geode-docs/developing/query_index/creating_key_indexes.html.md.erb

---
title:  Creating Key Indexes
---

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Creating a key index is a good way to improve query performance when data is partitioned using a key or a field value. You can create key indexes by using the `createKeyIndex` method of the QueryService or by defining the index in `cache.xml`. Creating a key index makes the query service aware of the relationship between the values in the region and the keys in the region.

The FROM clause for a primary key index must be just a region path. The indexed expression is an expression that, when applied to an entry value, produces the key. For example, if a region has Portfolios as the values and the keys are the id field of the Portfolios region, the indexed expression is id.

You can then use the FunctionService (using the partitioned key as a filter passed to the function and as part of the query equality condition) to execute the query against the indexed data. See [Optimizing Queries on Data Partitioned by a Key or Field Value](../query_additional/partitioned_region_key_or_field_value.html#concept_3010014DFBC9479783B2B45982014454) for more details.

There are two issues to note with key indexes:

-   The key index is not sorted. Without sorting, you can only do equality tests. Other comparisons are not possible. To obtain a sorted index on your primary keys, create a functional index on the attribute used as the primary key.
-   The query service is not automatically aware of the relationship between the region values and keys. For this, you must create the key index.

**Note:**
Using a key-index with an explicit type='range' in the cache.xml will lead to an exception. Key indexes will not be used in 'range' queries.

## <a id="concept_09E29507AF0D42CF81D261B030D0B7C8__section_8F1B7893F6D44D9CB36679222927031C" class="no-quick-link"></a>Examples of Creating a Key Index

**Using Java API:**

``` pre
QueryService qs = cache.getQueryService();
 qs.createKeyIndex("myKeyIndex", "id", "/exampleRegion");
 
```

**Using gfsh:**

``` pre
gfsh> create index --name=myKeyIndex --expression=id --region=/exampleRegion
```

**Using cache.xml:**

``` pre
<region name=exampleRegion>
 <region-attributes . . . >
 </region-attributes>
 <index name="myKeyIndex" from-clause="/exampleRegion" expression="id" key-index="true"/>
 ...
</region>
```

**Note:**
If you do not specify the type of index when defining indexes using cache.xml, the type defaults to "range".