Install Laravel Scout and publish configuration files; 2. Install and run Meilisearch through Docker or binary files; 3. Configure Meilisearch driver and host addresses in .env; 4. Add Searchable trait to the model and define the toSearchableArray method; 5. Use the scout:import command to import existing data and enable automatic queue synchronization; 6. Use Post::search() to search, support paging and limit the number of results; 7. Use the where method to filter searches and set index properties through the API; 8. Ensure that the queue worker runs to keep the index updated in real time, and manually refresh and reimport data if necessary; ultimately implement fast, relevant and extensible full-text search functions.

Implementing full-text search in a Laravel application using Laravel Scout and Meilisearch is a powerful way to add fast, relevant search functionality to your models. Here's how to set it up step by step.

? 1. Install and Configure Laravel Scout

Laravel Scout provides a simple, driver-based solution for adding full-text search to Eloquent models.

 composer requires laravel/scout

After installation, publish the Scout configuration file:

 php artisan vendor:publish --provider="Laravel\Scout\ScoutServiceProvider"

This creates config/scout.php .

? 2. Install and Run Meilisearch

Meilisearch is a lightweight, open-source search engine with typo-tolerant and instant search capabilities.

Option A: Using Docker (Recommended)

 docker run -d -p 7700:7700 -v ./meilisearch-data:/meili_data getmeili/meilisearch:latest

? For development, no API key is required by default. In production, set a master key:

 docker run -d -p 7700:7700 -e MEILI_MASTER_KEY=your_master_key getmeili/meilisearch:latest

Option B: Download Binary

Download from http://ipnx.cn/link/d3481ae553dc4bb6b970b151fbc0ec59 and run:

 ./meilisearch --http-addr 127.0.0.1:7700

? 3. Configure Meilisearch Driver in Laravel

Update your .env file:

 SCOUT_DRIVER=meilisearch
MEILISEARCH_HOST=http://127.0.0.1:7700
MEILISEARCH_KEY=master_key_here (optional if set)

Make sure the meilisearch driver is used in config/scout.php :

 'driver' => env('SCOUT_DRIVER', 'meilisearch'),
'meilisearch' => [
    'host' => env('MEILISEARCH_HOST', 'http://localhost:7700'),
    'key' => env('MEILISEARCH_KEY', null),
    'index-settings' => [
        // Optional: customize per index
    ],
],

? Note: If you're using an API key, ensure it's consistent between Meilisearch startup and your .env .

? 4. Add Searchable Trait to Your Model

Let's say you want to make App\Models\Post searchable.

 namespace App\Models;

use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model;
use Laravel\Scout\Searchable;

class Post extends Model
{
    use Searchable;

    // Define what data should be indexed
    public function toSearchableArray()
    {
        Return [
            'id' => $this->id,
            'title' => $this->title,
            'content' => $this->content,
            'author_name' => $this->user->name ?? null,
        ];
    }
}

? You can customize toSearchableArray() to include relationships or transformed data.

? 5. Import Existing Data into Meilisearch

After setting up, sync your existing records:

 php artisan scout:import "App\Models\Post"

? This command pushes all Post records to Meilisearch.

You can also keep data in sync automatically by using queueing (recommended):

In config/scout.php :

 'queue' => true,

Then make sure your Laravel queue is running ( php artisan queue:work ) so updates/deletes are synchronously.

? 6. Perform Searches in Your Application

Now you can search like this:

 use App\Models\Post;

$results = Post::search('How to use Laravel')->get();

Return specific columns:

 Post::search('Laravel Scout')->take(10)->get();

With pagination (just like Eloquent):

 Post::search('tutorial')->paginate(15);

? Meilisearch handles typo tolerance, ranking, and partial matching out of the box.

? 7. Advanced: Filtered or Scoped Search

Use Meilisearch filters via Scout's where method:

 Post::search('Laravel')
    ->where('published', true)
    ->where('category_id', 5)
    ->get();

?? These fields must be marked as filterable attributes in Meilisearch settings.

To configure Meilisearch index settings (like searchable or filterable attributes), you can use the Meilisearch API:

 curl -X POST 'http://127.0.0.1:7700/indexes/posts/settings' \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--data-binary '{
  "searchableAttributes": ["title", "content"],
  "filterableAttributes": ["published", "category_id"]
}'

? 8. Keep Index Updated

Scout listens to Eloquent events. After setup:

• New posts are automatically added.
• Updated posts are synchronized.
• Deleted posts are removed.

Ensure your queue worker is running:

 php artisan queue:work

Or manually sync:

 php artisan scout:import "App\Models\Post"

To flush and return:

 php artisan scout:flush "App\Models\Post"
php artisan scout:import "App\Models\Post"

Final Notes

• Meilisearch is fast , easy to deploy , and developer-friendly .
• Laravel Scout abstracts the complexity and integrates smoothly.
• Always use queues in production to avoid blocking HTTP requests during indexing.
• Secure your Meilisearch instance in production with API keys and HTTPS.

That's it! You now have a fully functional full-text search using Laravel Scout and Meilisearch. Search queries will be fast, relevant, and scalable for most applications.

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