diff --git a/benchmarks/benches/search_songs.rs b/benchmarks/benches/search_songs.rs
index 726040692..6b11799ec 100644
--- a/benchmarks/benches/search_songs.rs
+++ b/benchmarks/benches/search_songs.rs
@@ -52,9 +52,9 @@ fn bench_songs(c: &mut criterion::Criterion) {
         milli::default_criteria().iter().map(|criteria| criteria.to_string()).collect();
     let default_criterion = default_criterion.iter().map(|s| s.as_str());
     let asc_default: Vec<&str> =
-        std::iter::once("asc(released-timestamp)").chain(default_criterion.clone()).collect();
+        std::iter::once("released-timestamp:asc").chain(default_criterion.clone()).collect();
     let desc_default: Vec<&str> =
-        std::iter::once("desc(released-timestamp)").chain(default_criterion.clone()).collect();
+        std::iter::once("released-timestamp:desc").chain(default_criterion.clone()).collect();
 
     let basic_with_quote: Vec<String> = BASE_CONF
         .queries
@@ -118,12 +118,12 @@ fn bench_songs(c: &mut criterion::Criterion) {
         },
         utils::Conf {
             group_name: "asc",
-            criterion: Some(&["asc(released-timestamp)"]),
+            criterion: Some(&["released-timestamp:desc"]),
             ..BASE_CONF
         },
         utils::Conf {
             group_name: "desc",
-            criterion: Some(&["desc(released-timestamp)"]),
+            criterion: Some(&["released-timestamp:desc"]),
             ..BASE_CONF
         },
 
diff --git a/http-ui/src/main.rs b/http-ui/src/main.rs
index ee32882c0..b34418465 100644
--- a/http-ui/src/main.rs
+++ b/http-ui/src/main.rs
@@ -1030,7 +1030,7 @@ mod tests {
             displayed_attributes: Setting::Set(vec!["name".to_string()]),
             searchable_attributes: Setting::Set(vec!["age".to_string()]),
             filterable_attributes: Setting::Set(hashset! { "age".to_string() }),
-            criteria: Setting::Set(vec!["asc(age)".to_string()]),
+            criteria: Setting::Set(vec!["age:asc".to_string()]),
             stop_words: Setting::Set(btreeset! { "and".to_string() }),
             synonyms: Setting::Set(hashmap! { "alex".to_string() => vec!["alexey".to_string()] }),
         };
@@ -1058,7 +1058,7 @@ mod tests {
                 Token::Str("criteria"),
                 Token::Some,
                 Token::Seq { len: Some(1) },
-                Token::Str("asc(age)"),
+                Token::Str("age:asc"),
                 Token::SeqEnd,
                 Token::Str("stopWords"),
                 Token::Some,
diff --git a/milli/src/criterion.rs b/milli/src/criterion.rs
index 31ffed9b3..d38450a13 100644
--- a/milli/src/criterion.rs
+++ b/milli/src/criterion.rs
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ pub enum Criterion {
     /// Sorted by increasing distance between matched query terms.
     Proximity,
     /// Documents with quey words contained in more important
-    /// attributes are considred better.
+    /// attributes are considered better.
     Attribute,
     /// Sorted by the similarity of the matched words with the query words.
     Exactness,
@@ -74,8 +74,8 @@ impl fmt::Display for Criterion {
             Proximity => f.write_str("proximity"),
             Attribute => f.write_str("attribute"),
             Exactness => f.write_str("exactness"),
-            Asc(attr) => write!(f, "asc({})", attr),
-            Desc(attr) => write!(f, "desc({})", attr),
+            Asc(attr) => write!(f, "{}:asc", attr),
+            Desc(attr) => write!(f, "{}:desc", attr),
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/milli/src/update/settings.rs b/milli/src/update/settings.rs
index 07bdfd6fa..156e566a5 100644
--- a/milli/src/update/settings.rs
+++ b/milli/src/update/settings.rs
@@ -719,7 +719,7 @@ mod tests {
         let mut builder = Settings::new(&mut wtxn, &index, 0);
         // Don't display the generated `id` field.
         builder.set_displayed_fields(vec![S("name")]);
-        builder.set_criteria(vec![S("asc(age)")]);
+        builder.set_criteria(vec![S("age:asc")]);
         builder.execute(|_, _| ()).unwrap();
 
         // Then index some documents.
@@ -953,7 +953,7 @@ mod tests {
         let mut builder = Settings::new(&mut wtxn, &index, 0);
         builder.set_displayed_fields(vec!["hello".to_string()]);
         builder.set_filterable_fields(hashset! { S("age"), S("toto") });
-        builder.set_criteria(vec!["asc(toto)".to_string()]);
+        builder.set_criteria(vec!["toto:asc".to_string()]);
         builder.execute(|_, _| ()).unwrap();
         wtxn.commit().unwrap();
 
@@ -990,7 +990,7 @@ mod tests {
         let mut builder = Settings::new(&mut wtxn, &index, 0);
         builder.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.
-        builder.set_criteria(vec!["asc(toto)".to_string()]);
+        builder.set_criteria(vec!["toto:asc".to_string()]);
         builder.execute(|_, _| ()).unwrap();
         wtxn.commit().unwrap();