Search Configuration

Stardust includes powerful full-text search powered by Pagefind, with optional Algolia integration.

Default Search (Pagefind)

Search works out of the box with zero configuration:

yaml 
search:
  enabled: true

Pagefind provides:

  • Full-text search across all pages
  • Instant results as you type
  • Works entirely client-side (no API keys needed)
  • Automatic search index built during stardust build

Placeholder Text

yaml 
search:
  placeholder: "Search documentation..."

Keyboard Shortcut

Change the hotkey to open search:

yaml 
search:
  hotkey: "k"  # Opens with Cmd+K (Mac) or Ctrl+K (Windows/Linux)

Default is / (press / to open search).

yaml 
search:
  enabled: false

Or hide just the search button while keeping functionality:

yaml 
header:
  showSearch: false

For larger documentation sites, you can use Algolia DocSearch:

yaml 
search:
  enabled: true
  provider: algolia
  algolia:
    appId: YOUR_APP_ID
    apiKey: YOUR_SEARCH_API_KEY
    indexName: YOUR_INDEX_NAME

⚠️ Warning

Only use public search-only API keys in your configuration. Never expose admin API keys.

Applying for DocSearch

Algolia DocSearch is free for open-source documentation:

  1. Apply at docsearch.algolia.com/apply
  2. Wait for approval (typically 1-2 weeks)
  3. Receive your credentials via email
  4. Add them to your configuration

Search Behavior

Users can open search by:

  • Clicking the search button in the header
  • Pressing the hotkey (/ by default)
  • Pressing Cmd+K (Mac) or Ctrl+K (Windows/Linux)

Keyboard Navigation

Key Action
↑ / ↓ Navigate results
Enter Go to selected result
Escape Close search

Search Syntax

Pagefind supports:

  • Simple keywords: configuration
  • Multiple terms: dark mode theme
  • Phrases: "code blocks"

Excluding Content from Search

Exclude Pages

Use frontmatter to exclude specific pages:

markdown 
---
title: Internal Page
search: false
---

Exclude Sections

Add data-pagefind-ignore to HTML elements:

html 
<div data-pagefind-ignore>
  This content won't be indexed.
</div>

Or in markdown with custom components:

markdown 
<div data-pagefind-ignore>

Content here won't appear in search results.

</div>

Search Index

Build Index

The search index is automatically built when you run:

bash 
stardust build

The index is stored in dist/pagefind/ and is approximately 1-5% of your content size.

Development Mode

During development (stardust dev), search uses a temporary index that updates automatically as you edit content.

Performance Tips

Info

  • Keep page titles and descriptions concise for better search results
  • Use clear headings that match what users might search for
  • The search index is typically very small (a few KB to a few MB)

Complete Search Configuration

yaml 
search:
  enabled: true
  provider: pagefind  # or 'algolia'
  placeholder: "Search docs..."
  hotkey: "/"

  # Only needed for Algolia
  algolia:
    appId: YOUR_APP_ID
    apiKey: YOUR_SEARCH_API_KEY
    indexName: YOUR_INDEX_NAME
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