How to Build a Custom Indexer in Magento 2

At KazeDigital, a trusted Magento development company, we know that managing data efficiently is one of the biggest challenges for online stores. Magento 2 is a powerful platform, but without proper optimisation, even the best stores can slow down. One of the best ways to boost performance is by creating a custom indexer. This might sound technical, but don’t worry we’ll break it down step by step so you can understand how it works and why it matters.

In simple terms, an indexer is like a librarian for your store’s data. It organises information like products, prices, and categories so your website can quickly show it to customers. Magento comes with built-in indexers, but sometimes your business needs something a little extra. That’s where a custom indexer comes in. It helps your store run faster, reduces server load, and keeps your customers happy.

Here’s a simple roadmap for creating a custom indexer:

1. Create a Module

First, you need a custom Magento 2 module. This is like the foundation for your indexer. You’ll create registration.php and module.xml files to set it up.

Example:

// registration.php

\Magento\Framework\Component\ComponentRegistrar::register(

    \Magento\Framework\Component\ComponentRegistrar::MODULE,

    ‘KazeDigital_CustomIndexer’,

    __DIR__

);

2. Define the Indexer

Next, create an indexer.xml file to tell Magento about your new indexer—what it does, its name, and which class handles it.

Example:

<indexer id=”custom_indexer” view_id=”custom_view”>

    <class>KazeDigital\CustomIndexer\Indexer\CustomIndexer</class>

    <title>Custom Data Indexer</title>

    <description>Indexes custom data for faster website performance</description>

</indexer>

3. Create the Indexer Class

This class does the actual work of indexing your data. Think of it as the engine that processes all your information.

Example:

namespace KazeDigital\CustomIndexer\Indexer;

use Magento\Framework\Indexer\ActionInterface;

use Magento\Framework\Mview\ActionInterface as MviewActionInterface;

class CustomIndexer implements ActionInterface, MviewActionInterface

{

    public function execute($ids = null)

    {

        // Logic to reindex specific data

    }

    public function executeFull()

    {

        // Logic for full reindex

    }

}

4. Register and Test Your Indexer

Once everything is ready, run these commands to register and test your indexer:

php bin/magento setup:upgrade

php bin/magento indexer:reindex

php bin/magento indexer:status

If all goes well, you’ll see your custom indexer in the Magento admin panel, ready to make your store faster and smarter.

• Faster Website Performance: Customers don’t like slow sites, and neither do search engines. 
• Tailored for Your Needs: Handles unique business data that default indexers can’t manage. 
• Scalable Growth: Works well even if your product catalog grows large. 

As a professional Magento development company, KazeDigital helps businesses like yours set up custom solutions such as indexers. We can make sure your store handles data efficiently, improves customer experience, and scales without slowing down.

Creating a custom indexer in Magento 2 might seem technical, but it’s one of the smartest investments for your store’s performance. At KazeDigital, we specialise in helping ecommerce businesses optimise their Magento stores with tailored solutions. A custom indexer can make your site faster, smarter, and ready to handle growth making both you and your customers happy.