Dexter

Dexter is a powerful and highly configurable add-on that indexes your ExpressionEngine entries into Algolia or Meilisearch. It gives you full control over how your content is structured and searched.

Search implementations are rarely one-size-fits-all. Every site has unique business rules and content models. Dexter provides a reliable foundation for getting your content into a search index, along with the tools to tailor the output to your exact needs.

Introductory price is $50. Starting in 2026 the regular price will be $125.00.

Full text document and image indexing

Make all your files searchable with Dexter, including content from PDFs, Word, text files, CSVs, and XML. You can index all content, or limit it the number of pages or words. You can also add an AI connection through Dexter’s configuration options and generate descriptions of images.

Batch Re-Indexing

Dexter keeps your index in sync by updating it when entries are created, updated, or deleted. You can also run a full re-index to clear and rebuild the index from scratch. This feature works smoothly with the Queue add-on for background processing.

Export and Import Settings

Dexter lets you export settings to a .json file in your config directory for version control, make modifications to it, and import back to the related index in Algolia or Meilisearch.

Front-End Flexibility

Dexter is built for indexing your content efficiently. It includes a search template tag for quick integration, and an API endpoint for creating a custom front-end search experience using JavaScript libraries like Algolia’s InstantSearch or any other solution that fits your stack.

Customizable Pipelines

Dexter supports most native and third-party fields out of the box. If you need more control, you can extend its behavior using the Pipeline pattern. A companion add-on is included in the Dexter download file that lets you write custom pipeline stages in PHP to transform your content however you like.