Welcome to the Meilisearch specifications!

# Configuration File

# 1. Summary

Meilisearch options can be defined in a .toml configuration file being loaded at launch.

# 2. Motivation

Teams can easily version, track, and share configuration files. It makes it easier to learn about the different options available and to define at a glance how Meilisearch is configured.

# 3. Functional Specification

# 3.1. Supported Formats

Format
.toml

# 3.2. Priority Order

Configuration file < Env variables < Command-line options

It means the options in the configuration file are overwritten by the environment variables set (if they exist) and that can be themself overwritten by the command-line options (if they exist).

# 3.3. Default Configuration File

By default, Meilisearch will try to read the ./config.toml in the current working directory.

We provide a default configuration file as an example here (opens new window).

# 3.4. --config-file-path/MEILI_CONFIG_FILE_PATH

It is possible to override the default configuration file by setting the MEILI_CONFIG_FILE_PATH environment variable or by specifying the --config-file-path option.

# 3.5. Configuration File Content Definition

The current consistency rule is that all environment variables and launch options are configurable by a dedicated key in the configuration file.

Configuration keys are named following the snake_case convention from the name of a CLI option. That is, --import-dump must be named import_dump within the configuration file.

There is an exception rule. The config_file_path key is not accepted in the configuration file and stops Meilisearch from being launched if specified.

See Instance Options for more details.

# 3.6. Indication of the loaded configuration file

When Meilisearch is launched, the loaded configuration file is indicated by the Config file path key on stdout.

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88888b.d88888              888                                                888
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888 Y888P 888 d8P  Y8b 888 888 888 88K      d8P  Y8b     "88b 888P"  d88P"    888 "88b
888  Y8P  888 88888888 888 888 888 "Y8888b. 88888888 .d888888 888    888      888  888
888   "   888 Y8b.     888 888 888      X88 Y8b.     888  888 888    Y88b.    888  888
888       888  "Y8888  888 888 888  88888P'  "Y8888  "Y888888 888     "Y8888P 888  888

Config file path:       "./config.toml"

If Meilisearch can't find the default config.toml or if no other config file is specified with MEILI_CONFIG_FILE_PATH env var or --config-file-path options, none is indicated.

# 3.7. Errors

# 3.7.1. Defining config_file_path in the configuration file

Defining config_file_path in the configuration file is not valid and Meilisearch returns an error.

Error: `config_file_path` is not supported in configuration file.

# 3.7.2. Defining a non-existent config file.

Defining a configuration file other than the default file that does not exist returns an error when launching Meilisearch.

Error: unable to open or read the "XXX" configuration file: No such file or directory (os error 2).

# 3.7.3. Defining a config file with a syntax error.

Defining a configuration file wrongly formatted or containing an invalid configuration key returns an error when launching Meilisearch.

Error: unknown field `XXX` at line Y column Z

# 4. Technical Details

N/A

# 5. Future Possibilities

  • Better indicate a syntax error
  • List all loaded configuration at launch on the stdout
  • Introduce toml sections to group options under a common name. e.g. A dump section could contain a schedule, dir, interval-sec and enable. That could help navigate the toml.
  • Introduce other formats

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