Meilisearch Repositories

MeilisearchRepository<T, ID> extends Spring Data CrudRepository and PagingAndSortingRepository. The default implementation delegates to MeilisearchOperations.

This keeps repository usage aligned with familiar Spring Data patterns while still letting the module preserve Meilisearch-specific behavior underneath the repository facade.

import io.vanslog.spring.data.meilisearch.repository.MeilisearchRepository;

public interface MovieRepository extends MeilisearchRepository<Movie, String> {
}

This is the recommended repository style for the current module. It exposes the standard Spring Data CRUD and pagination entry points without implying support for a wider derived-query feature set.

Automatic Settings Application

Repository bootstrap inspects the mapped entity type. If the entity is annotated with @Document(applySettings = true), Spring Data Meilisearch applies annotation-driven settings through MeilisearchOperations.applySettings(…) when the repository is created.

This behavior is store-specific. It means repository creation can have side effects on the target index configuration, which is convenient for local development and controlled deployments but should be understood explicitly in environments where index settings are managed separately.

Built-in Repository Methods

The built-in repository methods do not all use the same underlying Meilisearch API:

findById(…) and findAllById(…) use document APIs.
findAll(), findAll(Sort), and findAll(Pageable) use search APIs.
count() uses SearchOperations.count(…).
save(…), saveAll(…), and delete methods delegate to MeilisearchOperations document-oriented write operations.

That distinction matters because some Meilisearch settings only influence search APIs. For example, displayedAttributes affect search results but not the document APIs used by findById(…) and findAllById(…).

Method Behavior at a Glance

Repository method family Backing behavior

Repository method family	Backing behavior
`findById`, `findAllById`, `existsById`	Uses direct document lookup APIs after converting the repository id through the configured converter.
`findAll`, `findAll(Sort)`, `findAll(Pageable)`	Builds a search query and unwraps Meilisearch search hits back into entities.
`count`	Delegates to the operations layer count support rather than maintaining a separate repository-side count strategy.
`save`, `saveAll`, `delete*`	Delegates to `MeilisearchOperations` write and delete operations.

findById, findAllById, existsById

Uses direct document lookup APIs after converting the repository id through the configured converter.

findAll, findAll(Sort), findAll(Pageable)

Builds a search query and unwraps Meilisearch search hits back into entities.

count

Delegates to the operations layer count support rather than maintaining a separate repository-side count strategy.

save, saveAll, delete*

Delegates to MeilisearchOperations write and delete operations.

Paging and Totals

findAll(Pageable) is backed by a BasicQuery plus search result metadata. The repository Page total is therefore derived from Meilisearch search totals, not from a separate count query. If the index is configured with @Pagination(maxTotalHits = …), that limit can cap the reported page total.

The same search-backed design also explains why repository pagination does not expose richer search response data such as facets or federation metadata. When an application needs those store-specific result structures, prefer calling MeilisearchOperations directly from the service layer.