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algolia-reference-architecture Implement Algolia reference architecture: index design, multi-index strategy,
data pipeline, search service layer, and frontend/backend separation.
Trigger: "algolia architecture", "algolia best practices", "algolia project structure",
"how to organize algolia", "algolia index design".
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name algolia-reference-architecture description Implement Algolia reference architecture: index design, multi-index strategy,
data pipeline, search service layer, and frontend/backend separation.
Trigger: "algolia architecture", "algolia best practices", "algolia project structure",
"how to organize algolia", "algolia index design".
allowed-tools Read, Grep version 1.6.0 license MIT author Jeremy Longshore <jeremy@intentsolutions.io> tags ["saas","search","algolia"] compatibility Designed for Claude Code
Algolia Reference Architecture
Overview
Production-ready architecture for Algolia-powered search. Covers index design, data pipeline from source to Algolia, service layer patterns, and frontend integration.
Architecture Overview
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
โ Frontend โ
โ InstantSearch.js / React InstantSearch โ
โ Uses: liteClient (search-only key) โ
โ Sends: search-insights events (clicks, conversions) โ
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโฌโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
โ Search + Events
โผ
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
โ Algolia Cloud โ
โ โโโโโโโโโโโ โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ โ
โ โ Search โ โ Analytics โ โ Recommend โ โ
โ โ Engine โ โ + Insights โ โ (ML-based) โ โ
โ โโโโโโโโโโโ โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ โ
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโฒโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
โ Indexing (admin key)
โ
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
โ Backend Service โ
โ โโโโโโโโโโโโโโ โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ โ
โ โ Search โ โ Indexing โ โ Settings โ โ
โ โ Service โ โ Pipeline โ โ Manager โ โ
โ โโโโโโโโโโโโโโ โโโโโโโโฌโโโโโโโโ โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ โ
โ โ โ
โ โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโผโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ โ
โ โ Source Database โ โ
โ โ PostgreSQL / MongoDB / CMS / External API โ โ
โ โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ โ
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
Project Structure
src/
โโโ algolia/
โ โโโ client.ts # Singleton client (see algolia-sdk-patterns)
โ โโโ indices.ts # Index name constants + environment prefixing
โ โโโ settings/
โ โ โโโ products.ts # Products index settings
โ โ โโโ articles.ts # Articles index settings
โ โ โโโ apply.ts # Script to apply all settings
โ โโโ transforms/
โ โโโ product.ts # DB record โ Algolia record transformer
โ โโโ article.ts # DB record โ Algolia record transformer
โโโ services/
โ โโโ search.ts # Search service (wraps Algolia client)
โ โโโ indexing.ts # Indexing pipeline (DB โ transform โ Algolia)
โโโ api/
โ โโโ search.ts # Search endpoint (returns Algolia results)
โ โโโ reindex.ts # Admin endpoint to trigger reindex
โโโ jobs/
โโโ sync-algolia.ts # Cron job for periodic full sync
Index Design Patterns
Pattern 1: One Index Per Entity Type
const ENV = process.env .NODE_ENV === 'production' ? '' : `${process.env.NODE_ENV} _` ;
export const INDICES = {
products : `${ENV} products` ,
articles : `${ENV} articles` ,
faq : `${ENV} faq` ,
users : `${ENV} users` ,
} as const ;
export type IndexName = typeof INDICES [keyof typeof INDICES ];
Pattern 2: Record Transformer (Source โ Algolia)
import type { Product } from '../db/types' ;
interface AlgoliaProduct {
objectID : string ;
name : string ;
description : string ;
category : string ;
brand : string ;
price : number ;
rating : number ;
review_count : number ;
in_stock : boolean ;
image_url : string ;
_tags : string [];
}
export function transformProduct (product : Product AlgoliaProduct {
return {
objectID : product.id ,
name : product.name ,
description : product.description ?.substring (0 , 5000 ) || '' ,
category : product.category .name ,
brand : product.brand .name ,
price : product.price / 100 ,
rating : product.avgRating ,
review_count : product.reviewCount ,
in_stock : product.inventory > 0 ,
image_url : product.images [0 ]?.url || '' ,
_tags : [
product.category .slug ,
...(product.isFeatured ? ['featured' ] : []),
...(product.isNew ? ['new-arrival' ] : []),
],
};
}
Pattern 3: Settings as Code
import type { IndexSettings } from 'algoliasearch' ;
export const productSettings : IndexSettings = {
searchableAttributes : [
'name' ,
'brand' ,
'category' ,
'unordered(description)' ,
],
attributesForFaceting : [
'searchable(brand)' ,
'category' ,
'filterOnly(price)' ,
'filterOnly(in_stock)' ,
'_tags' ,
],
customRanking : ['desc(review_count)' , 'desc(rating)' ],
attributesToRetrieve : ['name' , 'brand' , 'price' , 'image_url' , 'category' , 'rating' ],
attributesToHighlight : ['name' , 'description' ],
attributesToSnippet : ['description:30' ],
unretrievableAttributes : ['_tags' ],
distinct : 1 ,
attributeForDistinct : 'product_group_id' ,
replicas : [
'virtual(products_price_asc)' ,
'virtual(products_price_desc)' ,
'virtual(products_newest)' ,
],
};
import { getClient } from '../client' ;
import { INDICES } from '../indices' ;
import { productSettings } from './products' ;
async function applyAllSettings (const client = getClient ();
await client.setSettings ({ indexName : INDICES .products , indexSettings : productSettings });
console .log ('All Algolia settings applied' );
}
Pattern 4: Search Service Layer
import { getClient } from '../algolia/client' ;
import { INDICES } from '../algolia/indices' ;
import { ApiError } from 'algoliasearch' ;
export class SearchService {
private client = getClient ();
async searchProducts (params : {
query: string ;
filters?: string ;
facetFilters?: string [][];
page?: number ;
hitsPerPage?: number ;
}try {
return await this .client .searchSingleIndex ({
indexName : INDICES .products ,
searchParams : {
query : params.query ,
filters : params.filters ,
facetFilters : params.facetFilters ,
page : params.page ?? 0 ,
hitsPerPage : params.hitsPerPage ?? 20 ,
facets : ['category' , 'brand' ],
clickAnalytics : true ,
},
});
} catch (error) {
if (error instanceof ApiError && error.status === 404 ) {
return { hits : [], nbHits : 0 , nbPages : 0 , page : 0 };
}
throw error;
}
}
async federatedSearch (query : string const { results } = await this .client .search ({
requests : [
{ indexName : INDICES .products , query, hitsPerPage : 5 },
{ indexName : INDICES .articles , query, hitsPerPage : 3 },
{ indexName : INDICES .faq , query, hitsPerPage : 3 },
],
});
return results;
}
}
Error Handling Issue Cause Solution Circular dependency Service imports client imports service Use lazy initialization Config drift Dashboard edits not in code Apply settings from code in CI Transform errors DB schema change Add validation in transformer Index name typo Hardcoded strings Use INDICES constants
Resources
Next Steps For multi-environment setup, see algolia-multi-env-setup.
