diff --git a/milli/src/error.rs b/milli/src/error.rs
index d927407f0..713935869 100644
--- a/milli/src/error.rs
+++ b/milli/src/error.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+use std::collections::HashSet;
 use std::convert::Infallible;
 use std::error::Error as StdError;
 use std::{fmt, io, str};
@@ -51,13 +52,14 @@ pub enum FieldIdMapMissingEntry {
 pub enum UserError {
     AttributeLimitReached,
     Csv(csv::Error),
-    MaxDatabaseSizeReached,
     DocumentLimitReached,
-    InvalidFilter(pest::error::Error<ParserRule>),
     InvalidCriterionName { name: String },
     InvalidDocumentId { document_id: Value },
+    InvalidFacetsDistribution { invalid_facets_name: HashSet<String> },
+    InvalidFilter(pest::error::Error<ParserRule>),
     InvalidFilterAttribute(pest::error::Error<ParserRule>),
     InvalidStoreFile,
+    MaxDatabaseSizeReached,
     MissingDocumentId { document: Object },
     MissingPrimaryKey,
     NoSpaceLeftOnDevice,
@@ -202,6 +204,15 @@ impl fmt::Display for UserError {
             Self::AttributeLimitReached => f.write_str("maximum number of attributes reached"),
             Self::Csv(error) => error.fmt(f),
             Self::DocumentLimitReached => f.write_str("maximum number of documents reached"),
+            Self::InvalidFacetsDistribution { invalid_facets_name } => {
+                let name_list =
+                    invalid_facets_name.iter().map(AsRef::as_ref).collect::<Vec<_>>().join(", ");
+                write!(
+                    f,
+                    "invalid facet distribution, the fields {} are not set as filterable",
+                    name_list
+                )
+            }
             Self::InvalidFilter(error) => error.fmt(f),
             Self::InvalidCriterionName { name } => write!(f, "invalid criterion {}", name),
             Self::InvalidDocumentId { document_id } => {
diff --git a/milli/src/search/facet/facet_distribution.rs b/milli/src/search/facet/facet_distribution.rs
index 0a2036494..71816cf5d 100644
--- a/milli/src/search/facet/facet_distribution.rs
+++ b/milli/src/search/facet/facet_distribution.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ use heed::types::{ByteSlice, Unit};
 use heed::{BytesDecode, Database};
 use roaring::RoaringBitmap;
 
-use crate::error::FieldIdMapMissingEntry;
+use crate::error::{FieldIdMapMissingEntry, UserError};
 use crate::facet::FacetType;
 use crate::heed_codec::facet::FacetValueStringCodec;
 use crate::search::facet::{FacetIter, FacetRange};
@@ -174,49 +174,64 @@ impl<'a> FacetDistribution<'a> {
     fn facet_values(&self, field_id: FieldId) -> heed::Result<BTreeMap<String, u64>> {
         use FacetType::{Number, String};
 
-        if let Some(candidates) = self.candidates.as_ref() {
-            // Classic search, candidates were specified, we must return facet values only related
-            // to those candidates. We also enter here for facet strings for performance reasons.
-            let mut distribution = BTreeMap::new();
-            if candidates.len() <= CANDIDATES_THRESHOLD {
-                self.facet_distribution_from_documents(
-                    field_id,
-                    Number,
-                    candidates,
-                    &mut distribution,
-                )?;
-                self.facet_distribution_from_documents(
-                    field_id,
-                    String,
-                    candidates,
-                    &mut distribution,
-                )?;
-            } else {
-                self.facet_numbers_distribution_from_facet_levels(
-                    field_id,
-                    candidates,
-                    &mut distribution,
-                )?;
-                self.facet_distribution_from_documents(
-                    field_id,
-                    String,
-                    candidates,
-                    &mut distribution,
-                )?;
-            }
+        match self.candidates {
+            Some(ref candidates) => {
+                // Classic search, candidates were specified, we must return facet values only related
+                // to those candidates. We also enter here for facet strings for performance reasons.
+                let mut distribution = BTreeMap::new();
+                if candidates.len() <= CANDIDATES_THRESHOLD {
+                    self.facet_distribution_from_documents(
+                        field_id,
+                        Number,
+                        candidates,
+                        &mut distribution,
+                    )?;
+                    self.facet_distribution_from_documents(
+                        field_id,
+                        String,
+                        candidates,
+                        &mut distribution,
+                    )?;
+                } else {
+                    self.facet_numbers_distribution_from_facet_levels(
+                        field_id,
+                        candidates,
+                        &mut distribution,
+                    )?;
+                    self.facet_distribution_from_documents(
+                        field_id,
+                        String,
+                        candidates,
+                        &mut distribution,
+                    )?;
+                }
 
-            Ok(distribution)
-        } else {
-            self.facet_values_from_raw_facet_database(field_id)
+                Ok(distribution)
+            }
+            None => self.facet_values_from_raw_facet_database(field_id),
         }
     }
 
     pub fn execute(&self) -> Result<BTreeMap<String, BTreeMap<String, u64>>> {
         let fields_ids_map = self.index.fields_ids_map(self.rtxn)?;
         let filterable_fields = self.index.filterable_fields(self.rtxn)?;
+        let fields = match self.facets {
+            Some(ref facets) => {
+                let invalid_fields: HashSet<_> = facets.difference(&filterable_fields).collect();
+                if !invalid_fields.is_empty() {
+                    return Err(UserError::InvalidFacetsDistribution {
+                        invalid_facets_name: invalid_fields.into_iter().cloned().collect(),
+                    }
+                    .into());
+                } else {
+                    facets.clone()
+                }
+            }
+            None => filterable_fields,
+        };
 
         let mut distribution = BTreeMap::new();
-        for name in filterable_fields {
+        for name in fields {
             let fid =
                 fields_ids_map.id(&name).ok_or_else(|| FieldIdMapMissingEntry::FieldName {
                     field_name: name.clone(),