# Initialization

After installation, you can import and use the library in your JavaScript or TypeScript files. Library attaches to existing search input element. Once a search input is loaded, `autocomplete` function can initialize event listeners for the Search Autocomplete.

❗`autocomplete` should be called once.❗

```jsx
import { useEffect } from "react"
import {
    autocomplete,
    search,
    priceDecorator,
    Autocomplete,
} from "@nosto/autocomplete/react"
import { createRoot } from "react-dom/client"
import "@nosto/autocomplete/styles.css"

let reactRoot = null

export function Search() {
    useEffect(() => {
        autocomplete({
            fetch: {
                products: {
                    fields: [
                        "name",
                        "url",
                        "imageUrl",
                        "price",
                        "listPrice",
                        "brand",
                    ],
                    size: 5,
                },
                keywords: {
                    size: 5,
                    fields: ["keyword", "_highlight.keyword"],
                    highlight: {
                        preTag: `<strong>`,
                        postTag: "</strong>",
                    },
                },
            },
            inputSelector: "#search",
            dropdownSelector: "#search-results",
            hitDecorators: [
                // adds priceText & listPrice fields based on Nosto currency formatting rules
                priceDecorator({ defaultCurrency: "USD" })
            ],
            render: function (container, state) {
                if (!reactRoot) {
                    reactRoot = createRoot(container)
                }

                reactRoot.render(<Autocomplete {...state} />)
            },
            submit: async (query, config, options) => {
                if (query.length >= config.minQueryLength) {
                    const response = await search(
                        {
                            query,
                        },
                        {
                            redirect: true,
                            track: config.nostoAnalytics ? "serp" : undefined,
                            ...options
                        }
                    )
                    // Do something with response. For example, update Search Engine Results Page products state.
                }
            },
        })
    }, [])

    return (
        <form id="search-form">
            <input type="text" id="search" placeholder="search" />
            <button type="submit" id="search-button">
                Search
            </button>
            <div id="search-results" className="ns-autocomplete"></div>
        </form>
    )
}
```

| Property         | Required | Default Value                                                    | Description                                                                                                                  |
| ---------------- | -------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| inputSelector    | Yes      | N/A                                                              | Input element to attach the autocomplete to                                                                                  |
| dropdownSelector | Yes      | N/A                                                              | Dropdown element to attach the autocomplete to (empty container's selector should be provided)                               |
| render           | Yes      | N/A                                                              | Function to render the dropdown                                                                                              |
| fetch            | Yes      | N/A                                                              | Function to fetch the search state                                                                                           |
| submit           | No       | Search API request                                               | Function to submit the search                                                                                                |
| minQueryLength   | No       | `2`                                                              | Minimum length of the query before searching (applied on typing in autocomplete and used in default `submit` implementation) |
| historyEnabled   | No       | `true`                                                           | Enables search history component                                                                                             |
| historySize      | No       | `5`                                                              | Max number of history items to show                                                                                          |
| nostoAnalytics   | No       | `true`                                                           | Enable Nosto Analytics                                                                                                       |
| googleAnalytics  | No       | `{ serpPath: "search", queryParamName: "query", enabled: true }` | Google Analytics configuration. Set to `false` to disable                                                                    |
| hitDecorators    | No       | N/A                                                              | Decorate each search hit before rendering                                                                                    |


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.nosto.com/techdocs/implementing-nosto/implement-search/search/implement-autocomplete-using-library/initialization.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.