diff --git a/learn/inner_workings/known_limitations.mdx b/learn/inner_workings/known_limitations.mdx index c340362cab..de33dca695 100644 --- a/learn/inner_workings/known_limitations.mdx +++ b/learn/inner_workings/known_limitations.mdx @@ -71,23 +71,43 @@ If your query is `Hello - World`: ## Maximum filter depth -**Limitation:** Meilisearch does not accept searches with more than 2000 `OR` filters. +**Limitation:** searches using the [`filter` search parameter](/reference/api/search#filter) may have a maximum filtering depth of 2000. -**Explanation:** `OR` filters create nested structures which can lead to a stack overflow. +**Explanation:** mixing and alternating `AND` and `OR` operators filters creates nested logic structures. Excessive nesting can lead to stack overflow. ### Example -Either of these filter expressions would cause a search query to fail: +The following filter is composed of a number of filter expressions. Since these statements are all chained with `OR` operators, there is no nesting: ```sql -user = 1 OR user = 2 […] OR user = 1500 OR user = 1501 […] OR user = 2000 OR user = 2001 +genre = "romance" OR genre = "horror" OR genre = "adventure" ``` -```json -[ - ["user = 1", "user = 2", […], "user = 1500", "user = 1501", […], "user = 2000", "user = 2001"] -] -``` +Replacing `OR` with `AND` does not change the filter structure. The following filter's nesting level remains 1: + +```sql +genre = "romance" AND genre = "horror" AND genre = "adventure" +``` + +Nesting only occurs when alternating `AND` and `OR` operators. The following example fetches documents that either belong only to `user` `1`, or belong to users `2` and `3`: + +```sql +# AND is nested inside OR, creating a second level of nesting +user = 1 OR user = 2 AND user = 3 +``` + +Adding parentheses can help visualizing nesting depth: + +```sql +# Depth 2 +user = 1 OR (user = 2 AND user = 3) + +# Depth 4 +user = 1 OR (user = 2 AND (user = 3 OR (user = 4 AND user = 5))) + +# Though this filter is longer, its nesting depth is still 2 +user = 1 OR (user = 2 AND user = 3) OR (user = 4 AND user = 5) OR user = 6 +``` ## Size of integer fields