Guides / Getting started / How Algolia works

To ease integration, Algolia built a set of libraries and tools to help you implement Algolia on your website or app. To discover code samples and community-built integrations, visit the Algolia Code Exchange

REST API

At the heart of Algolia’s ecosystem is a REST API. While you can carry out any indexing, search, and configuration-related task with the REST API, you should use an API client or another integration.

You should only use the REST API to develop new API clients. Using the REST API directly isn’t covered by Algolia’s SLA terms.

Indexing and configuration

Algolia supports many programming languages and provides integrations for popular frameworks and ecommerce platforms. These tools help you connect your data and configure Algolia.

Algolia dashboard

In the dashboard you can configure most aspects of Algolia’s products and features.

Algolia CLI

The Algolia CLI lets you interact with Algolia’s APIs from your terminal, without code.

API clients

Algolia’s API clients provide convenient methods for interacting with Algolia’s APIs, and add additional features such as a retry strategy, or batching uploads.

Framework integrations

Built on top of the API clients, Algolia’s framework integrations help synchronize your data between your database and Algolia.

Ecommerce integrations

Algolia integrates with ecommerce platforms to help you index your product catalog and integrate Algolia into your storefront UI.

Extensions

Additionally, Algolia made these extensions to help you integrate Algolia.

User interfaces

Algolia offers UI libraries with ready-to-use components that you can use as they are, or customize to suit your needs.

UI design kit

If you want to design your next search and discovery experience, you can use Algolia’s UI Design Kit (Figma).

InstantSearch

InstantSearch is a family of UI libraries that let you build user interfaces for search and discovery from ready-made components (widgets). InstantSearch also gives you the tools to build your own widgets. InstantSearch is available in different flavors for JavaScript, React, Vue.js, Angular, iOS, and Android.

Autocomplete

The Autocomplete UI library lets you build accessible, search-as-you-type user interfaces that you can integrate anywhere on your site or app.

Recommend

The Recommend UI library lets you integrate recommendations from Algolia Recommend anywhere in your site. It’s available for JavaScript and React.

DocSearch

DocSearch is the easiest way to add search to technical documentation and blogs. DocSearch is free for technical documentation and technical blogs. Read Who can apply? for more information.

To get started, apply to the program and integrate DocSearch into your website.

You can find examples of DocSearch for popular website builders, such as Docusaurus or VuePress, in the Code Exchange.

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