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docs: Add global vertex-property index docs #1707

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106b52d
doc: Add docs for global vertex-property indices
colinbarry Aug 3, 2026
d867968
refactor: Tidy grammar a little
colinbarry Aug 5, 2026
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2 changes: 2 additions & 0 deletions pages/database-management/monitoring.mdx
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -264,6 +264,7 @@ JSON endpoint and `SHOW METRICS INFO` use different names — see
| memgraph\_active\_edge\_type\_indices | Gauge | Number of active edge-type indexes. |
| memgraph\_active\_edge\_type\_property\_indices | Gauge | Number of active edge-type-property indexes. |
| memgraph\_active\_edge\_property\_indices | Gauge | Number of active edge-property indexes. |
| memgraph\_active\_vertex\_property\_indices | Gauge | Number of active vertex-property indexes. |
| memgraph\_active\_point\_indices | Gauge | Number of active point indexes. |
| memgraph\_active\_text\_indices | Gauge | Number of active text indexes on vertices. |
| memgraph\_active\_text\_edge\_indices | Gauge | Number of active text indexes on edges. |
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -321,6 +322,7 @@ used.
| memgraph\_scan\_all\_by\_edge\_property\_value\_operator\_total | Counter |
| memgraph\_scan\_all\_by\_edge\_property\_range\_operator\_total | Counter |
| memgraph\_scan\_all\_by\_edge\_id\_operator\_total | Counter |
| memgraph\_scan\_all\_by\_vertex\_property\_operator\_total | Counter |
| memgraph\_scan\_all\_by\_point\_distance\_operator\_total | Counter |
| memgraph\_scan\_all\_by\_point\_withinbbox\_operator\_total | Counter |
| memgraph\_expand\_operator\_total | Counter |
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2 changes: 2 additions & 0 deletions pages/database-management/server-stats.mdx
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Expand Up @@ -230,6 +230,7 @@ are reported in microseconds.
| "ActiveEdgeTypePropertyIndices" | "Index" | "Gauge" | 0 |
| "ActiveLabelIndices" | "Index" | "Gauge" | 6 |
| "ActiveLabelPropertyIndices" | "Index" | "Gauge" | 18 |
| "ActiveVertexPropertyIndices" | "Index" | "Gauge" | 0 |
| "ActivePointIndices" | "Index" | "Gauge" | 0 |
| "ActiveTextIndices" | "Index" | "Gauge" | 0 |
| "ActiveTextEdgeIndices" | "Index" | "Gauge" | 0 |
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -293,6 +294,7 @@ are reported in microseconds.
| "ScanAllByIdOperator" | "Operator" | "Counter" | 0 |
| "ScanAllByLabelOperator" | "Operator" | "Counter" | 0 |
| "ScanAllByLabelPropertiesOperator" | "Operator" | "Counter" | 0 |
| "ScanAllByVertexPropertyOperator" | "Operator" | "Counter" | 0 |
| "ScanAllByPointDistanceOperator" | "Operator" | "Counter" | 0 |
| "ScanAllByPointWithinbboxOperator" | "Operator" | "Counter" | 0 |
| "ScanAllOperator" | "Operator" | "Counter" | 0 |
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66 changes: 61 additions & 5 deletions pages/fundamentals/indexes.mdx
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Expand Up @@ -477,6 +477,53 @@ not yet supported.

</Callout>

### Global vertex property index

<Callout type="info">

This index supports non-blocking creation: reads continue without interruption,
while writes are briefly paused. For more information, see the [concurrent index
creation](#concurrent-index-creation).

</Callout>

A label-property index requires you to know the label up front. But sometimes
you just want to find a node by a property, say `uuid`, regardless of what
labels the node has. Global vertex-property indices allow you to do exactly
this. For example, to create an index on all nodes with a `uuid` property:

```cypher
CREATE GLOBAL INDEX ON :(uuid);
```

Once created, queries that search by that property can use the index
automatically:

```cypher
MATCH (n) WHERE n.uuid = "abc-123" RETURN n;
MATCH (n {uuid: "abc-123"}) RETURN n;
```

The planner also considers this index as a fallback when a query specifies a
label but no matching label-property index exists. For example, if there is no
index on `:Person(uuid)` but a global index on `uuid` exists,
`MATCH (n:Person {uuid: "abc-123"}) RETURN n` can use the global index and
filter by label afterwards.

<Callout type="info">

When both a label-property index and a global vertex property index could serve
a query, the planner picks whichever has the lower estimated cardinality. In
practice this usually means the label-property index wins, since it's scoped to
a single label.

</Callout>

To drop the index:
```cypher
DROP GLOBAL INDEX ON :(uuid);
```

### Edge-type index

<Callout type="info">
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -696,7 +743,8 @@ memgraph> MATCH (n:Person) WHERE n.name =~ ".*an$" RETURN n.name;
## Show created indexes

To see all the information on the label, label-property, edge-type, edge-type
property, point indexes and vector indexes, run the following query:
property, global vertex property, global edge property, point indexes and vector
indexes, run the following query:

```cypher
SHOW INDEX INFO;
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -739,6 +787,10 @@ DROP INDEX ON :Label(property);
DROP INDEX ON :Label(property1, property2);
```

```cypher
DROP GLOBAL INDEX ON :(property_name);
```

```cypher
DROP EDGE INDEX ON :EDGE_TYPE;
```
Expand All @@ -760,8 +812,8 @@ DROP POINT INDEX ON :Label(property);
The `DROP ALL INDEXES` clause allows you to delete all indices in your database
in a single operation. This includes all types of indices: label indices,
label-property indices, edge type indices, edge type-property indices, global
edge indices, point indices, text indices, vector indices, and vector edge
indices.
vertex property indices, global edge property indices, point indices, text
indices, vector indices, and vector edge indices.

```cypher
DROP ALL INDEXES;
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -956,6 +1008,10 @@ USING INDEX :Label(property) ...;
USING INDEX :Label(property1, property2) ...;
```

```cypher
USING INDEX :(property) ...;
```

It is also possible to specify multiple hints separated with comma. In that
case, the planner will apply the first hint that is applicable for a given
match.
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -1008,8 +1064,8 @@ b_1$, or $a_1 = b_1$ and $a_2 < b_2$.

Memgraph supports **(almost) fully concurrent index creation** for all
skiplist-based indices, including label, label-property, composite, edge-type,
edge-type property, and global edge property, with minimal impact on
performance.
edge-type property, global edge property, and global vertex property, with
minimal impact on performance.

The three-phase implementation begins with a brief **registration phase** that
requires `READ ONLY` access. This ensures that all pending write transactions
Expand Down