Source: https://dev-docs.nebula-graph.io/v5.3.2/database-gql-reference/ddl/index/
Documentation version: v5.3.2

# Indexes overview

An index is a data structure that speeds up queries by providing quick access to specific data.

GQL supports the following types of indexes:

 | Index type | Main purpose | Creation method
 | Primary key index | Quickly retrieve specific nodes. | [Automatically created when the primary key is defined](https://dev-docs.nebula-graph.io/v5.3.2/database-gql-reference/ddl/graph-type/create/#primary_key_list)
 | Type index | Quickly find specific node types or edge types. | Automatically created
 | Normal index | Quickly retrieve nodes or edges based on one or more properties. | [CREATE NORMAL INDEX](https://dev-docs.nebula-graph.io/v5.3.2/database-gql-reference/ddl/index/create/)
 | Vertex-centric index | Quickly locate associated edges centered on a node. Suitable for edge filtering on super nodes. A special usage of normal indexes. | [Vertex-centric index](https://dev-docs.nebula-graph.io/v5.3.2/database-gql-reference/ddl/index/create/#vertex-centric_indexes)
 | Vector index | Quickly find similar vectors. | [CREATE VECTOR INDEX](https://dev-docs.nebula-graph.io/v5.3.2/database-gql-reference/ddl/index/create-vector/)
 | Spatial index | Quickly retrieve spatial data. | [CREATE SPATIAL INDEX](https://dev-docs.nebula-graph.io/v5.3.2/database-gql-reference/ddl/index/create-geo/)
 | Full-text index | Quickly search for specific words or phrases within `STRING` properties. | [CREATE FULLTEXT INDEX](https://dev-docs.nebula-graph.io/v5.3.2/database-gql-reference/ddl/index/create-fulltext/)

## Property value types and index support

The following table shows whether each property value type can be used to form a primary key and which explicitly created property indexes it supports. `✅` indicates supported, and `❌` indicates not supported. Primary key indexes are created automatically. Type indexes apply to node and edge types rather than property values and are therefore not included in the table.

 | Property value type | Can be a primary key | Normal index (including vertex-centric indexes) | Vector index | Spatial index | Full-text index
 | Numeric | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌
 | `STRING` | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅
 | Boolean | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌
 | Temporal instant types | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌
 | `DURATION` | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌
 | `VECTOR` | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌
 | `GEOGRAPHY` | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌
 | `LIST` | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌
 | `SET` and `MAP` | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌

Note

- `LIST`, `SET`, `MAP`, `VECTOR`, and `GEOGRAPHY` properties cannot be used to form a primary key. For all primary key constraints, see [PRIMARY KEY](https://dev-docs.nebula-graph.io/v5.3.2/database-gql-reference/ddl/graph-type/create/#null_not_null_default_value_expression_primary_key_multiedge_key).
- Although normal indexes do not support `VECTOR` or `GEOGRAPHY` properties, you can create vector indexes on `VECTOR` properties and spatial indexes on `GEOGRAPHY` properties.
- `DURATION`, `LIST`, `SET`, and `MAP` properties do not support any currently available explicitly created property index.
- `NODE`, `EDGE`, `PATH`, `RECORD`, `TABLE`, and `NULL` cannot be used as node or edge property types and therefore do not apply to this table.

Caution

`SET` and `MAP` cannot currently be used in a primary key. A graph type definition may not reject them, but writing nodes with such a primary key is not supported.

Apart from creating indexes, GQL also provides the following statements and commands to manage indexes:

- [DROP INDEX](https://dev-docs.nebula-graph.io/v5.3.2/database-gql-reference/ddl/index/drop/): Deletes indexes.
- [SHOW (ALL) INDEXES](https://dev-docs.nebula-graph.io/v5.3.2/database-gql-reference/data-admin/show/show-indexes/): Lists indexes.