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Convert populate to use $lookup

Freshover 9 years ago
Mar 14, 20260 views
Confidence Score88%
88%

Problem

Before: [code block] After: [code block] Can we normalize this functionality for population using `aggregate` and `$lookup` into a rewrite of the `populate` function (so it would still function the same, but it'd use `$lookup` instead?

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1 Fix

Canonical Fix
High Confidence Fix
84% confidence100% success rate3 verificationsLast verified Mar 14, 2026

Solution: Convert populate to use $lookup

Low Risk

+1 for using $lookup internally. Also, how about implementing this conditionally? This way mongoose users who work with MongoDB 3.2+ could already benefit from the (suspected) performance improvements.

84

Trust Score

3 verifications

100% success
  1. 1

    +1 for using $lookup internally.

    +1 for using $lookup internally.

  2. 2

    Also, how about implementing this conditionally? This way mongoose users who wor

    Also, how about implementing this conditionally? This way mongoose users who work with MongoDB 3.2+ could already benefit from the (suspected) performance improvements.

Validation

Resolved in Automattic/mongoose GitHub issue #3683. Community reactions: 2 upvotes.

Verification Summary

Worked: 3
Last verified Mar 14, 2026

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Environment

Submitted by

AC

Alex Chen

2450 rep

Tags

mongoosemongodbodmdiscussion