Indexes - Capture / Drop / Recreate existing

Feb 16, 2026
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Recreating Indexes and Constraints on 4.4 and above

This article describes the process to drop and recreate all indexes and constraints from Neo4j version 4.4.x and above. Please take care to ensure you have captured you index / constraint definitions before dropping.

Also please run drop and create from separate sessions, to avoid any caching retention of objects existing.

This can be done in either the Neo4j Browser or cypher-shell.

Depending on your version, you may need to strip out double quotes from the export.

Note: to list the current indexes and constraints please run either SHOW INDEXES; or SHOW CONSTRAINTS;

1 - Generating Cypher Scripts to Drop/Create Constraints:

NOTE: If it is uncertain that an index or constraint with a given name exists that you want to drop. Should you not want to receive an error if it doesn't, use IF EXISTS with the queries that follow, for example DROP INDEX my_index_name IF EXISTS;

1.1 - Script to create Constraints

Run the Cypher : SHOW CONSTRAINTS YIELD createStatement

Save this output to file. For example: create-constraints.cypher

+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

| "CREATE CONSTRAINT `constraint_182b7cf9` FOR (n:`Debit`) REQUIRE (n.`id`) IS UNIQUE OPTIONS {indexConfig: {`spatial.cartesian-3d.max`: [1000000.0, 1000000.0, 1000000.0],`spatial.cartesian-3d.min`: [-1000000.0, -1000000.0, -1000000.0],`spatial.cartesian.max`: [1000000.0, 1000000.0],`spatial.cartesian.min`: [-1000000.0, -1000000.0],`spatial.wgs-84-3d.max`: [180.0, 90.0, 1000000.0],`spatial.wgs-84-3d.min`: [-180.0, -90.0, -1000000.0],`spatial.wgs-84.max`: [180.0, 90.0],`spatial.wgs-84.min`: [-180.0, -90.0]}, indexProvider: 'native-btree-1.0'}"                                                                                                               |

| "CREATE CONSTRAINT `constraint_5d4fabb7` FOR (n:`Mule`) REQUIRE (n.`id`) IS UNIQUE OPTIONS {indexConfig: {`spatial.cartesian-3d.max`: [1000000.0, 1000000.0, 1000000.0],`spatial.cartesian-3d.min`: [-1000000.0, -1000000.0, -1000000.0],`spatial.cartesian.max`: [1000000.0, 1000000.0],`spatial.cartesian.min`: [-1000000.0, -1000000.0],`spatial.wgs-84-3d.max`: [180.0, 90.0, 1000000.0],`spatial.wgs-84-3d.min`: [-180.0, -90.0, -1000000.0],`spatial.wgs-84.max`: [180.0, 90.0],`spatial.wgs-84.min`: [-180.0, -90.0]}, indexProvider: 'native-btree-1.0'}"                                                                                                                 |

| "CREATE CONSTRAINT `constraint_ee8a7860` FOR (n:`Merchant`) REQUIRE (n.`id`) IS UNIQUE OPTIONS {indexConfig: {`spatial.cartesian-3d.max`: [1000000.0, 1000000.0, 1000000.0],`spatial.cartesian-3d.min`: [-1000000.0, -1000000.0, -1000000.0],`spatial.cartesian.max`: [1000000.0, 1000000.0],`spatial.cartesian.min`: [-1000000.0, -1000000.0],`spatial.wgs-84-3d.max`: [180.0, 90.0, 1000000.0],`spatial.wgs-84-3d.min`: [-180.0, -90.0, -1000000.0],`spatial.wgs-84.max`: [180.0, 90.0],`spatial.wgs-84.min`: [-180.0, -90.0]}, indexProvider: 'native-btree-1.0'}"                                                                                                                  |

| "CREATE CONSTRAINT `constraint_fcf6553a` FOR (n:`Client`) REQUIRE (n.`id`) IS UNIQUE OPTIONS {indexConfig: {`spatial.cartesian-3d.max`: [1000000.0, 1000000.0, 1000000.0],`spatial.cartesian-3d.min`: [-1000000.0, -1000000.0, -1000000.0],`spatial.cartesian.max`: [1000000.0, 1000000.0],`spatial.cartesian.min`: [-1000000.0, -1000000.0],`spatial.wgs-84-3d.max`: [180.0, 90.0, 1000000.0],`spatial.wgs-84-3d.min`: [-180.0, -90.0, -1000000.0],`spatial.wgs-84.max`: [180.0, 90.0],`spatial.wgs-84.min`: [-180.0, -90.0]}, indexProvider: 'native-btree-1.0'}"                                                                                                                  |

+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

1.2 - Script to drop Constraints

Run the Cypher SHOW CONSTRAINTS YIELD name RETURN 'DROP CONSTRAINT ' + name + ';'

Save this output to file. For example: drop-constraints.cypher

+----------------------------------------------+
| 'DROP CONSTRAINT ' + name +';'                     |
+----------------------------------------------+
| "DROP CONSTRAINT constraint_182b7cf9;"    |
| "DROP CONSTRAINT constraint_5d4fabb7;"   |
| "DROP CONSTRAINT constraint_ee8a7860;"  |
| "DROP CONSTRAINT constraint_fcf6553a;"   |
+----------------------------------------------+

2 - Generating Cypher Scripts to Drop/Manage Indexes:

2.1 - Script to create Indexes

Run this Cypher SHOW INDEXES YIELD createStatement;

Save this output to file. For example: create-indexes.cypher

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| createStatement                                                                                                       |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| "CREATE LOOKUP INDEX `index_343aff4e` FOR (n) ON EACH labels(n)"       |
| "CREATE LOOKUP INDEX `index_f7700477` FOR ()-[r]-() ON EACH type(r)" |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

2.2 - Script to drop Indexes

Run this Cypher SHOW INDEXES YIELD name RETURN 'DROP INDEX ' + name +';'

Save this output to file. For example: drop-indexes.cypher

3 - Run scripts as you need to drop / recreate indexes

In either the Neo4j Browser or via cypher-shell, paste in the scriptname.cypher script and execute. Monitor for any errors.

4 - Run scripts as you need to drop / recreate constraints

In either the Neo4j Browser or via cypher-shell, paste in the scriptname.cypher script and execute. Monitor for any errors.

5 - Confirm all Indexes and Constraints are correct:

To confirm the indexes and constraints creation have succeeded you need not only to check they exists, but verify they are populated, online and also have the correct provider.

5.1 - Verify Indexes

Run the Cypher SHOW INDEXES YIELD name;

+------------------+
| name             |
+------------------+
| "index_343aff4e" |
| "index_f7700477" |
+------------------+

5.2 - Verify Constraints

Run the Cypher SHOW CONSTRAINTS YIELD name;

+-----------------------+
| name                  |
+-----------------------+
| "constraint_182b7cf9" |
| "constraint_5d4fabb7" |
| "constraint_ee8a7860" |
| "constraint_fcf6553a" |
+-----------------------+

DB Instance privileges required

Creating an index requires the CREATE INDEX privilege, while dropping an index requires the DROP INDEX privilege and listing indexes require the SHOW INDEX privilege.

Note: Be sure to apply appropriate labels.

Title

Indexes - Capture / Drop / Recreate existing

Article Created Date

3/15/2024, 10:57 PM

URL Name

4416090515219-Indexes-Capture-Drop-Recreate-existing

Last Modified Date

2/16/2026, 2:18 PM

Indexes - Capture / Drop / Recreate existing

Article Details

Recreating Indexes and Constraints on 4.4 and above

1 - Generating Cypher Scripts to Drop/Create Constraints:

1.1 - Script to create Constraints

1.2 - Script to drop Constraints

2 - Generating Cypher Scripts to Drop/Manage Indexes:

2.1 - Script to create Indexes

2.2 - Script to drop Indexes

3 - Run scripts as you need to drop / recreate indexes

4 - Run scripts as you need to drop / recreate constraints

5 - Confirm all Indexes and Constraints are correct:

5.1 - Verify Indexes

5.2 - Verify Constraints

DB Instance privileges required

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