Introduction

Laravel Scout is a powerful package that allows you to easily add full-text search functionality to your Laravel applications. It integrates seamlessly with search engines like Algolia and Elasticsearch, making it a versatile tool for implementing search in your projects. In this guide, we'll explore how to implement search using Laravel Scout.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure you have the following prerequisites:

• An existing Laravel project
• Composer installed
• A Laravel model with data you want to search

Step 1: Installation

Start by installing Laravel Scout and a search engine driver. We'll use Algolia as an example in this guide:

            
composer require laravel/scout
composer require algolia/algoliasearch-client
            
        

Next, publish the Scout configuration:

            
php artisan vendor:publish --provider="Laravel\Scout\ScoutServiceProvider"
            
        

Step 2: Model Configuration

In your model, use the `Searchable` trait and define the searchable attributes:

            
use Laravel\Scout\Searchable;
class YourModel extends Model
{
    use Searchable;
    public function toSearchableArray()
    {
        // Define the attributes you want to make searchable
        return [
            'id' => $this->id,
            'title' => $this->title,
            // Add more attributes here
        ];
    }
}
            
        

Step 3: Indexing Data

Use the `scout:import` Artisan command to index your data:

            
php artisan scout:import "App\Models\YourModel"
            
        

Step 4: Implementing Search

In your controller or wherever you want to implement search, use the `search` method:

            
$results = YourModel::search('search term')->get();
            
        

Conclusion

Laravel Scout provides a straightforward way to add search functionality to your Laravel applications. By following the steps in this guide, you can enable powerful full-text search capabilities for your project, enhancing user experience and data retrieval.