Connect your app to Algolia

1. 1

   Sign in to your Algolia dashboard and select the application you want to connect.

   This is where you'll find the necessary information to link Algolia with Lovable.

2. 2

   Go to 'Settings' then 'API Keys' to find your Algolia application ID.

   Your application ID is a unique identifier for your Algolia project.

3. 3

   Create a new backend API key in Algolia, name it something like 'Lovable backend', and grant it only the 'addObject', 'editSettings', and 'deleteIndex' permissions, restricting it to specific indexes.

   This key allows Lovable to add, update, and remove records in Algolia securely, without giving full administrative access.

4. 4

   Create a second new API key in Algolia with only the 'search' permission, also restricted to specific indexes if possible.

   This key is used by your app's public interface to perform searches directly, keeping your sensitive backend key secure.

5. 5

   In Lovable, open 'Connectors' from your dashboard and select 'Algolia'.

   This is where you initiate the connection process within Lovable.

6. 6

   Click 'Add connection' and fill in the 'Display name' (e.g., 'Algolia Prod'), your Algolia 'Application ID', your 'Secret API key' (the backend key), and your 'Public API key' (the search-only key).

   This provides Lovable with all the credentials needed to interact with your Algolia application.

7. 7

   Choose who can use this connection by either keeping it private, sharing with specific workspace members, or inviting the entire workspace.

   This controls access to the Algolia connection for other people in your Lovable workspace.

8. 8

   Click 'Connect' to finalize the setup.

   Lovable will verify the keys and save the connection, making Algolia available for your projects.

Connect my app to Algolia. I need to add full-text search, faceted filtering, and indexing for my product catalog. I have my Algolia Application ID, a backend API key with 'addObject', 'editSettings', and 'deleteIndex' ACLs, and a public API key with only 'search' ACL. Please set up the connection and link it to my project.

Algolia

A specialized online service that makes it easy to add super-fast, smart search features to your apps, like finding products with typos or filtering by categories.

Indexing

The process of organizing and storing your app's information in a way that makes it very quick to search, similar to how a book's index helps you find topics fast.

Full-text search

A search feature that looks for words anywhere in your content, not just in specific fields, allowing users to find information even if they don't know the exact title or category.

Faceted filtering

A way to narrow down search results by selecting multiple categories or properties at once, like filtering clothes by 'size: large' and 'color: blue' simultaneously.

API key

A secret code that acts like a password, allowing your app to securely communicate with an online service like Algolia and perform specific actions.

ACLs (Access Control Lists)

Permissions that define what actions a specific API key is allowed to perform, ensuring that a key used for searching can't accidentally delete data.

Backend API key

A secret key used by your app's server-side (the part users don't see) for sensitive operations like adding or changing data in Algolia.

Public API key

A key that can be safely exposed in your app's user-facing parts (like a website) because it only allows safe actions, such as performing searches, and cannot modify data.

• Never use your Algolia admin API key for the backend connection; always create a dedicated key with minimum necessary permissions.
• Do not use a public API key that has any permissions other than 'search', as Lovable will reject it for security reasons.
• Forgetting to provide a public API key means your app can index records but won't be able to perform searches.
• Sharing your secret backend API key publicly would compromise your Algolia data's security.