---
title: Manage indices in Kibana
description: Practicing good index management ensures your data is stored efficiently and cost-effectively. In Kibana, the Index Management page is where you manage...
url: https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/manage-data/data-store/perform-index-operations
products:
  - Elastic Cloud Serverless
  - Elasticsearch
applies_to:
  - Elastic Cloud Serverless: Generally available
  - Elastic Stack: Generally available
---

# Manage indices in Kibana
Practicing good index management ensures your data is stored efficiently and cost-effectively. In Kibana, the **Index Management** page is where you manage storage resources across your cluster, including [indices](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/manage-data/data-store/index-basics), [data streams](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/manage-data/data-store/data-streams), [index and component templates](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/manage-data/data-store/templates), and [enrich policies](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/manage-data/ingest/transform-enrich/data-enrichment). Index-specific actions are covered in [Index operations reference](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/manage-data/data-store/index-operations-reference).
<tip>
  All operations available on the **Index Management** page can also be performed using the Elasticsearch REST API. Refer to [Manage data from the command line](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/manage-data/data-store/manage-data-from-the-command-line) for examples, or browse the [Elasticsearch index APIs](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/group/endpoint-indices) directly.
</tip>


## Required permissions

The following [security privileges](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/reference/elasticsearch/security-privileges) are required to manage indices in Kibana:
- The `monitor` cluster privilege to access Kibana's **Index Management** features.
- The `view_index_metadata` and `manage` index privileges to view a data stream or index's data.
- The `manage_index_templates` cluster privilege to manage index templates.

<applies-to>Elastic Stack: Generally available</applies-to> To add these privileges, go to **Stack Management > Security > Roles** or use the [Create or update roles](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-security-put-role) API.
<applies-to>Elastic Cloud Serverless: Generally available</applies-to> In Elastic Cloud Serverless, permissions are managed through project custom roles instead of **Stack Management > Security > Roles**. To grant access to **Index Management**, configure the required Elasticsearch and Kibana privileges in a custom role. For step-by-step guidance, refer to [Serverless project custom roles](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/deploy-manage/users-roles/serverless-custom-roles).

## Navigate the Index Management page

To open the **Index Management** page, use the navigation menu or the [global search field](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/explore-analyze/find-and-organize/find-apps-and-objects).
<applies-switch>
  <applies-item title="serverless:" applies-to="Elastic Cloud Serverless: Generally available">
    ![Index Management indices](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/manage-data/images/serverless-index-management-indices.png)

    - To access details and [perform operations](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/manage-data/data-store/index-operations-reference) on indices:
      - For a single index, click the index name to drill down into the index overview, [mappings](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/manage-data/data-store/mapping), and [settings](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/reference/elasticsearch/index-settings). From this view, you can navigate to **Discover** to further explore the documents in the index.
    - For multiple indices, select their checkboxes and then open the **Manage indices** menu.
    - Turn on **Include hidden indices** to view the full set of indices, including backing indices for data streams.
    - To filter the list of indices, use the search bar or click a badge. Badges indicate if an index is a [follower index](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-ccr-follow) or a [rollup index](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-rollup-get-rollup-index-caps).
    - To view and [manage](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/manage-data/data-store/data-streams/manage-data-stream) your data streams, including backing indices and retention settings, go to the **Data Streams** tab.
    - To create, edit, clone, or delete [index templates](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/manage-data/data-store/templates) and [component templates](/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/manage-data/data-store/templates#component-templates) that define how Elasticsearch configures new indices or data streams, go the **Index Templates** or **Component Templates** tab.
    - To create, execute, or delete [enrich policies](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/manage-data/ingest/transform-enrich/data-enrichment) that add data from existing indices to incoming documents during ingest, open the **Enrich Policies** tab.
  </applies-item>

  <applies-item title="stack:" applies-to="Elastic Stack: Generally available">
    ![Index Management UI](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/manage-data/images/elasticsearch-reference-management_index_labels.png)

    - To access details and [perform operations](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/manage-data/data-store/index-operations-reference) on indices:
      - For a single index, click the index name to drill down into the index overview, [mappings](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/manage-data/data-store/mapping), [settings](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/reference/elasticsearch/index-settings), and statistics. From this view, you can navigate to **Discover** to further explore the documents in the index, and you can perform operations using the **Manage index** menu.
    - For multiple indices, select their checkboxes and then open the **Manage indices** menu.
    - Turn on **Include hidden indices** to view the full set of indices, including backing indices for [data streams](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/manage-data/data-store/data-streams).
    - To filter the list of indices, use the search bar or click a badge. Badges indicate if an index is a [follower index](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-ccr-follow) or a [rollup index](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-rollup-get-rollup-index-caps).
    - To view and [manage](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/manage-data/data-store/data-streams/manage-data-stream) your data streams, including backing indices and retention settings, go to the **Data Streams** tab.
    - To create, edit, clone, or delete [index templates](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/manage-data/data-store/templates) and [component templates](/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/manage-data/data-store/templates#component-templates) that define how Elasticsearch configures new indices or data streams, go the **Index Templates** or **Component Templates** tab.
    - To create, execute, or delete [enrich policies](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/manage-data/ingest/transform-enrich/data-enrichment) that add data from existing indices to incoming documents during ingest, open the **Enrich Policies** tab.
  </applies-item>
</applies-switch>