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Number of records

Algolia counts the number of records differently depending on the type of replica. This means the count differs between standard and virtual replicas.

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Standard replicas

Standard replica indices “replicate” or copy the primary records. Standard replicas have the same content but can have their own configuration. For example, say your primary index has 1,000 records. If you create two standard replicas, you end up with 3,000 records in total. The total number of records for an index equals the records in its primary index. Multiply that by the replica count to get the total.
  • total records size = number of records in primary index * (1 + number of standard replicas).

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Virtual replicas

Virtual replicas are a “view” of their primary indices. They don’t increase the number of records.

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Indexing operations

Only operations on the primary index count as indexing operations. This applies to both standard and virtual replicas.
  • You send data to a primary index, or update existing data. Algolia then automatically forwards the changes to your replica indices. These changes don’t add anything to your operation count.
  • The forwardToReplicas setting forwards settings from your primary index to your replicas without adding extra operation counts.
  • Adding settings directly to your standard or virtual replicas count as one operation.
  • Adding synonyms and Rules to your standard or virtual replicas count as operations.

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What happens when you detach a replica from its primary?

You can turn a standard or virtual replica into a regular index by un-linking it from its primary index. After that, all its indexing operations count toward your monthly operations total.
Last modified on September 16, 2026