---
id: examples
title: Examples and extensions
description: live demos showing how to use and extend docsearch beyond documentation-only use cases.
---

import { DocSearch } from '@docsearch/react';
import { DocSearchSidepanel } from '@docsearch/react/sidepanel';
import BrowserOnly from '@docusaurus/BrowserOnly';
import '@docsearch/css/dist/style.css';
import '@docsearch/css/dist/sidepanel.css';

> These examples are interactive. click a button to open the modal and try a query.

## Basic keyword search

Use the default experience with your index credentials. this works great for typical docs, blogs, and any site with a docsearch-compliant index.

```jsx
<DocSearch
  appId="PMZUYBQDAK"
  apiKey="24b09689d5b4223813d9b8e48563c8f6"
  indexName="docsearch"
  insights={true}
  translations={{ button: { buttonText: 'keyword search (demo)' } }}
/>
```

<DocSearch
  appId="PMZUYBQDAK"
  apiKey="24b09689d5b4223813d9b8e48563c8f6"
  indexName="docsearch"
  insights={true}
  translations={{ button: { buttonText: 'keyword search (demo)' } }}
/>

---

## Ask AI: ai-assisted answers

Add algolia askai to get synthesized answers grounded in your indexed content. you can scope the llm context using `searchParameters` like `facetFilters`, `filters`, `attributesToRetrieve`,`restrictSearchableAttributes`, and `distinct`.

```jsx
<DocSearch
  appId="PMZUYBQDAK"
  apiKey="24b09689d5b4223813d9b8e48563c8f6"
  indexName="docsearch"
  askAi={{
    assistantId: 'askAIDemo',
    searchParameters: {
      facetFilters: ['language:en'],
    },
  }}
  insights={true}
  translations={{ button: { buttonText: 'search with askai (demo)' } }}
/>
```

<DocSearch
  appId="PMZUYBQDAK"
  apiKey="24b09689d5b4223813d9b8e48563c8f6"
  indexName="docsearch"
  askAi={{
    assistantId: 'askAIDemo',
    searchParameters: {
      facetFilters: ['language:en'],
    },
  }}
  insights={true}
  translations={{ button: { buttonText: 'search with askai (demo)' } }}
/>

---

## Sidepanel: persistent AI chat

The sidepanel provides a persistent chat interface anchored to the side of the page, ideal for documentation sites where users want to ask follow-up questions without losing their place. Look for the button on the bottom right of the screen to try the demo.

```jsx
<DocSearchSidepanel
  appId="PMZUYBQDAK"
  apiKey="24b09689d5b4223813d9b8e48563c8f6"
  indexName="docsearch"
  assistantId="askAIDemo"
/>
```

<BrowserOnly>
  {() => (
    <DocSearchSidepanel
      appId="PMZUYBQDAK"
      apiKey="24b09689d5b4223813d9b8e48563c8f6"
      indexName="docsearch"
      assistantId="askAIDemo"
    />
  )}
</BrowserOnly>

---

## Custom hit rendering (`hitComponent`)

Replace the default hit markup to match your brand and layout. below is a minimal example of a custom component.

```jsx
function CustomHit({ hit }) {
  // render a compact, branded hit card
  return (
    <a
      href={hit.url}
      style={{ display: 'block', padding: '12px 16px', textDecoration: 'none' }}
    >
      <div style={{ display: 'flex', gap: 12 }}>
        <div
          style={{
            width: 40,
            height: 40,
            backgroundColor: '#e3f2fd',
            borderRadius: 6,
            display: 'flex',
            alignItems: 'center',
            justifyContent: 'center',
            fontWeight: 600,
            color: '#1976d2',
          }}
        >
          {hit.type?.toUpperCase?.() || 'DOC'}
        </div>
        <div style={{ minWidth: 0 }}>
          <div
            style={{
              fontWeight: 600,
              whiteSpace: 'nowrap',
              overflow: 'hidden',
              textOverflow: 'ellipsis',
            }}
          >
            {hit.hierarchy?.lvl1 || 'untitled'}
          </div>
          {hit.hierarchy?.lvl2 && (
            <div
              style={{
                color: '#666',
                whiteSpace: 'nowrap',
                overflow: 'hidden',
                textOverflow: 'ellipsis',
              }}
            >
              {hit.hierarchy.lvl2}
            </div>
          )}
          {hit.content && (
            <div style={{ color: '#888', marginTop: 4 }}>{hit.content}</div>
          )}
        </div>
      </div>
    </a>
  );
}

<DocSearch
  appId="PMZUYBQDAK"
  apiKey="24b09689d5b4223813d9b8e48563c8f6"
  indexName="docsearch"
  hitComponent={CustomHit}
  insights={true}
  translations={{ button: { buttonText: 'custom hits (demo)' } }}
/>;
```

<DocSearch
  appId="PMZUYBQDAK"
  apiKey="24b09689d5b4223813d9b8e48563c8f6"
  indexName="docsearch"
  hitComponent={({ hit }) => {
    // render a compact, branded hit card
    return (
      <a
        href={hit.url}
        style={{
          display: 'block',
          padding: '12px 16px',
          textDecoration: 'none',
        }}
      >
        <div style={{ display: 'flex', gap: 12 }}>
          <div
            style={{
              width: 40,
              height: 40,
              backgroundColor: '#e3f2fd',
              borderRadius: 6,
              display: 'flex',
              alignItems: 'center',
              justifyContent: 'center',
              fontWeight: 600,
              color: '#1976d2',
            }}
          >
            {hit.type?.toUpperCase?.() || 'DOC'}
          </div>
          <div style={{ minWidth: 0 }}>
            <div
              style={{
                fontWeight: 600,
                whiteSpace: 'nowrap',
                overflow: 'hidden',
                textOverflow: 'ellipsis',
              }}
            >
              {hit.hierarchy?.lvl1 || 'untitled'}
            </div>
            {hit.hierarchy?.lvl2 && (
              <div
                style={{
                  color: '#666',
                  whiteSpace: 'nowrap',
                  overflow: 'hidden',
                  textOverflow: 'ellipsis',
                }}
              >
                {hit.hierarchy.lvl2}
              </div>
            )}
            {hit.content && (
              <div style={{ color: '#888', marginTop: 4 }}>{hit.content}</div>
            )}
          </div>
        </div>
      </a>
    );
  }}
  insights={true}
  translations={{ button: { buttonText: 'custom hits (demo)' } }}
/>

---

## Opening links in new tabs

By default, DocSearch opens search result links in the current window. If you want results to open in new tabs, you need to use both a custom `hitComponent` and the `navigator` prop to handle both click and keyboard navigation consistently.

```jsx
// Custom hit component with target="_blank"
function HitWithNewTab({ hit, children }) {
  return (
    <a href={hit.url} target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">
      {children}
    </a>
  );
}

// Navigator configuration to handle keyboard navigation
const newTabNavigator = {
  navigate: ({ itemUrl }) => window.open(itemUrl, '_blank'),
  navigateNewTab: ({ itemUrl }) => window.open(itemUrl, '_blank'),
  navigateNewWindow: ({ itemUrl }) => window.open(itemUrl, '_blank'),
};

<DocSearch
  appId="PMZUYBQDAK"
  apiKey="24b09689d5b4223813d9b8e48563c8f6"
  indexName="docsearch"
  hitComponent={HitWithNewTab}
  navigator={newTabNavigator}
  insights={true}
  translations={{ button: { buttonText: 'open in new tabs (demo)' } }}
/>;
```

<DocSearch
  appId="PMZUYBQDAK"
  apiKey="24b09689d5b4223813d9b8e48563c8f6"
  indexName="docsearch"
  hitComponent={({ hit, children }) => (
    <a href={hit.url} target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">
      {children}
    </a>
  )}
  navigator={{
    navigate: ({ itemUrl }) => window.open(itemUrl, '_blank'),
    navigateNewTab: ({ itemUrl }) => window.open(itemUrl, '_blank'),
    navigateNewWindow: ({ itemUrl }) => window.open(itemUrl, '_blank'),
  }}
  insights={true}
  translations={{ button: { buttonText: 'open in new tabs (demo)' } }}
/>

<br></br>

:::warning 
**Note**: Using only `hitComponent` with `target="_blank"` will work for mouse clicks, but keyboard navigation (arrows + Enter) requires the `navigator` prop to consistently open links in new tabs. 
:::

---

## Bring-your-own-data shape with `transformItems`

Docsearch is not limited to docsearch-like records. use `transformItems` to adapt any record shape into the internal structure docsearch expects. this lets you build search for apps, help centers, changelogs, or any custom content.

the snippet below maps a non-standard record to the internal format. try it live:

```jsx
<DocSearch
  appId="PMZUYBQDAK"
  apiKey="24b09689d5b4223813d9b8e48563c8f6"
  indexName="crawler_doc"
  askAi={{ assistantId: 'askAIDemo' }}
  searchParameters={{
    attributesToRetrieve: ['*'],
    attributesToSnippet: ['*'],
    hitsPerPage: 20,
  }}
  transformItems={(items) =>
    items.map((item) => ({
      objectID: item.objectID,
      content: item.content ?? '',
      url: item.domain + item.path,
      hierarchy: {
        lvl0: (item.breadcrumb || []).join(' > ') ?? '',
        lvl1: item.h1 ?? '',
        lvl2: item.h2 ?? '',
        lvl3: null,
        lvl4: null,
        lvl5: null,
        lvl6: null,
      },
      url_without_anchor: item.domain + item.path,
      type: 'content',
      anchor: null,
      _highlightResult: item._highlightResult,
      _snippetResult: item._snippetResult,
    }))
  }
  insights={true}
  translations={{ button: { buttonText: 'transform items (demo)' } }}
/>
```

<DocSearch
  appId="PMZUYBQDAK"
  apiKey="24b09689d5b4223813d9b8e48563c8f6"
  indexName="crawler_doc"
  askAi={{ assistantId: 'askAIDemo' }}
  searchParameters={{
    attributesToRetrieve: ['*'],
    attributesToSnippet: ['*'],
    hitsPerPage: 20,
  }}
  transformItems={(items) =>
    items.map((item) => ({
      objectID: item.objectID,
      content: item.content ?? '',
      url: item.domain + item.path,
      hierarchy: {
        lvl0: (item.breadcrumb || []).join(' > ') ?? '',
        lvl1: item.h1 ?? '',
        lvl2: item.h2 ?? '',
        lvl3: null,
        lvl4: null,
        lvl5: null,
        lvl6: null,
      },
      url_without_anchor: item.domain + item.path,
      type: 'content',
      anchor: null,
      _highlightResult: item._highlightResult,
      _snippetResult: item._snippetResult,
    }))
  }
  insights={true}
  translations={{ button: { buttonText: 'transform items (demo)' } }}
/>

---

## Tips

- **Instrumentation**: enable `insights` to send usage analytics and iterate on relevance.
- **Ask AI scoping**: use `facetFilters`, `filters`, `attributesToRetrieve`, `restrictSearchableAttributes`, and `distinct` to control ai context and improve answer quality.
- **Customization**: use `hitComponent`, `transformItems`, and `translations` to make docsearch feel native to any product surface.