Getting Started

The Smart Search Plugin for Docusaurus v3.x is a metadata-driven search solution. Unlike full-text indexing, it uses frontmatter metadata to deliver focused results and prevent information overload. The plugin works in both online and firewall-restricted environments.

Key features

• Targeted search results powered by metadata keywords
• Precise content matching to minimize information overload
• Full offline functionality for firewall-restricted environments
• Local testing capabilities during development
• Modern, responsive interface with keyboard navigation

Technical considerations

Content processing

The plugin parses frontmatter and assigns document IDs from the frontmatter id field or the topic's path filename. It processes content through a three-stage system:

1. Content collection: Scans the /docs directory, gathers Markdown files, and extracts frontmatter metadata.
2. Content normalization: Standardizes URLs and formats data for consistent navigation and SEO.
3. Index generation: Creates optimized search indexes with smart caching for fast, accurate results in development and production.

Automatic exclusions

The plugin automatically excludes the following content types from the search index:

• The root index page of your documentation
• Documents marked as draft: true

Search index files

The plugin generates two search index files to optimize performance across environments:

1. Development index: /static/searchIndex.json
2. Production index: /build/searchIndex.json

Browser compatibility

The Smart Search Plugin supports the following browsers:

• Chrome
• Firefox
• Safari
• Microsoft Edge
• Opera
• Brave

Plugin appearance

The following screenshots show how the plugin appears in your Docusaurus navbar.