---
title: Indexes
label: Indexes
order: 40
keywords: database, indexes
desc: Index fields to produce faster queries.
---

Database indexes are a way to optimize the performance of your database by allowing it to quickly locate and retrieve data. If you have a field that you frequently query or sort by, adding an index to that field can significantly improve the speed of those operations.

When your query runs, the database will not scan the entire document to find that one field, but will instead use the index to quickly locate the data.

To index a field, set the `index` option to `true` in your field's config:

```ts
import type { CollectionConfig } from 'payload'

export MyCollection: CollectionConfig = {
  // ...
  fields: [
    // ...
    {
      name: 'title',
      type: 'text',
      // highlight-start
      index: true,
      // highlight-end
    },
  ]
}
```

<Banner type="info">
  **Note:** The `id`, `createdAt`, and `updatedAt` fields are indexed by
  default.
</Banner>

<Banner type="success">
  **Tip:** If you're using MongoDB, you can use [MongoDB
  Compass](https://www.mongodb.com/products/compass) to visualize and manage
  your indexes.
</Banner>

## Compound Indexes

In addition to indexing single fields, you can also create compound indexes that index multiple fields together. This can be useful for optimizing queries that filter or sort by multiple fields.

To create a compound index, use the `indexes` option in your [Collection Config](../configuration/collections):

```ts
import type { CollectionConfig } from 'payload'

export const MyCollection: CollectionConfig = {
  // ...
  fields: [
    // ...
  ],
  indexes: [
    {
      fields: ['title', 'createdAt'],
      unique: true, // Optional, if you want the combination of fields to be unique
    },
  ],
}
```