When do I need a search engine like Elasticsearch?

By Reejan R Gopan · Full-Stack Software Engineer, Dubai, UAE

Start with indexed SQL and PostgreSQL full-text/trigram search. Move to a dedicated engine (Meilisearch, OpenSearch/Elasticsearch, Algolia) only when fuzzy matching, facets, geo search, analytics or volume justify it.

If you add one, define up front: how the index is built from authoritative data change events, how it is rebuilt, how much lag is acceptable, and how ACL and tenant filters are applied — search results must never reveal an unauthorised listing or private tenant data. Decide by relevance, load and operating cost, not fashion.

Which database should I use?
Default to PostgreSQL for business data, then add others only when needed: PostgreSQL / MySQL…
Which infrastructure do I need now and which later?
Use three tiers: NOW (baseline for most public production apps); DNS, TLS and automated…
What does enterprise-grade software actually mean?
Enterprise-grade is not a list of technologies — it is a set of verified properties: Correct under…
How do I document architecture decisions (ADRs)?
For every non-trivial decision, write a short Architecture Decision Record: Context and…

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Which database should I use?

Which infrastructure do I need now and which later?

What does enterprise-grade software actually mean?

How do I document architecture decisions (ADRs)?