The search backend for the Docs website, Google's [Custom Search Site Restricted JSON API](https://developers.google.com/custom-search/v1/site_restricted_api), is being removed on Jan 8, 2025, and its recommended replacement, Google Vertex AI Search, is not currently usable for static sites like GitLab Docs (see https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-docs/-/issues/1804). So, we are moving to Elasticsearch. See https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-docs/-/issues/1812+s for the rationale behind this decision. This epic tracks work to implement our existing search functionality with Elasticsearch. See https://gitlab.com/groups/gitlab-org/-/epics/15413+s for potential future work and enhancements. ## Related - https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/438330 - https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/legal-and-compliance/-/issues/1876 ## Preview environments You can test out Elasticsearch before we launch it on these review apps: - Elasticsearch on Hugo: https://new.docs.gitlab.com/review-mr-201/ - MR: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/technical-writing-group/gitlab-docs-hugo/-/merge_requests/201 - Elasticsearch on Nanoc: https://elasticsearch.docs.gitlab-review.app/ - MR: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-docs/-/merge_requests/5071