Comment briefly on how we keep user_directory up to date

1 files changed, 10 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/synapse/handlers/user_directory.py b/synapse/handlers/user_directory.py

index 48d3c48181..7130cc6ee3 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/user_directory.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/user_directory.py
@@ -29,6 +29,16 @@ class UserDirectoyHandler(object):
     """Handles querying of and keeping updated the user_directory.
 
     N.B.: ASSUMES IT IS THE ONLY THING THAT MODIFIES THE USER DIRECTORY
+
+    The user directory is filled with users who this server can see are joined to a
+    world_readable or publically joinable room. We keep a database table up to date
+    by streaming changes of the current state and recalculating whether users should
+    be in the directory or not when necessary.
+
+    For each user in the directory we also store a room_id which is public and that the
+    user is joined to. This allows us to ignore history_visibility and join_rules changes
+    for that user in all other public rooms, as we know they'll still be in at least
+    one public room.
     """
 
     def __init__(self, hs):