> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.boldminded.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.boldminded.com/dexter/docs-statamic.md).

# Docs (Statamic)

Dexter is a highly configurable add-on that indexes your Statamic content into Algolia or Meilisearch when an entry, term, asset, or user is saved or deleted. It can also rebuild an index from scratch, from the control panel or the command line.

It is not *entirely* plug and play. It requires some setup, and an understanding of how Algolia or Meilisearch work. When installed, Dexter publishes a `config/dexter.php` file with the bare minimum configuration. Read more about the configuration.

No two search implementations are alike. Each site has its own business rules about how content is indexed and how it is searched, and Dexter cannot solve for every possible scenario. Think of Dexter as a framework rather than a fully pre-configured addon. It handles all native Statamic fieldtypes out of the box, including nested ones. You decide what to index by listing indexes and searchables in `config/dexter.php`.

Dexter has basic front-end tags to perform searches. For the best experience, we recommend you bring your own front-end. Algolia and Meilisearch excel at faceted indexing and searching, which usually calls for JavaScript search and filtering components. The [Algolia](https://www.algolia.com/developers) and [Meilisearch](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/learn/resources/sdks) developer hubs are good places to start.

#### How Dexter differs from Statamic's native search

Statamic ships its own search feature, and Dexter is not a replacement for every part of it. What Dexter adds:

* **Nested field extraction.** Statamic's `Searchables::fields()` reads a flat list of top-level handles. Dexter's field lists use dot notation and wildcards, so content inside Replicator, Bard, Grid, and Group fields is reachable without custom code.
* **Meilisearch support.** Statamic ships no Meilisearch driver. Meilisearch is available only through this addon.
* **Document and image parsing.** PDF, Word, CSV, XML, and text assets are read at index time and their contents added to the index. Images can be described by an AI provider, making them findable by their contents rather than their filename.
* **Semantic search.** Embeddings generated at index time let a query match meaning rather than wording.
* **Pipelines.** A documented extension point for reshaping a document before it is sent to the provider.