---
title: "Service: /members/{member}/groups/{group}/index/start [POST]"
source: https://dev.pageseeder.com/api/services/start-group-index-POST.html
description: "Starts asynchronous indexing for a group. Parameters allow specifying types (url, document, comment, version) and optionally clearing the index first. Requires group manager permissions. Returns thread element with indexing progress details."
last_updated: 2026-09-02T11:36:05+10:00
document_type: api_endpoint
operation_id: search-POST
resource_id: search
path_template: /members/{member}/groups/{group}/index/start
http_method: POST
api_category: search
implementation_version: 6.2004
api_since: 5.0500
deprecated_since: null
obsolete_since: null
api_support: experimental
cache_control: N/A
generated_at: 2026-09-02
tokens: ~394
---

# /members/\{member\}/groups/\{group\}/index/start \[POST\]

## Description

Start group [indexing](../../reference/glossary/index_xml.md).

Invoking this service starts an [asynchronous process](../usage/asynchronous_process.md).

## Parameters

| Name | Description | Required | Type | Default |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| types | A comma-separated list of types to index. e.g. `comment,document` | no | enums |  |
| clear | Whether to clear the whole index first (only allowed when **types** includes `comment,document,url`). | no | boolean | `false` |

The possible types are `url`, `document`, `comment` and `version`.

The `version` type is only considered if the `indexVersions` [group property](../../guide/configuration/properties/group_properties.md) is set to `true` 

> **Note:** The types parameter isn’t required but, if it isn’t specified, there is nothing to index.

## Permission

Only group manager can invoke this service.

## Response

This service returns the [\<thread\> element](../elements/element_thread.md) that is responsible for indexing.

```xml
<group-indexing>
  <thread ...> ...
    <indexing>
      <progress current="[current item]"
                total="[total items to index]"/>      
      <!-- for each type specified.. -->
      <type name="[comment|document|version]"/>
      ...
    </indexing>
  </thread>
</group-indexing>
```

## Error Handling

No specific errors expected for this service.

After this service is invoked, errors can be found in the [indexing logs](../../reference/folders_and_files/state_folder/logs.md).