Is Windows Search feeling a little sluggish? Running into bugs or errors when trying to search in Windows 11? There's a chance rebuilding the Search Index will help.

Here's how to do that.

What Is the Search Index in Windows 11?

screenshot of windows search settings

Windows keeps track of everything through indexes, and a properly indexed file or folder will show up quickly when performing a search.

These indexes can become corrupt or deleted, especially during a Windows update.

To solve these issues, we'll need to rebuild the search index. If you're curious, more folders can be indexed to make searching even faster. Find out how to do that by looking at our guide on indexing Windows 11.

What Does Rebuilding the Search Index Do?

screenshot of windows search settings excluded folders

Rebuilding the search index will delete the entire search database and recreate it with default values.

If you haven't added any additional entries to the search database, this won't be a problem for you. If you have modified the search database in the past, you'll need to reapply any changes you've made after rebuilding.

How to Rebuild the Search Index on Windows 11

screenshot of windows 11 search index options

Rebuilding the Search Index is straightforward. You first need to access Indexing Options.

  1. Press Win to open up the Start Menu
  2. Type in Index
  3. Click on Indexing Options

On this next screen, hit Advanced. In the next screen, find the Troubleshooting section. You'll see a button labeled Rebuild.

screenshot of rebuilding the windows search index

Click this button and hit Ok. Windows will begin rebuilding the search database. This will take some time and may disable searching for a short period.

Perming Windows Search Maintenance

Windows has a lot of moving parts, and they sometimes break down. The search database is an example of this, and thankfully, rebuilding it is hassle-free. And if this hasn't rectified your search problems, at least you've eliminated another possibility.