---
title: "Configure a search and indexing provider"
slug: "configure-a-search-and-indexing-provider"
abstract: "Describes how to select and configure search and indexing providers"
---
# Configure a search and indexing provider

When you configure servers, you must select a search and indexing provider. You can select Solr or Azure, depending on your business purpose and the type of server architecture you want to implement.

This topic describes how to:

- [Select a search and indexing provider](https://doc.sitecore.com/xp/en/developers/92/platform-administration-and-architecture/configure-a-search-and-indexing-provider.html#UUID-6963e7d8-1ab5-e6fb-c132-9252f226e074_id__Select_a_search "Select a search and indexing provider")
- [Specify the search provider](https://doc.sitecore.com/xp/en/developers/92/platform-administration-and-architecture/configure-a-search-and-indexing-provider.html#UUID-6963e7d8-1ab5-e6fb-c132-9252f226e074_id__Specify_the_search "Specify the search provider")

<details>
<summary><h2>Select a search and indexing provider</h2></summary>

To help you select a search and indexing provider, use the following links:

- [Using Solr, Lucene, or Azure](https://doc.sitecore.com/xp/en/developers/92/platform-administration-and-architecture/using-solr,-lucene,-or-azure-search.md "Using Solr, Lucene, or Azure Search") – guidance on choosing a search and indexing provider.
- [Search index descriptions](https://doc.sitecore.com/xp/en/developers/92/platform-administration-and-architecture/search-index-descriptions.html "Search index descriptions") – a list of all Sitecore default search indexes with descriptions.
- [Search indexes required for servers in a scalable environment](https://doc.sitecore.com/xp/en/developers/92/platform-administration-and-architecture/the-search-indexes-required-in-a-scalable-environment.html "The search indexes required in a scalable environment") – a list of search indexes required on each type of server.
- [Index update strategies](https://doc.sitecore.com/xp/en/developers/92/platform-administration-and-architecture/index-update-strategies.html "Index update strategies") – guidance on which type of index update strategy you should use to maintain your search indexes.

</details>

<details>
<summary><h2>Specify the search provider</h2></summary>

When you have chosen a search provider, you must specify it in the `web.config` file.

To specify the search provider:

- In the `web.config` file, locate the `<AppSettings>` section and change the value of the `search:define` setting to your search provider. For example:

    ```xml
    <AppSettings>
    <add key="role:define" value="ContentDelivery"/>
    <add key="search:define" value="Solr"/>
    </AppSettings>
    ```

If there is no `search:define` setting in the `web.config` file, you can add it yourself.

> [!note]
> The `web.config` file must have only one line using the `search:define` setting. If there is more than one `search:define` line, Sitecore only uses the value in the last line.

The supported values for a search provider are:

- Solr
- Azure

> [!note]
> On a standalone Sitecore instance, you can select Solr or Azure. The default value is Solr. On multiserver Sitecore installations, you must select Solr.

When you have specified the search provider, Sitecore automatically configures the server to work with the selected provider.

> [!note]
> You can use the [Show Config tool](https://doc.sitecore.com/xp/en/developers/92/platform-administration-and-architecture/view-configuration-changes.html "View configuration changes") to see the resulting configuration as it looks when Sitecore compiles it at runtime. You can also use the Show Config tool to simulate changing the configuration rules or disabling configuration layers without actually changing the configuration.

</details>