react-instantsearch

What is react-instantsearch?

react-instantsearch is a library that provides a set of React components and connectors to build search interfaces using Algolia's search engine. It allows developers to create highly customizable and performant search experiences with minimal effort.

What are react-instantsearch's main functionalities?

SearchBox

The SearchBox component provides a search input field that users can type into to perform searches. It is a fundamental part of any search interface.

import { InstantSearch, SearchBox, Hits } from 'react-instantsearch-dom';
import algoliasearch from 'algoliasearch/lite';

const searchClient = algoliasearch('YourApplicationID', 'YourSearchOnlyAPIKey');

function App() {
  return (
    <InstantSearch searchClient={searchClient} indexName="your_index_name">
      <SearchBox />
      <Hits />
    </InstantSearch>
  );
}

export default App;

Hits

The Hits component displays the search results. You can customize how each hit is rendered by providing a custom hitComponent.

import { InstantSearch, SearchBox, Hits } from 'react-instantsearch-dom';
import algoliasearch from 'algoliasearch/lite';

const searchClient = algoliasearch('YourApplicationID', 'YourSearchOnlyAPIKey');

function Hit({ hit }) {
  return (
    <div>
      <h2>{hit.title}</h2>
      <p>{hit.description}</p>
    </div>
  );
}

function App() {
  return (
    <InstantSearch searchClient={searchClient} indexName="your_index_name">
      <SearchBox />
      <Hits hitComponent={Hit} />
    </InstantSearch>
  );
}

export default App;

RefinementList

The RefinementList component allows users to filter search results based on specific attributes, such as categories. This helps in narrowing down the search results.

import { InstantSearch, SearchBox, Hits, RefinementList } from 'react-instantsearch-dom';
import algoliasearch from 'algoliasearch/lite';

const searchClient = algoliasearch('YourApplicationID', 'YourSearchOnlyAPIKey');

function App() {
  return (
    <InstantSearch searchClient={searchClient} indexName="your_index_name">
      <SearchBox />
      <RefinementList attribute="categories" />
      <Hits />
    </InstantSearch>
  );
}

export default App;

Pagination

The Pagination component provides navigation through pages of search results, making it easier for users to browse through large sets of data.

import { InstantSearch, SearchBox, Hits, Pagination } from 'react-instantsearch-dom';
import algoliasearch from 'algoliasearch/lite';

const searchClient = algoliasearch('YourApplicationID', 'YourSearchOnlyAPIKey');

function App() {
  return (
    <InstantSearch searchClient={searchClient} indexName="your_index_name">
      <SearchBox />
      <Hits />
      <Pagination />
    </InstantSearch>
  );
}

export default App;

Other packages similar to react-instantsearch

react-searchkit

react-searchkit is a library for building search interfaces with React. It is highly customizable and supports various backends, including Elasticsearch and Invenio. Compared to react-instantsearch, react-searchkit offers more flexibility in terms of backend integration but may require more configuration.

searchkit

searchkit is a suite of UI components for building search experiences with Elasticsearch. It provides a set of React components that are easy to integrate and customize. Compared to react-instantsearch, searchkit is specifically designed for Elasticsearch and offers a more comprehensive set of features for Elasticsearch-based search interfaces.

README

react-instantsearch

This is the React version of Algolia's instantsearch library.

Go to the instantsearch website for more information.