Index Strategy Guide | Geode Database

<h2 id="index-strategy-guide" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Index Strategy Guide <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="index-strategy-guide" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Index Strategy Guide"> Share link </button> </h2><div id="headingShareModal" class="heading-share-modal" role="dialog" aria-modal="true" aria-labelledby="headingShareTitle" hidden> <div class="hsm-dialog" role="document"> <div class="hsm-header"> <h2 id="headingShareTitle" class="h6 mb-0 fw-bold">Share this section</h2> <button type="button" class="hsm-close" aria-label="Close"> </button> </div> <div class="hsm-body"> <label for="headingShareInput" class="form-label small text-muted mb-1 text-uppercase fw-bold" style="font-size: 0.7rem; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">Permalink</label> <div class="input-group mb-4 hsm-url-group"> <input id="headingShareInput" type="text" class="form-control font-monospace" readonly aria-readonly="true" style="font-size: 0.85rem;" /> <button class="btn btn-primary hsm-copy" type="button" aria-label="Copy" title="Copy"> </button> </div> <div class="small fw-bold mb-2 text-muted text-uppercase" style="font-size: 0.7rem; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">Share via</div> <div class="hsm-share-grid"> <a id="share-twitter" class="btn btn-outline-secondary w-100" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Twitter </a> <a id="share-linkedin" class="btn btn-outline-secondary w-100" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> LinkedIn </a> <a id="share-facebook" class="btn btn-outline-secondary w-100" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Facebook </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <style> .heading-share-modal { position: fixed; inset: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.6); z-index: 1050; padding: 1rem; backdrop-filter: blur(4px); -webkit-backdrop-filter: blur(4px); } .heading-share-modal[hidden] { display: none !important; } .hsm-dialog { max-width: 420px; width: 100%; background: var(--bs-body-bg, #fff); color: var(--bs-body-color, #212529); border: 1px solid var(--bs-border-color, rgba(0,0,0,0.1)); border-radius: 1rem; box-shadow: 0 25px 50px -12px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.25); overflow: hidden; animation: hsm-fade-in 0.2s ease-out; } @keyframes hsm-fade-in { from { opacity: 0; transform: scale(0.95); } to { opacity: 1; transform: scale(1); } } [data-bs-theme="dark"] .hsm-dialog { background: #1e293b; border-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.1); color: #f8f9fa; } .hsm-header { display: flex; justify-content: space-between; align-items: center; padding: 1rem 1.5rem; border-bottom: 1px solid var(--bs-border-color, rgba(0,0,0,0.1)); background: rgba(0,0,0,0.02); } [data-bs-theme="dark"] .hsm-header { background: rgba(255,255,255,0.02); border-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.1); } .hsm-close { background: transparent; border: none; color: inherit; opacity: 0.5; padding: 0.25rem 0.5rem; border-radius: 0.25rem; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1; transition: opacity 0.2s; } .hsm-close:hover { opacity: 1; } .hsm-body { padding: 1.5rem; } .hsm-url-group { display: flex !important; align-items: stretch; } .hsm-url-group .form-control { flex: 1; min-width: 0; margin: 0; background: var(--bs-secondary-bg, #f8f9fa); border-color: var(--bs-border-color, #dee2e6); border-top-right-radius: 0; border-bottom-right-radius: 0; height: 42px; } .hsm-url-group .btn { flex: 0 0 auto; margin: 0; margin-left: -1px; border-top-left-radius: 0; border-bottom-left-radius: 0; height: 42px; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; padding: 0 1.25rem; z-index: 2; } [data-bs-theme="dark"] .hsm-url-group .form-control { background: #0f172a; border-color: #334155; color: #e2e8f0; } .hsm-share-grid { display: flex; flex-direction: column; gap: 0.5rem; } .hsm-share-grid .btn { display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; font-size: 0.9rem; padding: 0.6rem; border-color: var(--bs-border-color); width: 100%; } [data-bs-theme="dark"] .hsm-share-grid .btn { color: #e2e8f0; border-color: #475569; } [data-bs-theme="dark"] .hsm-share-grid .btn:hover { background: #334155; border-color: #cbd5e1; } </style> <script> (function(){ const modal = document.getElementById('headingShareModal'); if(!modal) return; const input = modal.querySelector('#headingShareInput'); const copyBtn = modal.querySelector('.hsm-copy'); const twitter = modal.querySelector('#share-twitter'); const linkedin = modal.querySelector('#share-linkedin'); const facebook = modal.querySelector('#share-facebook'); const closeBtn = modal.querySelector('.hsm-close'); let lastFocus=null; let trapBound=false; function buildUrl(id){ return window.location.origin + window.location.pathname + '#' + id; } function isOpen(){ return !modal.hasAttribute('hidden'); } function hydrate(id){ const url=buildUrl(id); input.value=url; const enc=encodeURIComponent(url); const text=encodeURIComponent(document.title); if(twitter) twitter.href=`https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=${enc}&text=${text}`; if(linkedin) linkedin.href=`https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=${enc}`; if(facebook) facebook.href=`https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=${enc}`; } function openModal(id){ lastFocus=document.activeElement; hydrate(id); if(!isOpen()){ modal.removeAttribute('hidden'); } requestAnimationFrame(()=>{ input.focus(); }); trapFocus(); } function closeModal(){ if(!isOpen()) return; modal.setAttribute('hidden',''); if(lastFocus && typeof lastFocus.focus==='function') lastFocus.focus(); } function copyCurrent(){ try{ navigator.clipboard.writeText(input.value).then(()=>feedback(true),()=>fallback()); } catch(e){ fallback(); } } function fallback(){ input.select(); try{ document.execCommand('copy'); feedback(true);}catch(e){ feedback(false);} } function feedback(ok){ if(!copyBtn) return; const icon=copyBtn.querySelector('i'); if(!icon) return; const prev=copyBtn.getAttribute('data-prev')||icon.className; if(!copyBtn.getAttribute('data-prev')) copyBtn.setAttribute('data-prev',prev); icon.className= ok ? 'fa-duotone fa-clipboard-check':'fa-duotone fa-circle-exclamation'; setTimeout(()=>{ icon.className=prev; },1800); } function handleShareClick(e){ e.preventDefault(); const btn=e.currentTarget; const id=btn.getAttribute('data-share-target'); if(id) openModal(id); } function bindShareButtons(){ document.querySelectorAll('.h-share').forEach(btn=>{ if(!btn.dataset.hShareBound){ btn.addEventListener('click', handleShareClick); btn.dataset.hShareBound='1'; } }); } bindShareButtons(); if(document.readyState==='loading'){ document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', bindShareButtons); } else { requestAnimationFrame(bindShareButtons); } document.addEventListener('click', function(e){ const shareBtn=e.target.closest && e.target.closest('.h-share'); if(shareBtn && !shareBtn.dataset.hShareBound){ handleShareClick.call(shareBtn, e); } }, true); document.addEventListener('click', e=>{ if(e.target===modal) closeModal(); if(e.target.closest && e.target.closest('.hsm-close')){ e.preventDefault(); closeModal(); } if(copyBtn && (e.target===copyBtn || (e.target.closest && e.target.closest('.hsm-copy')))) { e.preventDefault(); copyCurrent(); } }); document.addEventListener('keydown', e=>{ if(e.key==='Escape' && isOpen()) closeModal(); }); function trapFocus(){ if(trapBound) return; trapBound=true; modal.addEventListener('keydown', f=>{ if(f.key==='Tab' && isOpen()){ const focusable=[...modal.querySelectorAll('a[href],button,input,textarea,select,[tabindex]:not([tabindex="-1"])')].filter(el=>!el.hasAttribute('disabled')); if(!focusable.length) return; const first=focusable[0]; const last=focusable[focusable.length-1]; if(f.shiftKey && document.activeElement===first){ f.preventDefault(); last.focus(); } else if(!f.shiftKey && document.activeElement===last){ f.preventDefault(); first.focus(); } } }); } if(closeBtn) closeBtn.addEventListener('click', e=>{ e.preventDefault(); closeModal(); }); })(); </script>Indexes are the foundation of query performance in Geode. This guide helps you analyze your query patterns, choose appropriate index types, and maintain indexes effectively. <h3 id="index-fundamentals" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Index Fundamentals <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="index-fundamentals" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Index Fundamentals"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="what-indexes-do" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> What Indexes Do <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="what-indexes-do" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: What Indexes Do"> Share link </button> </h4>Indexes create auxiliary data structures that allow Geode to find nodes quickly without scanning all nodes with a given label. Without an index, finding a user by email requires examining every User node: Without index - O(n) scan: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">MATCH (u:User) WHERE u.email = "[email protected]" RETURN u // Scans all User nodes </code></pre></div>With index - O(log n) lookup: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// After: CREATE INDEX user_email ON :User(email) MATCH (u:User {email: "[email protected]"}) RETURN u // Direct index lookup </code></pre></div> <h4 id="index-types-in-geode" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Index Types in Geode <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="index-types-in-geode" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Index Types in Geode"> Share link </button> </h4>Geode supports several index types: <table> <thead> <tr> <th>Type</th> <th>Use Case</th> <th>Example</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>B-tree</td> <td>Equality, range queries</td> <td><code>CREATE INDEX ON :User(age)</code></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Hash</td> <td>Equality only (faster)</td> <td><code>CREATE HASH INDEX ON :User(id)</code></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Composite</td> <td>Multi-property lookups</td> <td><code>CREATE INDEX ON :User(country, city)</code></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Full-text</td> <td>Text search</td> <td><code>CREATE FULLTEXT INDEX ON :Product(name, description)</code></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Unique</td> <td>Enforce uniqueness + index</td> <td><code>CREATE CONSTRAINT ON :User(email) ASSERT UNIQUE</code></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <h3 id="analyzing-query-patterns" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Analyzing Query Patterns <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="analyzing-query-patterns" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Analyzing Query Patterns"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="identify-high-frequency-queries" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Identify High-Frequency Queries <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="identify-high-frequency-queries" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Identify High-Frequency Queries"> Share link </button> </h4>Before creating indexes, understand your query patterns: <ol> <li>Log production queries to identify the most frequent</li> <li>Profile critical paths in your application</li> <li>Review slow query logs for optimization candidates</li> </ol> Example analysis: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-fallback" data-lang="fallback">Query Pattern Frequency Avg Time -------------------------------------------- --------- -------- MATCH (u:User {email: ?}) 100k/day 45ms MATCH (p:Product) WHERE p.price < ? 50k/day 120ms MATCH (o:Order {status: ?}) 30k/day 80ms MATCH (u:User)-[:PURCHASED]->(p:Product) 20k/day 15ms </code></pre></div> <h4 id="identify-index-candidates" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Identify Index Candidates <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="identify-index-candidates" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Identify Index Candidates"> Share link </button> </h4>From the analysis above, prioritize: <ol> <li>High frequency + high latency: Product price queries</li> <li>High frequency: User email lookups</li> <li>Moderate frequency + moderate latency: Order status queries</li> </ol> <h4 id="check-existing-index-usage" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Check Existing Index Usage <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="check-existing-index-usage" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Check Existing Index Usage"> Share link </button> </h4>See which indexes exist and their usage: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Show all indexes SHOW INDEXES // Output: // | name | type | label | properties | state | // |--------------|---------|---------|---------------|--------| // | user_email | BTREE | User | [email] | ONLINE | // | product_name | BTREE | Product | [name] | ONLINE | </code></pre></div>Use EXPLAIN to verify index usage: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">EXPLAIN MATCH (u:User {email: "[email protected]"}) RETURN u // Look for "NodeIndexSeek" instead of "NodeByLabelScan" </code></pre></div> <h3 id="choosing-the-right-index-type" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Choosing the Right Index Type <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="choosing-the-right-index-type" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Choosing the Right Index Type"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="b-tree-indexes" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> B-tree Indexes <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="b-tree-indexes" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: B-tree Indexes"> Share link </button> </h4>The default and most versatile index type. Use for: <ul> <li>Equality comparisons (<code>=</code>)</li> <li>Range queries (<code><</code>, <code>></code>, <code><=</code>, <code>>=</code>)</li> <li>Prefix matching (<code>STARTS WITH</code>)</li> <li>Sorting (<code>ORDER BY</code>)</li> </ul> <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Create B-tree index CREATE INDEX product_price ON :Product(price) // Supports these queries: MATCH (p:Product {price: 99.99}) RETURN p // Equality MATCH (p:Product) WHERE p.price < 100 RETURN p // Range MATCH (p:Product) WHERE p.price BETWEEN 50 AND 100 RETURN p // Range </code></pre></div> <h4 id="hash-indexes" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Hash Indexes <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="hash-indexes" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Hash Indexes"> Share link </button> </h4>Faster than B-tree for equality only. Use when: <ul> <li>Only equality lookups needed</li> <li>No range queries on this property</li> <li>Maximum lookup performance required</li> </ul> <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Create hash index CREATE HASH INDEX user_id ON :User(id) // Optimal for: MATCH (u:User {id: "usr_12345"}) RETURN u // NOT suitable for: MATCH (u:User) WHERE u.id > "usr_10000" RETURN u // Won't use hash index </code></pre></div> <h4 id="composite-indexes" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Composite Indexes <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="composite-indexes" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Composite Indexes"> Share link </button> </h4>Index multiple properties together. Use when: <ul> <li>Queries filter on multiple properties</li> <li>Specific property combinations are common</li> <li>Single-property indexes aren’t selective enough</li> </ul> <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Create composite index CREATE INDEX user_location ON :User(country, city) // Optimal for: MATCH (u:User {country: "USA", city: "NYC"}) RETURN u // Uses full index MATCH (u:User {country: "USA"}) RETURN u // Uses index prefix // NOT optimal for: MATCH (u:User {city: "NYC"}) RETURN u // Can't use index (missing leading property) </code></pre></div> <h4 id="full-text-indexes" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Full-Text Indexes <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="full-text-indexes" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Full-Text Indexes"> Share link </button> </h4>For text search operations. Use when: <ul> <li>Searching within text content</li> <li>Need CONTAINS or fuzzy matching</li> <li>Building search functionality</li> </ul> <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Create full-text index CREATE FULLTEXT INDEX product_search ON :Product(name, description) // Query with full-text search CALL db.index.fulltext.queryNodes("product_search", "wireless bluetooth") YIELD node, score RETURN node.name, score ORDER BY score DESC LIMIT 10 </code></pre></div> <h4 id="unique-constraints" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Unique Constraints <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="unique-constraints" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Unique Constraints"> Share link </button> </h4>Enforce uniqueness while creating an implicit index: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Create unique constraint (also creates index) CREATE CONSTRAINT user_email_unique ON :User(email) ASSERT UNIQUE // Automatically indexed and enforces uniqueness MATCH (u:User {email: "[email protected]"}) RETURN u </code></pre></div> <h3 id="index-coverage-and-selectivity" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Index Coverage and Selectivity <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="index-coverage-and-selectivity" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Index Coverage and Selectivity"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="understanding-selectivity" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Understanding Selectivity <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="understanding-selectivity" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Understanding Selectivity"> Share link </button> </h4>Selectivity measures how well an index narrows down results. High selectivity is better. <table> <thead> <tr> <th>Property</th> <th>Unique Values</th> <th>Total Nodes</th> <th>Selectivity</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>email</td> <td>1,000,000</td> <td>1,000,000</td> <td>100% (excellent)</td> </tr> <tr> <td>country</td> <td>200</td> <td>1,000,000</td> <td>0.02% (poor)</td> </tr> <tr> <td>status</td> <td>5</td> <td>1,000,000</td> <td>0.0005% (very poor)</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> High selectivity (good index candidates): <ul> <li>User IDs, emails, usernames</li> <li>Product SKUs, ISBNs</li> <li>Order numbers, transaction IDs</li> </ul> Low selectivity (poor index candidates alone): <ul> <li>Boolean flags (active/inactive)</li> <li>Status fields (few values)</li> <li>Country codes</li> </ul> <h4 id="improving-selectivity-with-composite-indexes" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Improving Selectivity with Composite Indexes <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="improving-selectivity-with-composite-indexes" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Improving Selectivity with Composite Indexes"> Share link </button> </h4>Combine low-selectivity properties for better performance: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Poor: Low selectivity on country alone CREATE INDEX user_country ON :User(country) // Better: Composite improves selectivity CREATE INDEX user_country_city ON :User(country, city) // Query benefits from higher combined selectivity MATCH (u:User {country: "USA", city: "San Francisco"}) RETURN u </code></pre></div> <h4 id="index-coverage" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Index Coverage <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="index-coverage" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Index Coverage"> Share link </button> </h4>An index “covers” a query when all needed data is in the index itself, avoiding node lookup: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Covered query - index has all needed properties // Index: CREATE INDEX ON :User(email, name) MATCH (u:User {email: "[email protected]"}) RETURN u.name // Retrieved from index, no node access // Non-covered query - requires node access MATCH (u:User {email: "[email protected]"}) RETURN u.name, u.created_at // created_at not in index </code></pre></div>Consider covering indexes for your most critical queries: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Create covering index for common query CREATE INDEX user_email_profile ON :User(email, name, avatar_url) // This query is fully covered: MATCH (u:User {email: $email}) RETURN u.name, u.avatar_url </code></pre></div> <h3 id="composite-index-ordering" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Composite Index Ordering <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="composite-index-ordering" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Composite Index Ordering"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="property-order-matters" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Property Order Matters <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="property-order-matters" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Property Order Matters"> Share link </button> </h4>In composite indexes, the order of properties affects which queries can use the index: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Index: (country, city, zip) CREATE INDEX user_geo ON :User(country, city, zip) // Can use index (matches prefix): MATCH (u:User {country: "USA"}) ... // Uses index MATCH (u:User {country: "USA", city: "NYC"}) ... // Uses index MATCH (u:User {country: "USA", city: "NYC", zip: "10001"}) ... // Uses index // Cannot use index (skips prefix): MATCH (u:User {city: "NYC"}) ... // Full scan MATCH (u:User {zip: "10001"}) ... // Full scan MATCH (u:User {country: "USA", zip: "10001"}) ... // Partial scan </code></pre></div> <h4 id="ordering-guidelines" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Ordering Guidelines <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="ordering-guidelines" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Ordering Guidelines"> Share link </button> </h4><ol> <li>Most filtered first: Put the most commonly filtered property first</li> <li>High selectivity first: Put more selective properties earlier</li> <li>Equality before range: Equality predicates should precede range predicates</li> </ol> Example: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Query pattern: MATCH (o:Order) WHERE o.status = "pending" AND o.created_at > $since RETURN o // Good index order (equality first, then range): CREATE INDEX order_status_date ON :Order(status, created_at) // Poor index order (range first): CREATE INDEX order_date_status ON :Order(created_at, status) // Less efficient </code></pre></div> <h4 id="multiple-index-strategies" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Multiple Index Strategies <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="multiple-index-strategies" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Multiple Index Strategies"> Share link </button> </h4>For different query patterns, you may need multiple indexes: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Query 1: Filter by status, sort by date MATCH (o:Order {status: "pending"}) RETURN o ORDER BY o.created_at DESC // Query 2: Filter by customer, sort by date MATCH (o:Order {customer_id: $id}) RETURN o ORDER BY o.created_at DESC // Create indexes for both patterns: CREATE INDEX order_status_date ON :Order(status, created_at) CREATE INDEX order_customer_date ON :Order(customer_id, created_at) </code></pre></div> <h3 id="index-maintenance-overhead" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Index Maintenance Overhead <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="index-maintenance-overhead" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Index Maintenance Overhead"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="write-performance-impact" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Write Performance Impact <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="write-performance-impact" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Write Performance Impact"> Share link </button> </h4>Every index adds overhead to write operations: <table> <thead> <tr> <th>Operation</th> <th>Without Index</th> <th>With 1 Index</th> <th>With 3 Indexes</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>CREATE</td> <td>1x</td> <td>1.2x</td> <td>1.6x</td> </tr> <tr> <td>SET</td> <td>1x</td> <td>1.1x (if indexed prop)</td> <td>1.3x</td> </tr> <tr> <td>DELETE</td> <td>1x</td> <td>1.2x</td> <td>1.6x</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <h4 id="memory-usage" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Memory Usage <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="memory-usage" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Memory Usage"> Share link </button> </h4>Indexes consume memory. Monitor index memory: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Check index sizes CALL db.indexes() YIELD name, size RETURN name, size ORDER BY size DESC </code></pre></div> <h4 id="balancing-read-vs-write-performance" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Balancing Read vs Write Performance <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="balancing-read-vs-write-performance" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Balancing Read vs Write Performance"> Share link </button> </h4>Consider your workload characteristics: Read-heavy workloads (90% reads, 10% writes): <ul> <li>More indexes are acceptable</li> <li>Prioritize query performance</li> <li>Consider covering indexes</li> </ul> Write-heavy workloads (30% reads, 70% writes): <ul> <li>Minimize indexes</li> <li>Only index critical query paths</li> <li>Avoid redundant indexes</li> </ul> Balanced workloads: <ul> <li>Index selectively</li> <li>Monitor both read and write latencies</li> <li>Review index usage periodically</li> </ul> <h3 id="monitoring-index-usage" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Monitoring Index Usage <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="monitoring-index-usage" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Monitoring Index Usage"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="check-index-statistics" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Check Index Statistics <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="check-index-statistics" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Check Index Statistics"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// View index usage statistics CALL db.indexes() YIELD name, type, state, populationPercent, size, usageCount RETURN name, type, state, populationPercent, size, usageCount ORDER BY usageCount DESC </code></pre></div> <h4 id="identify-unused-indexes" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Identify Unused Indexes <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="identify-unused-indexes" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Identify Unused Indexes"> Share link </button> </h4>Indexes with zero or low usage count may be candidates for removal: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Find potentially unused indexes CALL db.indexes() YIELD name, usageCount WHERE usageCount < 100 // Threshold depends on your usage RETURN name, usageCount </code></pre></div> <h4 id="profile-query-index-usage" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Profile Query Index Usage <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="profile-query-index-usage" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Profile Query Index Usage"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">PROFILE MATCH (u:User {country: "USA", city: "NYC"}) RETURN u.name // Check output for: // - "NodeIndexSeek" = index used // - "NodeByLabelScan" = index NOT used </code></pre></div> <h3 id="when-not-to-index" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> When NOT to Index <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="when-not-to-index" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: When NOT to Index"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="avoid-indexing" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Avoid Indexing <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="avoid-indexing" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Avoid Indexing"> Share link </button> </h4>Low-selectivity properties: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Poor: Boolean with ~50/50 distribution CREATE INDEX user_active ON :User(active) // Only 2 values // Usually better: Combine with other properties CREATE INDEX user_active_created ON :User(active, created_at) </code></pre></div>Rarely queried properties: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Avoid: Internal metadata rarely searched CREATE INDEX user_internal_notes ON :User(internal_notes) </code></pre></div>Frequently updated properties: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Avoid: Properties that change constantly CREATE INDEX user_last_seen ON :User(last_seen_at) // Updates every request // Better: Batch updates or use different strategy </code></pre></div>Very large text properties: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Avoid: Large text blobs CREATE INDEX article_content ON :Article(content) // May be megabytes // Better: Use full-text index for searchable content CREATE FULLTEXT INDEX article_search ON :Article(title, summary) </code></pre></div> <h4 id="alternative-strategies" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Alternative Strategies <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="alternative-strategies" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Alternative Strategies"> Share link </button> </h4>Denormalization instead of indexing: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Instead of indexing deep traversals, denormalize // Add commonly needed data directly to nodes SET user.company_name = "Acme Corp" // Avoid JOIN/traverse </code></pre></div>Materialized aggregates: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Instead of counting on every query // Maintain a count property SET user.post_count = user.post_count + 1 </code></pre></div>Application-level caching: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-python" data-lang="python"># Cache frequently accessed, rarely changed data @cache(ttl=3600) def get_user_by_email(email): return db.query("MATCH (u:User {email: $email}) RETURN u", email=email) </code></pre></div> <h3 id="index-creation-best-practices" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Index Creation Best Practices <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="index-creation-best-practices" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Index Creation Best Practices"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="naming-conventions" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Naming Conventions <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="naming-conventions" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Naming Conventions"> Share link </button> </h4>Use descriptive, consistent names: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Good: label_property pattern CREATE INDEX user_email ON :User(email) CREATE INDEX product_sku ON :Product(sku) CREATE INDEX order_status_date ON :Order(status, created_at) // Good: Include purpose for special indexes CREATE INDEX user_search_name ON :User(normalized_name) // For search CREATE INDEX user_unique_email ON :User(email) // Unique constraint // Avoid: Cryptic names CREATE INDEX idx1 ON :User(email) CREATE INDEX ue ON :User(email) </code></pre></div> <h4 id="creating-indexes-in-production" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Creating Indexes in Production <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="creating-indexes-in-production" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Creating Indexes in Production"> Share link </button> </h4>Create indexes asynchronously to avoid blocking: <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Create index (may block queries during build) CREATE INDEX user_email ON :User(email) // Monitor index build progress SHOW INDEXES WHERE name = "user_email" // State will be "POPULATING" then "ONLINE" </code></pre></div>For large databases, schedule index creation during low-traffic periods. <h4 id="testing-index-effectiveness" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Testing Index Effectiveness <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="testing-index-effectiveness" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Testing Index Effectiveness"> Share link </button> </h4>Before deploying new indexes: <ol> <li>Test in staging with production-like data</li> <li>Profile before and after:</li> </ol> <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Before index PROFILE MATCH (u:User {email: "[email protected]"}) RETURN u // Note: NodeByLabelScan, rows examined, time // Create index CREATE INDEX user_email ON :User(email) // After index PROFILE MATCH (u:User {email: "[email protected]"}) RETURN u // Note: NodeIndexSeek, rows examined, time </code></pre></div><ol start="3"> <li>Monitor write performance for regression</li> </ol> <h3 id="index-strategy-checklist" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Index Strategy Checklist <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="index-strategy-checklist" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Index Strategy Checklist"> Share link </button> </h3>When designing your index strategy: <ul> <li><input disabled="" type="checkbox"> Analyzed query patterns - Know your most frequent and critical queries</li> <li><input disabled="" type="checkbox"> Identified selective properties - Focus on high-cardinality fields</li> <li><input disabled="" type="checkbox"> Chosen appropriate types - B-tree, hash, composite, or full-text</li> <li><input disabled="" type="checkbox"> Ordered composite indexes correctly - Equality before range, selective first</li> <li><input disabled="" type="checkbox"> Considered write impact - Balance read performance with write overhead</li> <li><input disabled="" type="checkbox"> Planned for monitoring - Track index usage and query performance</li> <li><input disabled="" type="checkbox"> Documented decisions - Record why each index exists</li> <li><input disabled="" type="checkbox"> Scheduled reviews - Periodically audit index effectiveness</li> </ul> <h3 id="common-index-patterns" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Common Index Patterns <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="common-index-patterns" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Common Index Patterns"> Share link </button> </h3> <h4 id="user-lookup-pattern" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> User Lookup Pattern <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="user-lookup-pattern" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: User Lookup Pattern"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Primary lookup by ID (unique) CREATE CONSTRAINT user_id_unique ON :User(id) ASSERT UNIQUE // Login by email (unique) CREATE CONSTRAINT user_email_unique ON :User(email) ASSERT UNIQUE // Search by username (frequent lookups) CREATE INDEX user_username ON :User(username) // Filter by status and date CREATE INDEX user_status_created ON :User(status, created_at) </code></pre></div> <h4 id="e-commerce-pattern" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> E-commerce Pattern <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="e-commerce-pattern" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: E-commerce Pattern"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// Product lookup CREATE CONSTRAINT product_sku_unique ON :Product(sku) ASSERT UNIQUE CREATE INDEX product_category_price ON :Product(category, price) CREATE FULLTEXT INDEX product_search ON :Product(name, description) // Order lookup CREATE CONSTRAINT order_number_unique ON :Order(order_number) ASSERT UNIQUE CREATE INDEX order_customer_date ON :Order(customer_id, created_at) CREATE INDEX order_status_date ON :Order(status, created_at) </code></pre></div> <h4 id="social-network-pattern" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Social Network Pattern <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="social-network-pattern" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Social Network Pattern"> Share link </button> </h4><div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code class="language-gql" data-lang="gql">// User lookup CREATE CONSTRAINT user_handle_unique ON :User(handle) ASSERT UNIQUE CREATE INDEX user_name ON :User(name) // Post lookup CREATE INDEX post_author_date ON :Post(author_id, created_at) CREATE INDEX post_visibility_date ON :Post(visibility, created_at) CREATE FULLTEXT INDEX post_content ON :Post(text) </code></pre></div> <h3 id="summary" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Summary <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="summary" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Summary"> Share link </button> </h3>Effective index strategy requires: <ol> <li>Understanding your queries: Know what you search for and how often</li> <li>Choosing the right type: Match index type to query pattern</li> <li>Optimizing selectivity: Index high-cardinality properties</li> <li>Ordering composites correctly: Equality first, then range, most selective first</li> <li>Balancing trade-offs: Consider write overhead and memory usage</li> <li>Monitoring continuously: Track usage and remove unused indexes</li> </ol> <h3 id="related-guides" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center group"> Related Guides <button type="button" class="h-share btn btn-link p-0 text-decoration-none link-secondary opacity-50 hover-opacity-100 transition-all ms-1" data-share-target="related-guides" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Share link: Related Guides"> Share link </button> </h3><ul> <li><a href="/guides/query-performance/" >Query Performance Guide</a> - Write efficient queries</li> <li><a href="/guides/query-profiling/" >Query Profiling Guide</a> - Analyze execution plans</li> <li><a href="/guides/graph-modeling/" >Graph Modeling Guide</a> - Schema design for performance</li> </ul> <hr> Questions? Discuss indexing strategies in our <a href="https://forum.geodedb.com" aria-label="forum – opens in new window" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" >forum ↗ </a> .

Related Guides

Constraints and Indexes Guide

Materialized Views System