campaign=teams-release&utm_source=blog).

Search analytics have arrived!

[Meilisearch Cloud](https://meilisearch.com/cloud?utm_campaign=teams-release&utm_source=blog) introduces the all-new Teams feature. Now you can host and manage your projects in collaboration with your teammates.

Keep reading to learn how to use our Teams feature.

**Creating a team**
-------------------

From your main dashboard, click on the dropdown menu next to the Meilisearch logo on the top navbar, select _Create a team_. By clicking it and assigning a name to your team, your collaborative space is instantly set up.

![Create a team](https://unable-actionable-car.media.strapiapp.com/teams_1_cb16300cee.png)

**Inviting team members**
-------------------------

To invite your colleagues, navigate to the team settings, click on _Invite new member_, and enter their email address.

![Invite new member](https://unable-actionable-car.media.strapiapp.com/team_2_03149ccabf.png)

When you invite someone to a team, they receive an invitation link via email, and upon acceptance, they can start collaborating immediately. If they already have an account, a notification pops up on their dashboard too.

Collaborating
-------------

Every team member can create their own projects, ensuring everyone has a say in the collaboration.

Managing a team
---------------

For team owners have extensive control. They can modify project plans and update billing information.

From the _Team settings_ section, team owners can rename their team, manage user invitations and removals, and even transfer ownership.

![Team settings](https://unable-actionable-car.media.strapiapp.com/teams_4_468f5be5d0.png)

We hope this new release will improve collaboration with your team! Now start sending those invites 😜

[Open Meilisearch Cloud](https://cloud.meilisearch.com/?utm_campaign=teams-release&utm_source=blog)

Learn how to [get started with Meilisearch Cloud](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/learn/getting_started/cloud_quick_start?utm_campaign=teams-release&utm_source=blog).

* * *

Stay in the loop by subscribing to our [newsletter](https://meilisearch.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=27870f7b71c908a8b359599fb&id=79582d828e&utm_campaign=teams-release&utm_source=blog). To learn more about Meilisearch's future and help shape it, take a look at our [roadmap](https://roadmap.meilisearch.com/?utm_campaign=teams-release&utm_source=blog) and come participate in our [Product Discussions](https://github.com/meilisearch/product/discussions/?utm_campaign=teams-release&utm_source=blog).

For anything else, join our developer community on [Discord](https://discord.meilisearch.com/?utm_campaign=teams-release&utm_source=blog).

Introducing Teams — Meilisearch Cloud

🤩 Meilisearch v1.4 is live
---------------------------

0:00

/0:59

1×

Meilisearch v1.4 introduces the ability to configure **custom text separators** and **user-defined dictionaries**. Check out these shiny new features in action in our [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=a8RiA4ZidNkC0Bgd&v=730tYmlFG9I&feature=youtu.be).  For more details, you can also read the [release blog post](/blog/v1-4-release/?utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_source=october-news-23

[Read release blog](/blog/v1-4-release/?utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_source=october-news-23)

🚀 Symfony success story
------------------------

![Symfony's search solution for 12M words of documentation with Meilisearch](https://unable-actionable-car.media.strapiapp.com/symfony_4179adf8bf.png)

With Meilisearch, Symfony enhanced the search functionality across its **30 versions and 12M words of documentation**, significantly **boosting the speed and quality** of search results.

[Read sucess story](/blog/symfonys-solution-for-documentation-search/)

🗓 Save the date: upcoming live demo
------------------------------------

![Getting started with Meilisearch Cloud. Featuring live demo, product release updates, and Q&A. Thursday, Novemeber 2nd. 4PM CET, 3PM GMT, 11AM EDT](https://unable-actionable-car.media.strapiapp.com/unnamed_0a521c383b.png)

Join us on **November 2nd** to see a **live demo** of **Meilisearch Cloud** and its key capabilities. Get a first sneak peek of our newest **Search Analytics product release**. Bring your questions for the **live Q&A session** with our experts: **Thomas, Meilisearch’s cofounder**; and **María from the Product team**.

👉 Secure your participation [here](https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMlc-mqrjIsH912-HTRe-AaT-pp41bDe81a#/registration).  
  
We look forward to seeing you there!

[Register now](https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMlc-mqrjIsH912-HTRe-AaT-pp41bDe81a#/registration)

* * *

📰 In the news
--------------

### 🔁 [Syncing Meilisearch with your PostgreSQL database](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/learn/cookbooks/meilisync_postgresql?utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_source=october-news-23)

Learn how to keep Meilisearch in sync with your PostgreSQL database.

### 🔻 [Guide to hierarchical faceted search](/blog/nested-hierarchical-facets-guide/?utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_source=october-news-23)

Structure data and use Meilisearch to navigate through nested hierarchical facets from general to specific categories.

### 🌥 [Getting started with Meilisearch Cloud](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/learn/getting_started/cloud_quick_start?utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_source=october-news-23)

Our latest guide helps you get the best of Meilisearch without the hassle of self-hosting.

### 💾 [Squeezing millions of documents in 128 TB of virtual memory](/blog/dynamic-virtual-address-management/?utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_source=october-news-23)

How dynamic management of virtual memory enabled us to remove limitations in Meilisearch indexing policy.

### 🤓 [Are you indexing the smart way?](/blog/best-practices-for-faster-indexing/?utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_source=october-news-23)

Review the best practices to index your data efficiently and speed up the indexing process

* * *

🥰 Made with Meilisearch
------------------------

[Cardmapr](https://cardmapr.nl/) is back on the spotlight! Originally featured in our [newsletter #9](https://mailchi.mp/meilisearch/newsletter-5970105) for helping users discover businesses and their accepted credit cards, we're bringing it to the limelight again.

Why? They've  integrated a **WhatsApp service** into their platform. Now, users can send their location through WhatsApp, and thanks to **Meilisearch's [**geosearch**](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/learn/fine_tuning_results/geosearch)** capability, instantly receive nearby hotspots.

![nimated GIF showing a mobile phone screen displaying a messaging app. A message is received from 'Location' with the headline 'Locaties in Zwolle.' A brief summary mentions 157 locations found near the user's location in Zwolle, including 23 restaurants, 6 hotels, 20 fashion stores, and 13 supermarkets. There's also a link provided to view all these locations. ](https://unable-actionable-car.media.strapiapp.com/cardmapr_8a2b570a4e.gif)

<Callout>
  __We’re always looking to promote new projects from the community. Post yours in the__ [__#built-with-meilisearch__](https://discord.meilisearch.com/?ref=blog.meilisearch.com) __Discord channel or share it on Twitter/X with the #MadeWithMeilisearch hashtag!__)
 
</Callout>

* * *

🏡 Life at Meili
----------------

Discover the rationale, implementation, and outcomes of our shift to a four-day workweek, reflecting our commitment to work-life balance while maintaining operational excellence.

![A pair of hands holding up a large red alarm clock with a white frame, set against a bright turquoise background. The clock displays 4:22 time. The person's nails are painted in a vibrant red to match the clock's face.](https://unable-actionable-car.media.strapiapp.com/malvestida_magazine_Ffb_VFLA_Vscw_unsplash_f041fe4532.jpeg)

[Read blog post](/blog/how-we-implemented-the-4-day-work-week/?utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_source=october-news-23)

* * *

🦸 We are hiring!
-----------------

See our open positions:

*   [People Ops](https://jobs.lever.co/meili/e85fbbd1-0da5-48e1-b65c-35df12f97d76)
*   [Senior Account Executive](https://jobs.lever.co/meili/92e2ebdc-3023-4fbe-8dd2-c3cfc9ecd7bf)

* * *

Get these monthly updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our [newsletter](https://meilisearch.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=27870f7b71c908a8b359599fb&id=79582d828e&ref=blog.meilisearch.com).

For more things Meilisearch, join our developers community on [Discord](https://discord.gg/meilisearch/?ref=blog.meilisearch.com). You can learn more about the product by checking out the [roadmap](https://roadmap.meilisearch.com/?ref=blog.meilisearch.com) and participating in [product discussions](https://github.com/meilisearch/product/discussions?ref=blog.meilisearch.com).

Until next time.

Meilisearch October updates

This guide breaks down the concept of nested hierarchical facets and offers practical tips for implementation with [Meilisearch](https://www.meilisearch.com/).

* * *

Table of contents
-----------------

[What is faceted search?](#what-is-faceted-search?)  
[Nested hierarchical facets](#nested-hierarchical-facets)  
[Data structuring for hierarchical faceted search](#data-structuring-for-hierarchical-faceted-search)  
[Creating a hierarchical faceted search experience with Meilisearch](#creating-a-hierarchical-faceted-search-experience-with-meilisearch)  
[Using InstantSearch and instant-meilisearch](#using-instantsearch-and-instant-meilisearch)

* * *

What is faceted search?
-----------------------

Faceted search lets users refine search results via broad categories or facets. It's an intuitive way to sift through content, enabling users to find results matching their exact requirements.

Take ecommerce websites as a case in point. Users, when searching for products, encounter both a result list and a range of facets to help refinement. These facets can typically be found on the sidebar.

Example from our [ecommerce demo](https://ecommerce.meilisearch.com/):

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/vYLVdlN0R66skuGADtqg1mO_yYVuNs-kaNUKE0FRAS55tGHj5_08OEZ4-0rLMoyx9NpBm5z-AIV6ySCJThl1jjoh5GtDFFzAH1B-Lzk38N9ksnGMFD7zzMCn0zL2zb-3fiYFQPBUlAQwi9S5BKXC6n0)

Nested hierarchical facets
--------------------------

Nested facets provide a multi-level structure that helps users navigate through data by applying successive filters, often displayed in a hierarchical manner.

**Nested hierarchical facets** are particularly useful for navigating and searching large datasets or collections. Users can navigate up and down through various levels, thereby improving discoverability.

Picture an online book shopping experience. Users can:

1.  Begin with the overarching "Books" category
2.  Dive deeper by selecting a "Genre"
3.  Focus on a sub-genre
4.  And further refine by attributes like "Author", "Publication Date", or "Rating"

The foundation for such a search lies in the structuring of data.

### Data structuring for hierarchical faceted search

When implementing a hierarchical faceted search, data documents need a hierarchical categorization too—broad categories leading to finer ones.

Take a product dataset as an example:

```JSON
{
    "id": 1,
    "name": "Seagate BarraCuda 1 To (ST1000DM014)",
    "hierarchicalCategories": {
        "lvl0": "Electronics",
        "lvl1": "Electronics > Computer and Tablets",
        "lvl2": "Electronics > Computer and Tablets > Computer Parts",
        "lvl3": "Electronics > Computer and Tablets > Computer Parts > Storage"
    } 
}

```

Each product is linked to hierarchical categories, flowing from broad to specific, to establish a clear pathway through the data. This organized categorization is crucial in implementing faceted search, steering users from general categories like "Electronics" to more precise ones, such as "Storage" within "Computer Parts"

### Creating a hierarchical faceted search experience with Meilisearch

In Meilisearch, facets are a specific use-case of [filters](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/learn/fine_tuning_results/filtering). Whether something is a filter or a facet depends above all on UX and UI design. To be able to refine results based on facets, you need to add the attributes you want to use as facets to the [filterableAttributes list](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/reference/api/settings#filterable-attributes). From our product example, you should set  `hierarchicalCategories` as filterable.

Hierarchical facets typically use the [`AND` logical operator](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/learn/fine_tuning_results/filtering#and), as each level of the hierarchy acts conjunctively with the others to narrow down the search progressively.  

Example:

*   Category: Electronics
    *   Subcategory: Computers
        *   Brand: Apple

The results would show items that are in the Electronics category AND the Computers subcategory AND of the Apple brand.

When creating a faceted search interface, it is helpful to display the distribution of results across the different facets. Showing users the number of results in different categories as they refine their search can enhance their search experience.

Meilisearch supports this functionality through the [`facets` search parameter](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/reference/api/search#facets). When you add the `facets` parameter to your search query, Meilisearch returns a [facetDistribution](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/reference/api/search?ref=blog.meilisearch.com#facetdistribution) object. This object provides the number of matching documents distributed among the values of the given facet.

```JSON
  "facetDistribution":{
    "categories":{
      "Electronics":20,
      "Electronics > Computer and Tablets":7,
      …
      "Electronics > Computer and Tablets > Computer Parts > Storage":3
    }
```

Leveraging the facets search parameter, you can present a neatly organized and intuitive search interface, allowing users to filter through hierarchical categories effectively. Meilisearch hands you the keys to build your own faceted search UI, yet for a quick and easy setup, employing InstantSearch with instant-meilisearch is a highly efficient alternative.

### Using InstantSearch and instant-meilisearch

[InstantSearch](https://github.com/algolia/instantsearch?ref=blog.meilisearch.com) is an open-source front-end library to build search UIs. [Instant-meilisearch](https://github.com/meilisearch/meilisearch-js-plugins/tree/main/packages/instant-meilisearch?ref=blog.meilisearch.com) is the go-to search client for integrating InstantSearch with Meilisearch.

In this guide, we’ll be using React code samples, you can find more examples in InstantSearch’s documentation

To use InstantSearch with instant-meilisearch, you need to:

#### 1\. Import the required modules

```JavaScript
import React from 'react';
import { InstantSearch, SearchBox, InfiniteHits, HierarchicalMenu } from 'react-instantsearch';
import { instantMeiliSearch } from '@meilisearch/instant-meilisearch';
```

####   
2\. Establish a Meilisearch client with your Meilisearch host and search API key

```JavaScript
const searchClient = instantMeiliSearch( 'https://ms-7053a8dd7c09-72.lon.meilisearch.io', 'meilisearchApiKey' )
```

#### 3\. Set up instantsearch with your Meilisearch index name and the search client  

```Javascript
function App() {
  return (
    <InstantSearch indexName="products" searchClient={searchClient}>
      {/* Widgets */}
    </InstantSearch>
  );
}

```

To have a better understanding of how InstantSearch and instant-meilisearch work together, you can refer to our [dedicated blog post](/blog/instant-meilisearch/

In this guide we’ll use InstantSearch’s `HierarchicalMenu` widget to display categories in a hierarchical fashion.

This widget has a required prop called `attributes`. It takes an array of string values. Each string identifies a specific attribute from your data structure, intended to be used in generating the hierarchical menu.

```JavaScript
<HierarchicalMenu
    attributes={[
        "hierarchicalCategories.lvl0",
        "hierarchicalCategories.lvl1",
        "hierarchicalCategories.lvl2",
        "hierarchicalCategories.lvl3"
    ]}
/>
```

With this widget you can create a menu akin to the example below:

![Screenshot of a hierarchical faceted search interface under 'Categories'. 'Electronics' is the main category with 2874 items, under which 'Image & Sound' is a subcategory with 1047 items. Further nested, 'Television' is highlighted with 689 items, which breaks down into an additional level showing 'TV' with 689 items.](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/sv4j33IY1r0fpIqWnFRZpT_ntj1ccjqPKnzQuI40BvzH2Ko26pTfsYDCbal8llJsoc2y3RuQACarskaoOJrtMJOrV0Tr6bf8yLwVFeb-s_tEudtr7UIdXpufpoR7SWMGjRHhc40fpMJ-Teb2-Gwe5dE)

* * *

This guide equips you with the fundamental understanding and steps needed to implement a hierarchical faceted search using Meilisearch and InstantSearch, enhancing user navigation through layered, intuitive categorization.

For more things Meilisearch, you can subscribe to our [newsletter](https://meilisearch.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=27870f7b71c908a8b359599fb&id=79582d828e&ref=blog.meilisearch.com). You can learn more about our product by checking out the [roadmap](https://roadmap.meilisearch.com/?ref=blog.meilisearch.com) and participating in our [product discussions](https://github.com/meilisearch/product/discussions?ref=blog.meilisearch.com).

For anything else, join our developers community on [Discord](https://discord.meilisearch.com/?ref=blog.meilisearch.com).

Guide to hierarchical faceted search

Let's take a look at some of the most significant changes in Meilisearch's latest update. We’ll go over the main changes in this article, but you can also view the [full changelog](https://github.com/meilisearch/meilisearch/releases/tag/v1.4.0) on GitHub.

<Callout>
  v1.4 is now available on [Meilisearch Cloud](https://cloud.meilisearch.com/?utm_campaign=release-v1-4&utm_source=blog). Upgrade your Meilisearch instance in one click without downtime.
</Callout>

New feature: custom text separators  

--------------------------------------

To make string data searchable, Meilisearch relies on [separators](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/learn/advanced/datatypes?utm_campaign=release-v1-4&utm_source=blog#separators), as they serve to divide a string into tokens or words. Examples of separators include whitespaces, full-stops, or number signs (#). They play a crucial role in helping Meilisearch segment text effectively and enhance search relevancy.

Meilisearch comes with a predefined list of separators. However, these separators do not suit all use cases. For example, in a hashtag search, the number sign should not be considered a separator, but part of the word.

Starting with v1.4, Meilisearch allows you to customize the separators list to suit your specific needs.

### Using an SDK or the API

<Callout>
  This section shows code samples in JavaScript. Check out our [official SDKs](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/learn/what_is_meilisearch/sdks?utm_campaign=release-v1-4&utm_source=blog) or the [API reference](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/reference/api/settings?utm_campaign=release-v1-4&utm_source=blog#separator-tokens) for more examples.
</Callout>

#### Adding characters to the separators list  

To include a character in the separators list, update your index’s _Separators Tokens_ settings:

```JavaScript
client.index('myIndex').updateSeparatorTokens(['&sect;'])
```

This request adds the encoded version of the section sign character (\`§\`) to the separator tokens list.

#### Removing characters from the separators list  

To remove one or more characters from the separators list, update your index’s _Non Separator Tokens_ settings:

```JavaScript
client.index('myIndex').updateNonSeparatorTokens(['@', '#', '&'])
```

### Using Meilisearch Cloud

On [Meilisearch Cloud](https://cloud.meilisearch.com/?utm_campaign=release-v1-4&utm_source=blog), you can configure _Separator Tokens_ from your index’s settings. Both fields accept JSON format. To include separators, add them to the 'separators' field. To exclude certain characters as separators, list them under 'non-separators'.

![Screenshot of Meilisearch Cloud UI showcasing the 'separator settings' section. It features two fields: one for listing separators and another for listing non-separators. ](https://unable-actionable-car.media.strapiapp.com/0dfq_LJ_Qj_G_L_Rt9_X_r_F6d6_RKYCTU_Kt_K_ib_Q9_E_Ye3_A8_Cq_V_Ea20_Mv_q3_Pgo_Yrdkbcy_WC_8_QSZN_6f_Bn_D_Wu_QN_87_H_Izf_1_Zyk_FWKKD_Lv_b64487b283.jpg)

New feature: custom dictionary
------------------------------

<Callout>
  This section shows code samples in JavaScript. Check out our [official SDKs](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/learn/what_is_meilisearch/sdks?utm_campaign=release-v1-4&utm_source=blog) or the [API reference](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/reference/api/settings?utm_campaign=release-v1-4&utm_source=blog#dictionary) for more examples.
</Callout>

Now, you can add a custom word dictionary to improve Meilisearch's segmentation of specific words. This is particularly useful when working with domain-specific terminology like “Node.js” or proper nouns like “E. E. Cummings”.

To add words to the dictionary, update your index’s _Dictionary_ settings:

```JavaScript
client.index('myIndex').updateDictionary(['e. e.', 'e.e.', 'e e'])
```

On [Meilisearch Cloud](https://cloud.meilisearch.com/?utm_campaign=release-v1-4&utm_source=blog), you can configure a _Custom Dictionary_ by providing a JSON array in your index’s settings. You can also upload a JSON file as dictionary.

### Using custom dictionary with stop words and synonyms

The introduction of a custom dictionary acts as a powerful adjunct to existing features like [stopWords](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/reference/api/settings?utm_campaign=release-v1-4&utm_source=blog#stop-words) and [synonyms](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/learn/configuration/synonyms?utm_campaign=release-v1-4&utm_source=blog). Together, they synergize to improve the relevancy of the search results.

Let’s consider a literary database where an author's name may appear in various forms or abbreviations. This leads to fragmented search results, making it challenging for users to find works by that specific author. For example, take the different ways one might search for works by E. E. Cummings. Using the custom dictionary feature along synonyms can standardize these name variations, thereby enhancing the relevancy of search results.

Using synonyms and custom dictionary together, here’s an example of index settings that address this scenario:

```JSON
{
"dictionary": ["E. E.", "E.E.", "E E"],
"synonyms": {
    "E. E.": [ "E.E.", "E E", "Edward Estlin"],
    "E.E.": ["E. E.", "E E", "Edward Estlin"],
    "E E": ["E. E.", "E.E.", "Edward Estlin"],
    "Edward Estlin": ["E. E.", "E.E.", "E E"]
}
```

Breaking bug fix: improved filtering with backslashes
-----------------------------------------------------

In v1.4, we've addressed a longstanding bug that users faced when using backslashes (\\) at the end of the \`filter\` search parameter expression.

Let’s consider the following documents:

```JSON
[
  {
    "id": 1,
    "path": "my\\test\\path"
  },
  {
    "id": 2,
    "path": "my\\test\\path\\"
  }
]

```

**Note**: The double backslashes in the example are for JSON escaping.

Before v1.4.0, trying to filter on the second document using either of the filters `path = "my\\test\\path\\"` or `path = "my\\test\\path\\\"` would lead to errors.

Now, you can use any filter expression with backslashes. Just make sure to escape each `\` character in your filter.  

Using our example, to filter on the second document successfully, the filter should be written as: `path = "my\\\\test\\\\path\\\\"`.  

⚠️ **Warning:** If you're upgrading from v1.3.X or earlier and have previously used backslashes in filters, be aware that in v1.4.0, the correct filter for the first document should be `path = "my\\\\test\\\\path"`.  

Two layers of escaping are applied: : first, escape for JSON, then for the Meilisearch filter. Meilisearch turns `\\\\` back to `\\`, and JSON parsing will result in a single `\`.  

<Callout>
  Consider using built-in methods of your programming language to handle backslashes:- PHP: [addslashes() function](https://www.php.net/manual/en/function.addslashes.php)\- JavaScript: While JS doesn't have a specific method for adding slashes. You can use the [replace method](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/String/replace), as suggested on [StackOverflow](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/7744912/making-a-javascript-string-sql-friendly)
</Callout>

Contributors
------------

We are really grateful for all the community members who participated in this release. We would like to thank: [@dogukanakkaya](https://github.com/dogukanakkaya), [@JannisK89](https://github.com/JannisK89), and [@vivek-26](https://github.com/vivek-26) for their help with Meilisearch. We want to send a special shout out to [mmachatschek](https://github.com/mmachatschek/) for his help and involvement with the backlash bug.

Conclusion
----------

And that’s it for v1.4! Remember to check the [changelog](https://github.com/meilisearch/meilisearch/releases/tag/v1.4.0) for the full release notes, and see you next time!  

You can stay in the loop by subscribing to our [newsletter](https://meilisearch.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=27870f7b71c908a8b359599fb&id=79582d828e). To learn more about Meilisearch's future and help shape it, take a look at our [roadmap](https://roadmap.meilisearch.com/) and come participate in our [Product Discussions](https://github.com/meilisearch/product/discussions).  

For anything else, join our developers community on [Discord](https://discord.gg/meilisearch).

What's new in v1.4?

[Symfony](https://symfony.com/) is an open-source web development framework for PHP that enables users to create web applications by utilizing sets of reusable components. Originating from France, Symfony combines a web application framework, a philosophy, and a vibrant community.

**With Meilisearch, Symfony gained better control over parsing and indexing of documentation content to speed up and improve the quality of search results.**

> _Using Meilisearch has been a delight so far. It all starts with its quick and simple installation process, followed by its great and thorough documentation, and it ends with a powerful search engine with mind-blowing performance. Meilisearch feels fun, fresh and uncomplicated._ \- Javier Eguiluz, Symfony Evangelist.

Challenge
---------

Fast and efficient information retrieval from [Symfony’s documentation](https://symfony.com/doc/current/index.html) is essential for the success of its rapidly growing community. The Symfony Documentation, including code samples, comprises well **over 12 million words**, and throughout its history, Symfony has published **30 different version updates**, making smooth information retrieval from the documentation crucial. In fact, to ensure the search function is as accessible as possible for [symfony.com](https://symfony.com/) visitors, the team integrated multiple keyboard shortcuts to open the search input across the entire website.

In the past, Symfony’s team explored various products and services, including Apache Solr, Elasticsearch, Google Custom Search Engine, and Algolia Search. However, the team realized the need for better control over the parsing and indexing of search content in order to tweak the search rules and improve website navigation and the overall search experience as a result. While using a fully hosted service is convenient, the pre-existing [configuration via JSON files](https://github.com/algolia/docsearch-configs/blob/master/configs/symfony.json) proved cumbersome and did not provide Symfony with the flexibility it required.

Secondly, there was potential to improve the overall quality of the search results, with the Symfony team receiving some complaints about inaccurate or missing results from the documentation users. Unfortunately, due to the aforementioned lack of control over the parsing and indexing processes, significant improvements to these results were unattainable and the need for a better alternative became evident.

Why Symfony chose Meilisearch
-----------------------------

Determined to find a better alternative, Symfony’s team started research on search engines. From the very beginning, the preference was for open-source projects developed in Go, because there was existing internal prior expertise in that language. Although there were many search solutions on the markets that matched those requirements, many of them lacked active development, didn’t have an active community, or missed essential features such as support for synonyms.

Finally, the team looked at Meilisearch, which provides an open-source search engine developed in Rust, along with an option to self-host, and quickly found a fit. Meilisearch’s established reputation as an open-source project with a vibrant community played a pivotal role in influencing the final decision.

Implementation
--------------

Meilisearch offers integrations with a wide range of programming languages and frameworks. In addition to hosting Symfony's index data, the Meilisearch team provided valuable assistance during the migration process so that a single developer who had no prior experience with Meilisearch was able to handle an entire migration and the implementation process, using the [Meilisearch PHP integration](https://github.com/meilisearch/meilisearch-php) with the Symfony [HttpClient component](https://symfony.com/http-client).

Here’s a brief overview of the technical integration process:

1.  **Parsing Symfony Documentation:** For Symfony’s documentation, the process included splitting the entire page contents into multiple small documents in order to produce better search results, closely related to the query terms.
2.  **Indexing Documents** was the simplest part of the process and included configuring [stopwords](https://specs.meilisearch.com/specifications/text/0123-stop-words-setting-api.html#_3-functional-specification) (list of words to be ignored in search queries) and synonyms to produce better search results.

For a full walkthrough of how Symfony implemented parsing of their documentation, documents indexing, and search engine interface, we recommend taking a look at their blog post on [migrating symfony.com search engine to Meilisearch](https://symfony.com/blog/migrating-symfony-com-search-engine-to-meilisearch).

Results
-------

The Symfony team focuses primarily on two different aspects of performance when evaluating the results:

*   **Performance of indexing contents:** Meilisearch can index approximately 800 full documents per second, which includes the processing of hundreds of stopwords and tens of synonyms.
*   **Performance of queries:** Symfony, including all versions of Symfony Docs and documentation for bundles, parses 12,754 files and generates 85,146 Meilisearch documents. The total time taken to parse, create, and index all these documents is 17 seconds. The search index consumes approximately 1.2 GB of disk space, with most queries returning results in less than 10 milliseconds.

> Nicolas Grekas, Core team member at Symfony, summarizes it as follows: _“These numbers are quite impressive and offer an excellent experience when updating search results in real-time as you type."_

To complete the evaluation process, the Symfony team conducted a comprehensive comparison between the previous search engine results and the new Meilisearch engine. They tested typical queries, rare queries, long queries, and queries with typos. Below is a [comparison of the search results](https://symfony.com/blog/migrating-symfony-com-search-engine-to-meilisearch#evaluating-the-result) obtained before (left) and after implementing Meilisearch (right):

![](https://unable-actionable-car.media.strapiapp.com/lp_X3_F9zw6h_F_Ka_8_Wrm3h_W4_X2_O8_KL_8_OA_4hfb_C9igir_cs_F_Pwp_M9_NQA_Rs_A_Rm_Nqdb1_Sjozss6q4_L_Pcg_n5_Vp_Pj_Selc_J_Ms_Wk_Cn_Zrbm_C_eb917263f4.jpg)

![](https://unable-actionable-car.media.strapiapp.com/Yyk95_A_Bhdkqzb_E2nia_BG_Rth_F_Iq_C_yu_Ek4_N_Duoya_AGIL_4ld_Xvi_Nn_TNJ_2_Ybw_R7_A2_M_Xtij4g_Xi_Hemu5t_H4_HBWAMBL_Zmv_Z6hv_Eks_Gzv_459f570ba3.jpg)

Since the new search experience was deployed, the team hasn't received any negative feedback from the community, which normally served as an indicator of the quality of the search experience.

Vision
------

Currently, Symfony's team is satisfied with Meilisearch's feature offering, which offers all the essential features needed, including indexing arbitrary information, sorting, result weighting, handling stopwords, synonyms, facets, filtering, and more.

> Javier Eguiluz, Symfony Evangelist, advises: "_Before integrating it into your projects, be aware of some_ [_known limitations_](https://docs.meilisearch.com/learn/advanced/known_limitations.html)_. If your project requirements are complex (e.g., cross-faceting between multiple indexes, etc.), make sure to check if these advanced features are already supported. Additionally, it's a good idea to review the_ [_Meilisearch public roadmap_](https://roadmap.meilisearch.com/)_._"

For a full walkthrough of how Symfony implemented parsing of their documentation, documents indexing, and search engine interface, we recommend taking a look at their blog post on [**migrating symfony.com search engine to Meilisearch**](https://symfony.com/blog/migrating-symfony-com-search-engine-to-meilisearch)**.**  
  
Ready to optimize your documentation search? [Start a free trial](https://www.meilisearch.com/cloud) with Meilisearch today.

Cracking the code: Symfony's search solution for 12 million words of documentation

**🚀 Introducing vector search**
--------------------------------

![Introducing Meilisearch's Vector search and Vector database to navigate the future of search](https://unable-actionable-car.media.strapiapp.com/introducing_vector_search_8e7f819b5e.png)

We’re excited to bring experimental support for vector search. This release introduces **semantic and hybrid search capabilities** to further enhance the search experience.

[Read the announcement](/blog/introducing-vector-search/)

**🤗 Hugging Face success story**
---------------------------------

![Hugging Face success story facilitating AI accessibility with Meilisearch Cloud](https://unable-actionable-car.media.strapiapp.com/huggingface_1d18e1c3b0.png)

Meilisearch powers the discovery of **300,000+ AI models, datasets, and demos** in the Hugging Face repository. Read to learn why Hugging Face chose Meilisearch Cloud to power their search.

[Read the success story](/blog/hugging-face-democratizes-ai/)

**📚 Introducing Documentation Crawler**
----------------------------------------

0:00

/

1×

We’re introducing the **Meilisearch Documentation Crawler** to enable to users integrate search into any docs site—paste your URL and let it do its magic. ✨ Check out the video or read the blog post below.

[Learn more about the Documentation Crawler](/blog/documentation-crawler-release/)

* * *

**📰 In the news**
------------------

### 🔄 [Syncing Meilisearch with your MySQL database](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/learn/cookbooks/meilisync_mysql?utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_source=september-news-23)

Learn how to keep Meilisearch in sync with your MySQL database.

### 🔝 [How to boost your search results with filter scoring](/blog/filter-scoring-guide/?utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_source=september-news-23)

Assign weights to your filters and prioritize documents based on how well they match your criteria.

### 🦜🔗 [A step-by-step tutorial to building semantic search](/blog/langchain-semantic-search-tutorial/?utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_source=september-news-23)

Learn how to use **LangChain** with Meilisearch to build semantic search using similarity search.

### 🔍 [Refining facets by ID with InstantSearch](/blog/id-based-facets-guide/?utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_source=september-news-23)

Read this community article how to use Meilisearch with Pydantic.

### 🔼 [Vercel marketplace integration](https://vercel.com/integrations/meilisearch-cloud)

The Vercel marketplace now lists 1 search integration—Meilisearch.

### 🍿 [Prose linting with Vale](/blog/prose-linting-with-vale/?utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_source=september-news-23)

Learn the importance of a style guide in technical writing and how Vale ensures your content complies with it.

* * *

🤗 Made with Meilisearch
------------------------

Our project of the month is [notiondesk.so](https://notiondesk.so/). Notiondesk allows you to turn a Notion database into a help center for customers.

Notiondesk use Meilisearch to power search in the help centers. Take a look at the search in [this example](https://help.bazarafrique.com/fr).

[![The easiest way to build a help center with Notion](https://unable-actionable-car.media.strapiapp.com/Screenshot_2023_09_18_at_18_27_37_1f3e6deccc.png)](https://notiondesk.so/)

<Callout>
  _We’re always looking to promote new projects from the community. Post yours in the_ [_#built-with-meilisearch_](https://discord.meilisearch.com/) _Discord channel!_
</Callout>

* * *

**🏡 Life at Meili**
--------------------

Our off-sites are designed to help people bond and get to know each other better without taking away the spontaneity of the connection. We want people to have fun without feeling pressured to perform.

[![Brittany, France](https://unable-actionable-car.media.strapiapp.com/Bretagne_1_5c86b3b085.jpg)](/blog/organizing-a-people-first-offsite/)

Brittany, France

[Read the blog post](/blog/organizing-a-people-first-offsite/)

* * *

**🦸‍♀️ We’re hiring!**
-----------------------

See our open positions:

*   [Head of Finance](https://jobs.lever.co/meili/14970d91-fb2f-4130-b568-97872eb62b31)
*   [Founding Account Executive](https://jobs.lever.co/meili/92e2ebdc-3023-4fbe-8dd2-c3cfc9ecd7bf)

* * *

Get these monthly updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our [newsletter](https://meilisearch.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=27870f7b71c908a8b359599fb&id=79582d828e&ref=blog.meilisearch.com).

For more things Meilisearch, join our developers community on [Discord](https://discord.gg/meilisearch/?ref=blog.meilisearch.com). You can learn more about the product by checking out the [roadmap](https://roadmap.meilisearch.com/?ref=blog.meilisearch.com) and participating in [product discussions](https://github.com/meilisearch/product/discussions?ref=blog.meilisearch.com).

Until next time.

Meilisearch September Updates

  
In this guide, we’ll delve into the concept of faceting in [Meilisearch](https://www.meilisearch.com/) and how to use it to display facet names while filtering by IDs.

**What is faceting?**
---------------------

[Faceting](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/learn/fine_tuning_results/faceted_search) is a technique used in search engines to classify search results into multiple categories or “facets”. These facets can be anything from categories, tags, price ranges, to even colors. This makes it easier for the user to navigate and filter through the results, providing a more refined and efficient search experience.

**Why use the ID as a facet filter?**
-------------------------------------

For most applications and users, filtering by facet names, such as the genre of movies, is often sufficient and intuitive. Facet names are human-readable and provide a clear idea of what the filter does. However, in some use cases, it is preferable to filter by ID for a couple of key reasons:

*   **Less prone to errors**: IDs are usually simpler and standardized, making them less susceptible to typos or inconsistencies that might be present in facet names.
*   **Unique identifiers**: In some databases, facet names might be repeated with slightly different characteristics, whereas IDs are always unique. This is especially useful in cases where you have items with similar or identical names but different properties.

By using IDs for filtering but displaying the corresponding facet names to the users, you can achieve the best of both worlds: efficiency and usability. This way, you are leveraging the strengths of both IDs and names, making your application robust and user-friendly.

**The ID-to-name challenge**
----------------------------

In Meilisearch, facets are a specialized use-case of filters. Essentially, you can use any attribute added to the [`filterableAttributes`](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/reference/api/settings#filterable-attributes) list as a facet. When you add a facet parameter to your search query, Meilisearch will return a `[facetDistribution](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/reference/api/search#facetdistribution)` object. This object provides the number of matching documents distributed among the values of the given facet.

```JSON
 "facetDistribution":{
    "genres":{
      "Classics":6,
      "Comedy":1,
      "Coming-of-Age":1,
      "Fantasy":2,
      "Fiction":8,
      …
    }
  }
```

However, if the field you’ve added to the filterableAttributes list is an ID, the `facetDistribution` object will return these IDs.

```JSON
 "facetDistribution":{
    "genres":{
      "5":6,
      "6":1,
      "8":1,
      "13":2,
      "16":8,
      …
    }
  }
```

While IDs are great for back-end operations, they are not necessarily user-friendly or meaningful on the front-end. This is why you might want to map these IDs back to their corresponding facet names when displaying them in your user interface.

**ID-to-name mapping in the frontend**
--------------------------------------

Suppose you have a dataset of movies following the structure below:

```JSON
{
    "id": 5,
    "title": "Four Rooms",
    "overview": "It's Ted the Bellhop's first night on the job....",
    "genres": [
        {
            "id": 7,
            "name": "Crime"
        },
        {
            "id": 6,
            "name": "Comedy"
        },
    ],
    "release_date": 818467200,
}
```

You want a faceted search based on the movies genres. So you add genres.id to the [filterable attributes](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/reference/api/settings#filterable-attributes) list. Of course, in the UI you want to display genres.name, so that the user will see “Crime” on the UI instead of “7”.

Let’s dive into how you can accomplish this with InstantSearch and instant-meilisearch.

### **Using InstantSearch and instant-meilisearch**

[InstantSearch](https://github.com/algolia/instantsearch) is an open-source front-end library to build search UIs. [Instant-meilisearch](https://github.com/meilisearch/meilisearch-js-plugins/tree/main/packages/instant-meilisearch) is the go-to search client for integrating InstantSearch with Meilisearch.

To use instant-meilisearch with InstantSearch, you need to:  

**1\. Import the required modules, including instantMeiliSearch**

```JavaScript
import { instantMeiliSearch } from '@meilisearch/instant-meilisearch'
import instantsearch from 'instantsearch.js'
import { searchBox, infiniteHits,refinementList } from 'instantsearch.js/es/widgets'
```

  
**2\. Establish a Meilisearch client with your Meilisearch host and search API key**

```JavaScript
const searchClient = instantMeiliSearch(
  'https://ms-7053a8dd7c09-72.lon.meilisearch.io',
  'meilisearchApiKey'
)

```

**3\. Set up instantsearch with your Meilisearch index name and the search client**

```JavaScript
const searchIndex = instantsearch({
  indexName: 'movies',
  searchClient
})

```

In this guide, we’ll use InstantSearch’s `refinementList` widget to map IDs to user-friendly names.

This widget comes with an optional parameter called `transformItems`. This function receives the `items` (or facets) and allows you to transform them before they are displayed on the UI. It also includes the full results data in its parameters.

Each item—or facet—includes the following properties:

*   `count`: the number of occurrences of the facet in the result set
*   `value`: the value used for refining (in our case it would be genres.id)
*   `label`: the label to display
*   `highlighted`: the highlighted label. This value is displayed in the default template

As you can see `highlighted` is the label used by default in the `refinementlList` widget.

With this information, we can use the `transformItems` function to display the `genres.name` instead of `genres.id`.

```JavaScript
transformItems(items, { results }) {
    // The 'results' parameter contains the full results data
    return items.map(item => {
      // Initialize genreName with the existing highlighted label
      let genreName = item.highlighted;
      
      // Loop through results.hits to find a matching genre
      for (let hit of results.hits) {
        const matchedGenre = hit.genres.find(genre => genre.id.toString() === item.value);
        
        // Update genreName if a match is found
        if (matchedGenre) {
          genreName = matchedGenre.name;
          break;
        }
      }
      
      // Return the updated item with the new tagName as the highlighted value
      return {
        ...item,
        highlighted: genreName
      };
    });
  }
```

With this configuration, you’ll efficiently map IDs to more user-friendly names, enhancing the search experience for your users.

The full code should look like this:

```JavaScript
import { instantMeiliSearch } from '@meilisearch/instant-meilisearch'
import instantsearch from 'instantsearch.js'
import { searchBox, infiniteHits,refinementList } from 'instantsearch.js/es/widgets'

const searchClient = instantMeiliSearch(
  'https://ms-7053a8dd7c09-72.lon.meilisearch.io',
  'meilisearchApiKey'
)
  
const searchIndex = instantsearch({
  indexName: 'movies',
  searchClient
})

const searchBox = instantsearch.widgets.searchBox({
  // ...
});

const hits = instantsearch.widgets.hits({
  // ...
});

const refinementList = instantsearch.widgets.refinementList({
  container: '#facets',
  attribute: 'genres.id',
  transformItems(items, { results }) {
    return items.map(item => {
      let genreName = item.highlighted; 
      for (let hit of results.hits) {
        const matchedGenre = hit.genres.find(genre => genre.id.toString() === item.value);
        if (matchedGenre) {
          genreName = matchedGenre.name;
          break;
        }
      }
      return {
        ...item,
        highlighted: genreName
      };
    });
  }
})

searchIndex.addWidgets([searchBox, infiniteHits, refinementList]);

searchIndex.start()

```

This example shows how to implement ID-to-name mapping with [vanilla JavaScript](https://www.algolia.com/doc/api-reference/widgets/refinement-list/js/#widget-param-transformitems), but you can achieve similar results with your preferred frontend framework. Checkout the respective documentation for [React](https://www.algolia.com/doc/api-reference/widgets/refinement-list/react/#widget-param-transformitems) and [Vue](https://www.algolia.com/doc/api-reference/widgets/refinement-list/vue/#widget-param-transform-items).

For more things Meilisearch, you can subscribe to our [newsletter](https://meilisearch.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=27870f7b71c908a8b359599fb&id=79582d828e). You can learn more about our product by checking out the [roadmap](https://roadmap.meilisearch.com/) and participating in our [product discussions](https://github.com/meilisearch/product/discussions).

For anything else, join our developers community on [Discord](https://discord.meilisearch.com/).

Meilisearch latest news and company updates