diff --git a/benchmarks/benches/utils.rs b/benchmarks/benches/utils.rs
index 511b3b8d5..470d2030d 100644
--- a/benchmarks/benches/utils.rs
+++ b/benchmarks/benches/utils.rs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ use std::fs::{create_dir_all, remove_dir_all, File};
 use std::io::{self, BufRead, BufReader, Cursor, Read, Seek};
 use std::num::ParseFloatError;
 use std::path::Path;
+use std::str::FromStr;
 
 use criterion::BenchmarkId;
 use milli::documents::{DocumentsBatchBuilder, DocumentsBatchReader};
@@ -11,7 +12,7 @@ use milli::heed::EnvOpenOptions;
 use milli::update::{
     IndexDocuments, IndexDocumentsConfig, IndexDocumentsMethod, IndexerConfig, Settings,
 };
-use milli::{Filter, Index, Object, TermsMatchingStrategy};
+use milli::{Criterion, Filter, Index, Object, TermsMatchingStrategy};
 use serde_json::Value;
 
 pub struct Conf<'a> {
@@ -80,7 +81,7 @@ pub fn base_setup(conf: &Conf) -> Index {
         builder.reset_criteria();
         builder.reset_stop_words();
 
-        let criterion = criterion.iter().map(|s| s.to_string()).collect();
+        let criterion = criterion.iter().map(|s| Criterion::from_str(s).unwrap()).collect();
         builder.set_criteria(criterion);
     }
 
diff --git a/cli/src/main.rs b/cli/src/main.rs
index c28d3de59..09ee7f984 100644
--- a/cli/src/main.rs
+++ b/cli/src/main.rs
@@ -521,7 +521,7 @@ impl Performer for SettingsUpdate {
 
         if let Some(criteria) = self.criteria {
             if !criteria.is_empty() {
-                update.set_criteria(criteria);
+                update.set_criteria(criteria.iter().map(|c| c.parse()).collect::<Result<_, _>>()?);
             } else {
                 update.reset_criteria();
             }
diff --git a/milli/Cargo.toml b/milli/Cargo.toml
index 4e4fdc483..5bbd7a8ff 100644
--- a/milli/Cargo.toml
+++ b/milli/Cargo.toml
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ byteorder = "1.4.3"
 charabia = { version = "0.7.0", default-features = false }
 concat-arrays = "0.1.2"
 crossbeam-channel = "0.5.6"
+deserr = "0.1.4"
 either = "1.8.0"
 flatten-serde-json = { path = "../flatten-serde-json" }
 fst = "0.4.7"
diff --git a/milli/src/search/criteria/asc_desc.rs b/milli/src/search/criteria/asc_desc.rs
index c0fdbada3..b5afe6778 100644
--- a/milli/src/search/criteria/asc_desc.rs
+++ b/milli/src/search/criteria/asc_desc.rs
@@ -343,7 +343,7 @@ mod tests {
     use maplit::hashset;
 
     use crate::index::tests::TempIndex;
-    use crate::{AscDesc, Filter, Search, SearchResult};
+    use crate::{AscDesc, Criterion, Filter, Search, SearchResult};
 
     // Note that in this test, only the iterative sort algorithms are used. Set the CANDIDATES_THESHOLD
     // constant to 0 to ensure that the other sort algorithms are also correct.
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ mod tests {
                 settings.set_primary_key("id".to_owned());
                 settings
                     .set_sortable_fields(maplit::hashset! { S("id"), S("mod_10"), S("mod_20") });
-                settings.set_criteria(vec!["sort".to_owned()]);
+                settings.set_criteria(vec![Criterion::Sort]);
             })
             .unwrap();
 
@@ -443,7 +443,7 @@ mod tests {
                 settings.set_primary_key("id".to_owned());
                 settings.set_filterable_fields(hashset! { S("id"), S("mod_10"), S("mod_20") });
                 settings.set_sortable_fields(hashset! { S("id"), S("mod_10"), S("mod_20") });
-                settings.set_criteria(vec!["sort".to_owned()]);
+                settings.set_criteria(vec![Criterion::Sort]);
             })
             .unwrap();
 
diff --git a/milli/src/search/criteria/exactness.rs b/milli/src/search/criteria/exactness.rs
index d4a90576c..078a9cd6c 100644
--- a/milli/src/search/criteria/exactness.rs
+++ b/milli/src/search/criteria/exactness.rs
@@ -497,7 +497,7 @@ mod tests {
         create_disjoint_combinations, create_non_disjoint_combinations,
     };
     use crate::snapshot_tests::display_bitmap;
-    use crate::SearchResult;
+    use crate::{Criterion, SearchResult};
 
     #[test]
     fn test_exact_words_subcriterion() {
@@ -506,7 +506,7 @@ mod tests {
         index
             .update_settings(|settings| {
                 settings.set_primary_key(S("id"));
-                settings.set_criteria(vec!["exactness".to_owned()]);
+                settings.set_criteria(vec![Criterion::Exactness]);
             })
             .unwrap();
 
diff --git a/milli/src/search/criteria/proximity.rs b/milli/src/search/criteria/proximity.rs
index 1d86f4da1..66e5c95bf 100644
--- a/milli/src/search/criteria/proximity.rs
+++ b/milli/src/search/criteria/proximity.rs
@@ -599,7 +599,7 @@ mod tests {
 
     use crate::documents::{DocumentsBatchBuilder, DocumentsBatchReader};
     use crate::index::tests::TempIndex;
-    use crate::{CriterionImplementationStrategy, SearchResult};
+    use crate::{Criterion, CriterionImplementationStrategy, SearchResult};
 
     fn documents_with_enough_different_words_for_prefixes(prefixes: &[&str]) -> Vec<crate::Object> {
         let mut documents = Vec::new();
@@ -627,9 +627,9 @@ mod tests {
             .update_settings(|settings| {
                 settings.set_primary_key(S("id"));
                 settings.set_criteria(vec![
-                    "words".to_owned(),
-                    "typo".to_owned(),
-                    "proximity".to_owned(),
+                    Criterion::Words,
+                    Criterion::Typo,
+                    Criterion::Proximity,
                 ]);
             })
             .unwrap();
diff --git a/milli/src/update/settings.rs b/milli/src/update/settings.rs
index 5f75910dc..f10bfe4e9 100644
--- a/milli/src/update/settings.rs
+++ b/milli/src/update/settings.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ use std::collections::{BTreeSet, HashMap, HashSet};
 use std::result::Result as StdResult;
 
 use charabia::{Tokenizer, TokenizerBuilder};
+use deserr::{DeserializeError, DeserializeFromValue};
 use itertools::Itertools;
 use serde::{Deserialize, Deserializer, Serialize, Serializer};
 use time::OffsetDateTime;
@@ -22,6 +23,25 @@ pub enum Setting<T> {
     NotSet,
 }
 
+impl<T, E> DeserializeFromValue<E> for Setting<T>
+where
+    T: DeserializeFromValue<E>,
+    E: DeserializeError,
+{
+    fn deserialize_from_value<V: deserr::IntoValue>(
+        value: deserr::Value<V>,
+        location: deserr::ValuePointerRef,
+    ) -> std::result::Result<Self, E> {
+        match value {
+            deserr::Value::Null => Ok(Setting::Reset),
+            _ => T::deserialize_from_value(value, location).map(Setting::Set),
+        }
+    }
+    fn default() -> Option<Self> {
+        Some(Self::NotSet)
+    }
+}
+
 impl<T> Default for Setting<T> {
     fn default() -> Self {
         Self::NotSet
@@ -93,7 +113,7 @@ pub struct Settings<'a, 't, 'u, 'i> {
     displayed_fields: Setting<Vec<String>>,
     filterable_fields: Setting<HashSet<String>>,
     sortable_fields: Setting<HashSet<String>>,
-    criteria: Setting<Vec<String>>,
+    criteria: Setting<Vec<Criterion>>,
     stop_words: Setting<BTreeSet<String>>,
     distinct_field: Setting<String>,
     synonyms: Setting<HashMap<String, Vec<String>>>,
@@ -173,7 +193,7 @@ impl<'a, 't, 'u, 'i> Settings<'a, 't, 'u, 'i> {
         self.criteria = Setting::Reset;
     }
 
-    pub fn set_criteria(&mut self, criteria: Vec<String>) {
+    pub fn set_criteria(&mut self, criteria: Vec<Criterion>) {
         self.criteria = Setting::Set(criteria);
     }
 
@@ -526,14 +546,9 @@ impl<'a, 't, 'u, 'i> Settings<'a, 't, 'u, 'i> {
     }
 
     fn update_criteria(&mut self) -> Result<()> {
-        match self.criteria {
-            Setting::Set(ref fields) => {
-                let mut new_criteria = Vec::new();
-                for name in fields {
-                    let criterion: Criterion = name.parse()?;
-                    new_criteria.push(criterion);
-                }
-                self.index.put_criteria(self.wtxn, &new_criteria)?;
+        match &self.criteria {
+            Setting::Set(criteria) => {
+                self.index.put_criteria(self.wtxn, criteria)?;
             }
             Setting::Reset => {
                 self.index.delete_criteria(self.wtxn)?;
@@ -977,7 +992,7 @@ mod tests {
         index
             .update_settings(|settings| {
                 settings.set_displayed_fields(vec![S("name")]);
-                settings.set_criteria(vec![S("age:asc")]);
+                settings.set_criteria(vec![Criterion::Asc("age".to_owned())]);
             })
             .unwrap();
 
@@ -1246,7 +1261,7 @@ mod tests {
             .update_settings(|settings| {
                 settings.set_displayed_fields(vec!["hello".to_string()]);
                 settings.set_filterable_fields(hashset! { S("age"), S("toto") });
-                settings.set_criteria(vec!["toto:asc".to_string()]);
+                settings.set_criteria(vec![Criterion::Asc(S("toto"))]);
             })
             .unwrap();
 
@@ -1280,7 +1295,7 @@ mod tests {
             .update_settings(|settings| {
                 settings.set_displayed_fields(vec!["hello".to_string()]);
                 // It is only Asc(toto), there is a facet database but it is denied to filter with toto.
-                settings.set_criteria(vec!["toto:asc".to_string()]);
+                settings.set_criteria(vec![Criterion::Asc(S("toto"))]);
             })
             .unwrap();
 
diff --git a/milli/tests/search/mod.rs b/milli/tests/search/mod.rs
index d63df96ec..c2f8acd4d 100644
--- a/milli/tests/search/mod.rs
+++ b/milli/tests/search/mod.rs
@@ -38,8 +38,7 @@ pub fn setup_search_index_with_criteria(criteria: &[Criterion]) -> Index {
 
     let mut builder = Settings::new(&mut wtxn, &index, &config);
 
-    let criteria = criteria.iter().map(|c| c.to_string()).collect();
-    builder.set_criteria(criteria);
+    builder.set_criteria(criteria.to_vec());
     builder.set_filterable_fields(hashset! {
         S("tag"),
         S("asc_desc_rank"),
diff --git a/milli/tests/search/query_criteria.rs b/milli/tests/search/query_criteria.rs
index d4aa859a4..16058e941 100644
--- a/milli/tests/search/query_criteria.rs
+++ b/milli/tests/search/query_criteria.rs
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ fn criteria_mixup() {
         //update criteria
         let mut wtxn = index.write_txn().unwrap();
         let mut builder = Settings::new(&mut wtxn, &index, &config);
-        builder.set_criteria(criteria.iter().map(ToString::to_string).collect());
+        builder.set_criteria(criteria.clone());
         builder.execute(|_| (), || false).unwrap();
         wtxn.commit().unwrap();
 
@@ -436,7 +436,7 @@ fn criteria_ascdesc() {
 
         let mut wtxn = index.write_txn().unwrap();
         let mut builder = Settings::new(&mut wtxn, &index, &config);
-        builder.set_criteria(vec![criterion.to_string()]);
+        builder.set_criteria(vec![criterion.clone()]);
         builder.execute(|_| (), || false).unwrap();
         wtxn.commit().unwrap();