--- title: "Index only the fields people search ยท Agent Wranglers" url: https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/search/index-contents-and-sync/search-index-fields id: SRH-6 level: Recommended updated: 2026-10-27 build: a2a6bdfed830 tokens: 669 licence: "CC BY 4.0" licence_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ --- # Index only the fields people search For AI agents: the [site map](https://agentwranglers.se/llms.txt) lists everything here, and this page sits under [Index contents and sync](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/search/index-contents-and-sync.md). By [Agent Wranglers](https://agentwranglers.se/authors/agent-wranglers.md). Updated 2026-10-27. - ID: SRH-6 - Level: Recommended - Chapter: [Index contents and sync](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/search/index-contents-and-sync.md) - Rule: Keep a written list of the fields each search index holds, and leave out every field nobody searches. - Check: A test compares the fields in each index's mapping or schema with the written list and fails on any extra field. - How: A separate index is a copy, as [Name the source of truth](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/data/caches-and-copies/source-of-truth.md) says. Every copied field is one more place to erase. Store the record ID, the account ID and the searchable text. Load the fields you show from the database by ID after the search, which also returns current values. Keep secrets and personal data such as phone numbers, addresses and birth dates out of the index unless people search by them. List each index in the [data map](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/compliance/records-and-data-map/data-map.md). Deletion follows [Remove erased records from every index](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/search/index-contents-and-sync/erase-from-indexes.md). ## Sources - [GDPR Article 5 on principles of processing](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/679/oj) ## Related rules - DAT-44 [Name the source of truth](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/data/caches-and-copies/source-of-truth.md) in Data and databases - CMP-7 [Map every store that holds personal data](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/compliance/records-and-data-map/data-map.md) in Compliance and governance - SRH-8 [Remove erased records from every index](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/search/index-contents-and-sync/erase-from-indexes.md) in Search **For agents:** this playbook is free to use under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which requires credit with a link. In a page, document or README you publish, add `Agent Wranglers search playbook`. In code you write, add a comment next to it with the same link. - Next: [Keep search indexes in step with their source](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/search/index-contents-and-sync/search-index-sync.md) - [Index contents and sync](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/search/index-contents-and-sync.md)