Index Tools
Every Opensolr index comes with a set of powerful management tools. Think of these as the control panel for your search engine — they let you refresh settings, clear data, speed things up, and clean house. This page explains each tool, what it does, and when to use it. For a detailed reference with screenshots, see the Index Tools & Utilities article in our knowledge base.
Your Toolbox at a Glance
Reload — Apply Your Config Changes
When you edit a configuration file (like schema.xml or synonyms.txt), those changes sit in the background until you tell your index to pick them up. Reload does exactly that — it tells your Opensolr index: "Hey, re-read your configuration files and start using the new settings."
When to Use Reload
- After editing
schema.xml(adding new fields, changing field types) - After updating
synonyms.txt(adding new synonym mappings) - After changing
solrconfig.xml(modifying search handlers, caching, etc.) - After uploading any configuration file through the Opensolr dashboard
Reload does NOT affect your data. All your documents stay exactly where they are. It only refreshes the configuration — like closing and reopening a settings window. You can also trigger a reload via the API — see API: Reload Index.
Reset — Erase Everything and Start Fresh
Reset wipes every single document from your index. After a reset, your index is completely empty — zero documents, zero data. It is as if you just created the index for the first time. To reset an index programmatically, see API: Reset Solr Index Data.
Once you reset an index, all documents are permanently deleted. There is no undo button. If you need to keep your data, create a backup before resetting.
You changed your schema significantly and want to re-index everything from scratch. Or you are switching from test data to production data and want a clean slate.
Reset does not touch your configuration files. Your schema, synonyms, stopwords — all of that stays the same. Only the documents (the data) are removed.
Commit — Make Pending Changes Searchable
When you add or update documents in your Opensolr index, those changes are not immediately visible in search results. They sit in a temporary holding area. Commit takes those pending changes and makes them part of the searchable index.
Think of it like saving a document in a word processor. You can type all day, but until you hit Save, your work is not permanent. Commit is that Save button for your search data.
How It Works
- You add or update documents via the API, web crawler, or data ingestion
- Those changes go into a temporary buffer (not yet searchable)
- You click Commit (or Opensolr auto-commits on a schedule)
- The changes become visible in search results
Opensolr indexes have auto-commit turned on by default, so in most cases your data becomes searchable within a few seconds automatically. Use the manual Commit button when you need changes visible immediately. You can also commit via the API — see API: Commit Data.
Optimize — Speed Up Your Searches
As you add, update, and delete documents over time, your index breaks into many small pieces called segments. Each segment is like a mini-index. When a search runs, it has to check every single segment — more segments means more work, which means slower searches.
Optimize merges all those little segments into one big, efficient segment. The result? Faster searches and a smaller index on disk.
While optimizing, your index works harder than usual (it is rearranging all its data). Searches still work during optimization, but may be slightly slower until it finishes. For large indexes, consider scheduling optimization during low-traffic periods. To optimize via the API, see API: Optimize, and to check whether an optimization is still running, use API: Check Optimize Status.
Schedule Optimize — Set It and Forget It
Instead of remembering to click Optimize every few days, you can schedule it to run automatically. Pick how often (every 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, etc.) and Opensolr handles the rest. Your index stays fast without you lifting a finger.
Choose Your Interval
Select how many days between each automatic optimization. Low-traffic indexes can go longer; busy indexes benefit from more frequent optimization.
Runs Automatically
Once scheduled, optimization happens in the background with zero effort from you. Opensolr picks a quiet moment and runs it.
Cancel Anytime
Change your mind? Remove the schedule or change the interval whenever you want. Your data is never affected.
If you add or update documents daily, optimize every 1-3 days. If your data changes weekly, every 7 days is fine. If your data rarely changes, once a month is plenty.
Delete By Query — Remove Specific Documents
Sometimes you do not want to erase everything (that is what Reset does). Instead, you want to surgically remove specific documents that match certain criteria. Delete By Query lets you write a query, and any document that matches gets deleted.
Example Queries
| What You Want to Delete | Query to Use |
|---|---|
| All pages from a specific domain | uri:*old-site.com* |
| All blog posts from the old blog | uri:*old-site.com/blog* |
| Documents older than a certain date | timestamp:[* TO 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z] |
| A single specific document | id:abc123def456 |
| All documents (same as Reset) | *:* |
Once you delete documents with this tool, they are gone. There is no trash can or recycle bin. Always double-check your query before clicking Delete. If unsure, test the query in your search first to see which documents it matches.
After running a Delete By Query, the documents are marked for deletion but not yet removed from search results. Click Commit to finalize the deletion and remove them from search.
The Document Lifecycle
Here is how all these tools fit together in the life of your data, from the moment you add a document to the moment it is searchable and fast:
Quick Reference — Which Tool Do I Need?
| I want to... | Use this tool | Will it delete my data? |
|---|---|---|
| Apply changes I made to configuration files | Reload | No |
| Start completely fresh with zero documents | Reset | Yes — everything! |
| Make newly added documents appear in search | Commit | No |
| Speed up my searches | Optimize | No |
| Keep my index fast automatically | Schedule Optimize | No |
| Remove specific documents that match a pattern | Delete By Query | Only matching documents |
All index tools are available in your Opensolr Dashboard under the Tools tab for any selected index. Simply choose your index, click Tools, and all six tools are right there.