About the Indexes API
The Indexes API enables you to create indexes for data collections, to make querying data faster.
An index is a map of a collection's data, organized according to fields that you select. An index increases the speed of queries by providing a query with a shortcut to the information it is looking for. Instead of iterating through every data item in the collection, a query can use the index to skip to potentially relevant items. The larger a collection is, the more time this saves.
With the Indexes API, your app can:
- Create regular indexes to accelerate query speed.
- Create unique indexes to enforce unique values.
- Access and drop existing indexes.
To learn about the differences between regular and unique indexes, see Index Types.
Before you begin
It's important to note the following points before starting to code:
- A collection can have up to 3 regular indexes (for up to 3 fields per index). It may also have 1 unique index (for 1 field).
- The value contained in an indexed field can't be larger than 982 bytes, including the collection name. For example, in a collection named "Products", the maximum length of each value in the indexed fields is 974 bytes.
- When an index creation fails, the failed index still occupies a slot. To remove the failed index and free up the slot for a new index, use the
dropIndex()function. - Case-insensitive filters, such as
$startsWith, aren't accelerated by an index.
Terminology
- Regular index: An index that increases query speed for up to 3 fields.
- Unique index: An index that increases query speed and enforces unique values for 1 field.
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