Initialize the JavaScript API client

Before you can interact with Algolia’s APIs, for example, to index your data or search your indices, you need to authenticate with Algolia with your Application ID and API key by initializing a client. You can find both in your Algolia account.

We released a new version of the JavaScript API client in public beta. Read the beta documentation for more information.

Initialize the search client

The search client lets you manage your indices, add data to your indices, and search your indices.

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// For the default version
const algoliasearch = require('algoliasearch');

// For the default version
// import algoliasearch from 'algoliasearch';

// For the search only version
// import algoliasearch from 'algoliasearch/lite';

const client = algoliasearch('YourApplicationID', 'YourWriteAPIKey');
const index = client.initIndex('your_index_name');

Replace your_index_name with the name of the index you want to use. You can find your existing indices in the Algolia dashboard, or by using the listIndices method. If the index doesn’t exist, a new, empty index is created locally. It’s created on Algolia’s servers only if you add records to the index.

Don’t use any sensitive or personally identifiable information as your index name, including usernames, IDs, or email addresses. Index names are publicly shared.

Operations, that are scoped to your Algolia application via the client are:

• Manage indices
• Manage dictionaries
• Manage API keys

Operations scoped to an index are:

• Search
• Indexing
• Set and get settings
• Define synonyms
• Define Rules

The Recommend, Personalization, Insights, and A/B testing APIs come with their own clients.