These integration guides are not official documentation and the Strapi Support Team will not provide assistance with them.

Introduction to SearchBlox and Strapi

SearchBlox is a search platform that provides advanced search capabilities through its REST API. It enables developers to implement powerful search functionality in applications, offering features like customized search queries, related queries, and top queries analysis. SearchBlox's API allows integration with various content sources, improving the search experience for users.

Integrating SearchBlox with Strapi combines the strengths of both platforms. By using Strapi's flexible content management and SearchBlox's advanced search features, developers can build applications that offer efficient content delivery and excellent search performance, improving the user experience.

Why Use Strapi with SearchBlox

Enhanced Search Capabilities

SearchBlox offers a REST API that enables sophisticated search features within your Strapi application:

• Advanced Search Queries: Handle complex search requests and provide accurate results.
• Related Queries: Suggest additional search terms to users, improving their search experience.
• Top Queries: Display popular search terms, offering insights into trending content.

Improved User Experience

By integrating SearchBlox, you can offer faster and more accurate search results:

• Efficient Content Discovery: Users can find relevant content quickly, increasing satisfaction and engagement.
• Customized Search Results: Tailor search functionality to meet the specific needs of your application.

Seamless Integration with Strapi

Connecting SearchBlox to Strapi is straightforward. With Strapi's extensive integration capabilities, connecting to SearchBlox becomes a straightforward task for developers. With the seamless integration process, developers can setup Strapi for developers and quickly connect it with SearchBlox to enhance search functionality.

• RESTful API Compatibility: Both platforms use REST APIs, making integration smooth for developers.
• Scalable Solutions: SearchBlox scales to handle increased search demands as content grows.

Security and Control

Integrating SearchBlox allows you to maintain control over your search functionality, ensuring a secure Strapi integration:

• Secure Communication: Use HTTPS for all API calls to protect data in transit.
• Authentication Measures: Implement proper authentication and authorization in Strapi to secure access to search features. Following best practices for Strapi API security is crucial.

By combining Strapi's content management with SearchBlox's advanced search capabilities, you create a more powerful and user-friendly application.

Key Features of SearchBlox

RESTful API for Advanced Search

SearchBlox provides a comprehensive REST API that allows you to implement advanced search functionality in your applications, including search queries, related queries, and access to top queries.

Custom Collections

Create custom collections in SearchBlox to organize and manage your content effectively. This feature allows you to index specific data from your Strapi application.

Flexible Content Indexing

Index content from various sources with SearchBlox. It supports adding, updating, and deleting documents via API calls, ensuring your search index stays up-to-date.

Advanced Search Features

SearchBlox supports features like faceted search and auto-suggestions, improving the user experience by refining search results and providing real-time suggestions.

Security and Authentication

Security is a priority with SearchBlox. API calls require an API key, and HTTPS is used for secure communication. Optional headers like SB-PKEY add an extra layer of security.

Error Handling and Response Codes

SearchBlox provides clear response codes for API operations, helping you handle errors effectively.

Best Practices of Integrating SearchBlox With Strapi

Use Strapi's Lifecycle Hooks for Indexing

Utilize Strapi lifecycle hooks to trigger updates to the SearchBlox index whenever content is created, updated, or deleted in Strapi, ensuring search results remain current.

Secure API Communications

Always use HTTPS for all API calls between Strapi and SearchBlox. Store your SearchBlox API key securely using environment variables.

Implement Error Handling and Logging

Implement effective error handling to manage API responses. Logging errors helps in troubleshooting and maintains integration reliability.

Optimize Content Synchronization

Consider implementing a queue system for indexing tasks and using pagination to manage search results when dealing with large datasets to potentially enhance performance.

Handle Authentication and Authorization

Ensure proper authentication and authorization when accessing Strapi content and interacting with SearchBlox APIs.

Monitor Performance and Adjust as Needed

Regularly monitor the integration's performance and make necessary adjustments, such as fine-tuning the indexing process or optimizing search queries.

Getting Started With SearchBlox

Start integrating SearchBlox with your Strapi application by installing SearchBlox and configuring Strapi to interact with it.

Setting Up SearchBlox

Begin by installing and configuring SearchBlox on your server.

Obtaining Your API Key

Access the SearchBlox console to retrieve your API key, required for all API requests.

Creating a Custom Collection

Create a custom collection in SearchBlox to store your Strapi content. Send a POST request with the necessary payload.

Indexing Strapi Content

In your Strapi project, you can use lifecycle hooks like afterCreate or afterUpdate to trigger an HTTP client such as Axios to send content to SearchBlox when it's created or updated. These hooks automatically execute functions when managing content, allowing you to perform actions like sending data to a search engine. Here's an example setup:

1module.exports = {
2
3  lifecycles: {
4
5    afterCreate(event) {
6
7      const { result, params } = event;
8
9      // Axios code to send 'result' to SearchBlox
10
11    },
12
13    afterUpdate(event) {
14
15      const { result, params } = event;
16
17      // Axios code to send 'result' to SearchBlox
18
19    },
20
21  },
22
23};

Include the necessary Axios calls inside these hooks to meet your specific requirements and the API specifications of SearchBlox.

Implementing Search Functionality

To implement search in a Strapi application for a photo gallery with Next.js and Cloudinary, follow these steps:

1. Add a Search Input in Next.js: In your Next.js index.js file, include a search input field and a button to initiate the search. Example setup:

1<input onChange={(e) => setSearch([e.target](http://e.target).value)} className={styles.searchInput} type="text" placeholder="Search for an image"></input>
2
3<button className="button" disabled={search === ""} onClick={async () => {
4
5  const results = await fetch(\`<http://localhost:1337/api/photos?populate=\*&filters\[name\]\[$eq\]=${search}\`>);
6
7  const details = await results.json();
8
9  setPhotos(await details);
10
11}}>Find</button>

2. Strapi Controller for Search: Create a custom controller in Strapi to handle the search logic, interacting with the database to retrieve photos based on search criteria.
3. Add Route in Strapi: In Strapi's routes configuration, add a route linking to your custom search controller. Example:

1{
2
3  "method": "GET",
4
5  "path": "/photos/search",
6
7  "handler": "[photo.search](http://photo.search)",
8
9  "config": {
10
11    "policies": \[\]
12
13  }
14
15}

4. Implement the Search Controller in Strapi: In your Strapi controller, implement the search function using Strapi’s query system to filter photos:

1async search(ctx) {
2
3  const { query } = ctx.request.query;
4
5  const results = await [strapi.services.photo](http://strapi.services.photo).find({ name_contains: query });
6
7  return results;
8
9}

5. Fetch Data in Next.js: When a search term is submitted, the Next.js front end requests the Strapi backend, which uses the controller to fetch and return relevant photos.

Ensure proper configuration for communication between Strapi and Next.js, and secure your endpoints as needed.

Updating and Deleting Content

Ensure that updates and deletions in Strapi are reflected in SearchBlox. Trigger the delete function in the lifecycle hook.

Handling Errors

Monitor response codes from SearchBlox to handle errors appropriately.

Security Considerations

Store your API key securely and always use HTTPS for API calls. Implement proper authentication and authorization in your Strapi application.