> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://algolia.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Get started with Vue InstantSearch

> Use Vue InstantSearch to create a dynamic, filterable search UI.

export const SearchQuery = () => <Tooltip tip="The text users enter into a search box. In the Search API, this corresponds to the query parameter. A search query is often used with filters, facets, and other parameters, but these aren't part of the query text itself.">
    search query
  </Tooltip>;

export const Index = () => <Tooltip tip="An Algolia index is a searchable dataset that consists of records and configuration settings. These settings define how the records are searched and ranked.">
    index
  </Tooltip>;

export const Filter = () => <Tooltip tip="A filter is a condition that limits which records Algolia returns. Filters often use one or more facet-value pairs, such as brand:Apple AND color:red. You can also filter by numeric values, dates, tags, booleans, or geographic constraints." cta="Filtering" href="/doc/guides/managing-results/refine-results/faceting">
    filter
  </Tooltip>;

export const ApplicationID = () => <Tooltip tip="A unique alphanumeric string that identifies an Algolia application." cta="Application ID (dashboard)" href="https://dashboard.algolia.com/account/api-keys">
    application ID
  </Tooltip>;

export const APIKey = () => <Tooltip tip="An alphanumeric string that controls access to the Algolia APIs. It defines what actions are allowed, such as searching an index or adding new records." cta="API key" href="/doc/guides/security/api-keys">
    API key
  </Tooltip>;

## Before you begin

This quickstart assumes basic Vue knowledge.
It includes all the code, data, and credentials you need.

## Quickstart

In this quickstart, you'll add an Algolia search interface to some starter code.
The code:

* Displays and formats a search box and results
* Uses InstantSearch's pre-built UI components (widgets) to filter results

<Columns>
  <Card title="Open CodeSandbox" icon="codesandbox" href="https://codesandbox.io/s/github/algolia/instantsearch/tree/master/examples/vue/getting-started">
    Run and edit the Vue InstantSearch quickstart example in CodeSandbox.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Explore source code" icon="github" href="https://github.com/algolia/instantsearch/tree/master/examples/vue/getting-started">
    Browse the source for the Vue InstantSearch quickstart example on GitHub.
  </Card>
</Columns>

<Steps>
  <Step title="Add starter code">
    To generate some starter code, use the `create-instantsearch-app` tool.
    It provides the <Index /> data, all necessary code, and predefined credentials (<ApplicationID /> and <APIKey />).

    In a terminal, paste:

    ```sh Command line icon=square-terminal theme={"system"}
    npx create-instantsearch-app ais-ecommerce-demo-app --template "Vue InstantSearch"
    ```

    This command creates a folder structure on your machine:

    ```txt theme={"system"}
    ais-ecommerce-demo-app/
    ├── node_modules/
    ├── src/
    ├──── App.vue
    ├──── main.js
    ├── package.json
    ├── README.md
    └── yarn.lock
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add the search UI">
    Open `src/App.vue` and replace the whole file with the following:

    ```vue Vue icon=code theme={"system"}
    <template>
      <ais-instant-search :search-client="searchClient" index-name="demo_ecommerce">
        <ais-search-box />
        <ais-hits>
          <template v-slot:item="{ item }">
            <h2>{{ item.name }}</h2>
          </template>
        </ais-hits>
      </ais-instant-search>
    </template>

    <script>
    import { liteClient as algoliasearch } from 'algoliasearch/lite';
    import 'instantsearch.css/themes/algolia-min.css';

    export default {
      data() {
        return {
          searchClient: algoliasearch(
            'B1G2GM9NG0',
            'aadef574be1f9252bb48d4ea09b5cfe5'
          ),
        };
      },
    };
    </script>

    <style>
    body {
      font-family: sans-serif;
      padding: 1em;
    }
    </style>
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Run the project">
    1. In your terminal, type:

       ```sh Command line icon=square-terminal theme={"system"}
       cd ais-ecommerce-demo-app
       npm start
       ```

    2. Open your browser and go to [http://localhost:3000](https://localhost:3000). The app displays the search box and results.

           <img src="https://mintcdn.com/algolia/1WCtS02LoYjihIhK/images/instantsearch/vue/getting-started-1.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=1WCtS02LoYjihIhK&q=85&s=471a4d44db67cc54d5287c353e358946" alt="Screenshot of a search box with 'iPhone' entered, showing a grid of product results like 'Apple - iPhone SE 16GB - Space Gray (Verizon)'." width="2796" height="1578" data-path="images/instantsearch/vue/getting-started-1.png" />
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add filters and settings">
    Open `src/App.vue` and update it:

    ```vue Vue icon=code theme={"system"}
    <template>
      <ais-instant-search index-name="demo_ecommerce" :search-client="searchClient">
        <div class="left-panel">
          <ais-clear-refinements />
          <h2>Brands</h2>
          <ais-refinement-list attribute="brand" searchable />
          <ais-configure :hitsPerPage="8" />
        </div>
        <div class="right-panel">
          <ais-search-box />
          <ais-hits>
            <template v-slot:item="{ item }">
              <h2>{{ item.name }}</h2>
            </template>
          </ais-hits>
          <ais-pagination />
        </div>
      </ais-instant-search>
    </template>
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a two-column layout">
    The widgets come with a [predefined style](/doc/guides/building-search-ui/widgets/customize-an-existing-widget/vue#style-your-widgets) but you can customize it.

    1. Update the content of the style tag with the following to apply a two-column layout:

    ```css CSS icon=paintbrush theme={"system"}
            body {
              font-family: sans-serif;
              padding: 1em;
            }

            .ais-Hits-list {
              margin-top: 0;
              margin-bottom: 1em;
            }

            .ais-InstantSearch {
              display: grid;
              grid-template-columns: 1fr 4fr;
              grid-gap: 1em;
            }
    ```

    1. In your browser, after a page refresh, the layout includes a **Brands** <Filter />.

           <img src="https://mintcdn.com/algolia/1WCtS02LoYjihIhK/images/instantsearch/vue/getting-started-2.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=1WCtS02LoYjihIhK&q=85&s=0d290a99aa4ed01c7b7f598080ba4c75" alt="Search UI with a Brands filter in the quickstart app" width="2808" height="1126" data-path="images/instantsearch/vue/getting-started-2.png" />
  </Step>

  <Step title="Format search results">
    Open `src/App.vue` and replace the content of the `ais-hits` item slot with:

    ```vue Vue icon=code theme={"system"}
    <template v-slot:item="{ item }">
      <h2>{{ item.name }}</h2>
      <img :src="item.image" align="left" :alt="item.name" />
      <div class="hit-name">
        <ais-highlight attribute="name" :hit="item"></ais-highlight>
      </div>
      <div class="hit-description">
        <ais-highlight attribute="description" :hit="item"></ais-highlight>
      </div>
      <div class="hit-price">{{ item.price }}</div>
    </template>
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Refine the styling">
    1. Update the content of the style tag with:

    ```css CSS icon=paintbrush theme={"system"}
            body {
              font-family: sans-serif;
              padding: 1em;
            }

            .ais-Hits-list {
              margin-top: 0;
              margin-bottom: 1em;
            }

            .ais-InstantSearch {
              display: grid;
              grid-template-columns: 1fr 4fr;
              grid-gap: 1em;
            }

            .ais-Hits-item img {
              margin-right: 1em;
            }
            .hit-name {
              margin-bottom: 0.5em;
            }
            .hit-description {
              color: #888;
              font-size: 0.8em;
              margin-bottom: 0.5em;
            }
    ```

    1. In your browser, after a page refresh, you'll see product images.

           <img src="https://mintcdn.com/algolia/2qKY7HStIjENri6J/images/instantsearch/vue/getting-started-3.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=2qKY7HStIjENri6J&q=85&s=51999f739e6b84642630ba62c391cd0f" alt="Search UI with product images in the quickstart app" width="2806" height="1550" data-path="images/instantsearch/vue/getting-started-3.png" />
  </Step>
</Steps>

## The widgets

This quickstart uses several InstantSearch widgets:

* [`ais-instant-search`](/doc/api-reference/widgets/instantsearch/vue) is the root Vue InstantSearch component. You must wrap all other widgets inside this component.
* [`ais-search-box`](/doc/api-reference/widgets/search-box/vue) displays a search box for users to type queries into.
* [`ais-hits`](/doc/api-reference/widgets/hits/vue) displays the results from Algolia, based on the <SearchQuery />.
* [`ais-clear-refinements`](/doc/api-reference/widgets/clear-refinements/vue) displays a button that clears the current refinements.
* [`ais-refinement-list`](/doc/api-reference/widgets/refinement-list/vue) displays a list of brands that users can use to filter the search.
* [`ais-configure`](/doc/api-reference/widgets/configure/vue) passes [search parameters](/doc/api-reference/search-api-parameters). In this example, it sets [`hitsPerPage`](/doc/api-reference/api-parameters/hitsPerPage) to 8.
* [`ais-pagination`](/doc/api-reference/widgets/pagination/vue) adds navigation controls to browse through pages of results.

## Next steps

Instead of the credentials from `create-instantsearch-app`,
use your own Algolia [credentials](https://www.algolia.com/users/sign_up).

You can send your own data or [a sample dataset](https://github.com/algolia/datasets/blob/master/ecommerce/records.json) to Algolia using the JavaScript API client that comes preinstalled with `create-instantsearch-app`.

Then, configure the index with the JavaScript API client.
For example, to configure the sample dataset,
use the following code:

```js JavaScript icon="code" theme={"system"}
index
  .setSettings({
    searchableAttributes: [
      "brand",
      "name",
      "categories",
      "unordered(description)",
    ],
    customRanking: ["desc(popularity)"],
    attributesForFaceting: ["searchable(brand)", "type", "categories", "price"],
  })
  .then(() => {
    // done
  });
```

### Initializing your app

If you're using your app instead of `create-instantsearch-app`,
initialize it by changing the contents of `main.js` to include the Vue InstantSearch library:

<CodeGroup>
  ```js Vue 3 theme={"system"}
  import { createApp } from "vue";
  import App from "./App.vue";
  import InstantSearch from "vue-instantsearch/vue3/es";

  const app = createApp(App);
  app.use(InstantSearch);
  app.mount("#app");
  ```

  ```js Vue 2 theme={"system"}
  import Vue from "vue";
  import App from "./App.vue";
  import InstantSearch from "vue-instantsearch";

  Vue.use(InstantSearch);

  new Vue({
    el: "#app",
    render: (h) => h(App),
  });
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## See also

* [What is InstantSearch?](/doc/guides/building-search-ui/what-is-instantsearch/vue)
* [Send and update your data](/doc/guides/sending-and-managing-data/send-and-update-your-data)
* [Send click and conversion events](/doc/guides/building-search-ui/events/vue)
* [Customize an existing widget](/doc/guides/building-search-ui/widgets/customize-an-existing-widget/vue)