Table of contents

Why Magento 2 indexing mattersHow to reindexManually reindexTroubleshootingBest practicesFAQsHow to get started

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How to reindex in Magento 2 (from Admin)

Magento relies heavily on indexing to keep your store fast and accurate. If your product changes aren’t showing up, or you’re getting “Reindex required” messages, it’s time to manually trigger a reindex.

Let’s walk through how to reindex Magento 2 directly from the admin panel—no command line required.

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Why Magento 2 indexing matters

Magento 2 uses indexers to convert data like prices, product attributes, and category relationships into optimized formats for display. This process boosts performance and ensures customers always see the most up-to-date information.

Normally, Magento reindexes data automatically in the background using cron jobs. But manual reindexing becomes necessary when you:

Import a large number of products
Install or update an extension
Fix a data or database issue
Notice slow performance or outdated frontend data

Knowing how to reindex manually from Admin gives you more control and can resolve a lot of common issues quickly.

How to reindex in Magento 2 from the admin panel

Magento 2 provides a visual interface for managing all indexers. Here’s how to use it.

Step 1: Navigate to Index Management

Log in to the Magento 2 Admin panel.
Go to System > Tools > Index Management.

You’ll see a list of indexers such as Product EAV, Catalog Rule Product, Category Products, and more.

Step 2: Select indexers to reindex

Check the boxes next to the indexers you want to reindex.
Use the filters at the top to narrow results by name or status.

For example, if you just changed product attributes or prices, selecting Product EAV and Catalog Product Price is a good start.

Step 3: Choose indexing mode

Use the Actions dropdown to select the indexing behavior:

Update on Save: Applies changes instantly when data is saved.
Update by Schedule: Queues changes to be reindexed during the next cron job.

In most cases, “Update by Schedule” is ideal for live stores to avoid performance hits. But “Update on Save” is helpful for testing or making urgent updates visible right away.

Step 4: Submit your changes

Click Submit to apply the selected indexing mode.

If the status column shows “Reindex Required,” Magento will either reindex right away (if set to Update on Save) or during the next scheduled cron job.

When and why you should manually reindex

Magento should handle indexing automatically. But sometimes things break or fall behind. Here’s when you should step in:

After data imports: Adding hundreds of products, categories, or price changes often triggers reindex requirements.
After new extension installation: Some third-party modules create or alter indexers.
When cron jobs fail: If your server’s cron isn’t working, Magento can’t run scheduled reindexes.
During store development: Developers may want to force indexing to test changes instantly.

If your storefront is showing stale data or admin messages say “One or more indexers are invalid,” a manual reindex is usually the fastest fix.

Troubleshooting common indexing issues

Running into errors while reindexing? Here are the most common issues and how to fix them:

Indexer stuck on “Reindex Required”: Switch it to “Update on Save” mode, then submit again. If it’s still stuck, use the command line.
Cron not executing reindex: Go to System > Cron Schedule to confirm jobs are running. If not, configure your server’s cron.
Reindex fails silently: Check for conflicting third-party modules. Temporarily disable any recently installed extensions and retry.
Permissions problems: Magento needs the right file and folder permissions to run reindexing. Check with your host or sysadmin if you suspect an ownership issue.

If you prefer, you can always fall back on the CLI with this command:

php bin/magento indexer:reindex

It’s especially useful when Admin reindexing doesn’t resolve the issue.

Recommended indexing best practices for Magento 2 stores

Staying ahead of indexing problems means setting up your store the right way. Here are some best practices:

Use “Update by Schedule” in production to keep performance smooth.
Monitor cron jobs regularly to confirm automatic reindexing is working.
Reindex manually after large product imports or structural changes.
Clean the Magento cache after reindexing to ensure frontend accuracy.
Use the command line for big batches or when Admin access isn’t enough.

FAQ

Reindexing is the process of refreshing Magento’s index tables, which transform and store data like products, prices, and categories in a way that speeds up frontend performance. Without it, your store may show old or incorrect data.

Resetting an indexer sets its status back to “Ready” and clears stuck or partial jobs. Run this CLI command:

php bin/magento indexer:reset [indexer_name]

You can also reset all indexers by omitting the name.

Use this command to see the status of each indexer:

php bin/magento indexer:status

Look for statuses like “Ready,” “Reindex Required,” or “Processing.”

To revert a patch, especially one applied manually or via Composer:

Remove or comment out the patch file
Run:
composer update
bin/magento setup:upgrade
bin/magento cache:flush
If it was a manual patch, restore the original file from a backup.

Next steps for reindexing in Magento 2

Reindexing in Magento 2 ensures your storefront is always fast, fresh, and accurate. Whether you’re troubleshooting or just maintaining a healthy store, learning to reindex from the admin panel is a must-have skill.

If you run a large catalog or experience frequent indexing issues, setting up automated cron monitoring and learning the CLI options can give you even more control.

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