> ## 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 v1.42 release notes

> Released April 13, 2026

## New Features

### Remote Availability Status for Query Fallback

The engine now tracks the availability status of remote instances in sharding and replication environments. Each remote is assigned a status (`available` or `unavailable`), allowing the engine to automatically avoid unavailable machines and resume querying them once they're back online.

The `/network` route now exposes remote statuses:

```json theme={null}
{
  "remotes": {
    "prod2": {
      "url": "http://localhost:7702",
      "searchApiKey": "mykey",
      "writeApiKey": "mykey",
      "status": "available"
    },
    "prod3": {
      "url": "http://localhost:7703",
      "searchApiKey": "mykey",
      "writeApiKey": "mykey",
      "status": "unavailable"
    }
  }
}
```

### Document Join Filtering (Experimental)

Filter documents based on attributes in related indexes using the new `_foreign` filter syntax. This extends cross-index document hydration to allow filtering on foreign indexes during retrieval.

To use this feature, enable the `foreignKeys` experimental feature:

```bash theme={null}
curl -X PATCH 'http://127.0.0.1:7700/experimental-features' \
 -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
 --data-binary '{"foreignKeys": true}'
```

Configure foreign keys and filterable attributes in your index settings:

```json theme={null}
{
  "foreignKeys": [
    {
      "fieldName": "actors",
      "foreignIndexUid": "actors"
    }
  ],
  "filterableAttributes": [
    {
      "attributePatterns": [
        "actors"
      ],
      "features": {
        "facetSearch": false,
        "filter": {
          "equality": true,
          "comparison": false
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}
```

Use the `_foreign` filter in search queries to filter on foreign index attributes:

```json theme={null}
{
  "q": "action movies",
  "filter": "genres = action AND _foreign(actors, birthDate STARTS WITH \"1958-\" AND popularity >= 3.5)"
}
```

This allows you to find documents based on conditions in related indexes. For example, find movies with a specific genre where actors match certain criteria.

Note: Nesting foreign filters is not supported. This feature does not support remote sharding environments.

## Improvements

### Better Error Handling for Chat Template Updates

The engine now explicitly validates and reports document template errors when updating chat settings, providing clearer feedback on template configuration issues.

[Find more information on GitHub](https://github.com/meilisearch/meilisearch/releases/tag/v1.42.0)


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