> ## 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.

# FAQ

> Common questions about Meilisearch features, setup, performance, and troubleshooting.

## I have never used a search engine before. Can I use Meilisearch anyway?

Of course! No knowledge of Elasticsearch or Solr is required to use Meilisearch. It is designed to be **easy to use** and accessible to all developers.

The fastest way to get started is with [Meilisearch Cloud](/getting_started/first_project), which gives you a running instance in minutes. You can also [self-host Meilisearch](/resources/self_hosting/getting_started/quick_start) if you prefer.

We provide [SDKs](/resources/help/sdks) for many languages and frameworks to help you integrate Meilisearch into your project.

## Should I use Meilisearch Cloud or self-host?

[Meilisearch Cloud](https://www.meilisearch.com/cloud) is the recommended option for most users. It handles provisioning, scaling, backups, and updates automatically, and includes built-in analytics and monitoring.

Self-hosting gives you full control over your infrastructure and is available under the MIT license (Community Edition). It requires managing your own servers, updates, and backups.

See the [Cloud quick start](/getting_started/first_project) or [self-hosting guide](/resources/self_hosting/getting_started/quick_start) to get started with either option.

## How does Meilisearch compare to other search engines?

We maintain detailed [comparisons](/resources/comparisons/alternatives) with Elasticsearch, Algolia, Typesense, and others. You can also try Meilisearch with your own data — the [Cloud free trial](https://www.meilisearch.com/cloud) requires no credit card.

## What are Meilisearch's limits?

Key limits include:

| Limit                              | Value                           |
| ---------------------------------- | ------------------------------- |
| Max documents per index            | \~4.3 billion                   |
| Max index size                     | \~80 TiB (recommended \< 2 TiB) |
| Max attributes per document        | 65,536                          |
| Max query terms (full-text search) | 10 words (configurable)         |
| Default max results per search     | 1,000 (configurable)            |

For the full list, see [known limitations](/resources/help/known_limitations).

## How do I update Meilisearch?

Meilisearch Cloud instances can be updated with one click from the Cloud dashboard. For self-hosted instances, see the [update guide](/resources/migration/updating), which covers dumpless upgrades (v1.13+) and dump-based migration for older versions.

## I keep getting a `400 - Bad Request` when adding documents

This usually means your data is not in a valid format. Common causes include extraneous commas, mismatched brackets, or missing quotes. Meilisearch accepts JSON, CSV, and NDJSON formats.

When [adding or replacing documents](/reference/api/documents/add-or-replace-documents), you must enclose them in an array even if there is only one document.

## I uploaded documents but get no search results

Your document upload likely failed. Check the status of the task using the returned [`taskUid`](/reference/api/async-task-management/get-task). If the task failed, the response contains an `error` object:

```json theme={null}
{
    "uid": 1,
    "indexUid": "movies",
    "status": "failed",
    "type": "documentAdditionOrUpdate",
    "canceledBy": null,
    "details": {
            "receivedDocuments": 67493,
            "indexedDocuments": 0
    },
    "error": {
        "message": "Document does not have a `:primaryKey` attribute: `:documentRepresentation`.",
        "code": "missing_document_id",
        "type": "invalid_request",
        "link": "https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/reference/errors/error_codes#missing_document_id"
    },
    "duration": "PT1S",
    "enqueuedAt": "2021-08-10T14:29:17.000000Z",
    "startedAt": "2021-08-10T14:29:18.000000Z",
    "finishedAt": "2021-08-10T14:29:19.000000Z"
}
```

## Is killing a Meilisearch process safe?

Yes. Killing Meilisearch is **safe**, even during indexing. When you restart, it resumes the task from the beginning. See the [asynchronous operations guide](/capabilities/indexing/tasks_and_batches/async_operations) for more details.

## Can I use Meilisearch for multi-tenant applications?

Yes. Meilisearch supports [multitenancy with tenant tokens](/capabilities/security/overview), which let you control which documents each user can search without maintaining separate indexes.

## What are the hardware requirements for self-hosting?

This depends on your dataset size, number of searchable/filterable fields, and query volume. As a starting point, provision a machine with at least **ten times the disk space** of your raw dataset.

Key considerations:

* **RAM**: Search speed depends on the ratio between RAM and database size. More RAM means faster searches.
* **Disk**: More searchable/filterable fields and ranking rules increase database size.
* **CPU cores**: More cores let Meilisearch handle more concurrent search queries.

For optimization tips, see [RAM and multi-threading performance](/resources/self_hosting/performance/ram_multithreading).

<Tip>
  **Always update index settings before adding documents.** This avoids double-indexing and reduces memory spikes.
</Tip>

## Is there a public roadmap?

Yes. Visit the [public roadmap](https://roadmap.meilisearch.com/) to see planned features and ongoing work.

## Does Meilisearch collect telemetry?

Meilisearch collects **anonymous usage data** to understand feature usage and detect bugs. It never tracks or identifies individual users.

You can read what is collected and how to opt out on the [telemetry page](/resources/help/telemetry). For privacy concerns, email [privacy@meilisearch.com](mailto:privacy@meilisearch.com).