> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Meilisearch v1.4 release notes

> Released September 25, 2023

## New Features

### Customize text separators

Meilisearch word segmentation now supports customization through two new index settings: `separatorTokens` and `nonSeparatorTokens`.

Add a character to the `separatorTokens` list to use it as a word separator:

```bash theme={null}
curl \
 -X PUT 'http://localhost:7700/indexes/articles/settings/separator-tokens' \
 -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
 --data-binary '["§", "&sep"]'
```

Add a character to the `nonSeparatorTokens` list when you don't want Meilisearch to use it to separate words:

```bash theme={null}
curl \
 -X PUT 'http://localhost:7700/indexes/articles/settings/non-separator-tokens' \
 -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
 --data-binary '["@", "#", "&"]'
```

### Load user-defined dictionaries

Expand Meilisearch's default language-based dictionaries with domain-specific terms using the new `dictionary` index setting. This improves word segmentation accuracy for specialized vocabularies:

```bash theme={null}
curl \
 -X PUT 'http://localhost:7700/indexes/articles/settings/dictionary' \
 -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
 --data-binary '["J. R. R.", "J.R.R."]'
```

The `dictionary` setting works alongside existing `stopWords` and `synonyms` settings:

```json theme={null}
{
  "dictionary": [
    "J. R. R.",
    "J.R.R."
  ],
  "synonyms": {
    "J.R.R.": [
      "jrr",
      "J. R. R."
    ],
    "J. R. R.": [
      "jrr",
      "J.R.R."
    ],
    "jrr": [
      "J.R.R.",
      "J. R. R."
    ]
  }
}
```

## Improvements

### Enhanced data privacy in error messages

Hidden document fields are no longer displayed in error messages. When attempting to sort by a non-sortable field while other non-displayed sortable fields exist, you'll see a message like:

```text theme={null}
Available sortable attributes are: price, stock, <..hidden-attributes>.
```

### Improved filter parameter handling with backslashes

Fixed a bug preventing proper use of backslash characters in `filter` search parameter expressions. This change requires updating how backslashes are escaped in filters.

If you use backslashes in filter expressions, you must now escape them. For example:

* Before v1.4.0: `path = "my\\test\\path"`
* From v1.4.0: `path = "my\\\\test\\\\path"`

The JSON layer unescapes `\\\\` to `\\`, and then Meilisearch unescapes `\\` to a single `\`.

### Search performance improvements

Improved indexing speed when importing dumps by using buffered readers and writers.

## Other

### Breaking change: Backslash escaping in filter expressions

Users with backslash characters in `filter` search parameters must update their filter expressions. All backslashes now require escaping at the Meilisearch filter level (in addition to any JSON escaping).

For a document with `path: "my\test\path"` stored as `"my\\test\\path"` in JSON, the filter syntax changed:

* Previously: `path = "my\\test\\path"` (only JSON escaping)
* Now: `path = "my\\\\test\\\\path"` (JSON + Meilisearch filter escaping)

[Find more information on GitHub](https://github.com/meilisearch/meilisearch/releases/tag/v1.4.0)


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