Claude Code Search Index Corrupted — Fix (2026)

The Error

Search index corrupted or incompatible. Rebuilding...

The Fix

# Remove the cached search index to force a clean rebuild
rm -rf .claude/cache/search-index*
# If no .claude/cache directory exists, check the global location:
rm -rf ~/.claude/cache/search-index*
# The index rebuilds automatically on the next search operation

Why This Works

Claude Code maintains a local search index for fast file lookups. This index can become corrupted after abrupt process termination, disk full conditions, or version upgrades that change the index format. Deleting the index files forces a full rebuild from the current filesystem state, eliminating any inconsistencies.

If That Doesn’t Work

# Remove the entire Claude cache directory
rm -rf .claude/cache/
# If the issue persists, check for disk space problems
df -h .
# Ensure the filesystem isn't read-only or full:
touch .claude/cache/test-write && rm .claude/cache/test-write
# As a last resort, remove all Claude local state:
rm -rf .claude/

If disk space is below 100MB, the index cannot be rebuilt. Free space first.

Prevention

Add to your CLAUDE.md:

If search operations produce stale or incorrect results, delete .claude/cache/search-index* before continuing. Maintain at least 500MB free disk space in the workspace partition for index operations.

This fix also applies if you see these related error messages:

  • Error: workspace root not detected
  • WorkspaceTrustError: restricted mode
  • Cannot access workspace files
  • Error: glob pattern matched too many files (>10000)
  • GlobError: pattern too broad

Frequently Asked Questions

What defines a Claude Code workspace?

The workspace is the directory where you launch Claude Code. It uses git repository boundaries if available, otherwise the current working directory. All relative file paths are resolved against this root.

Why does VS Code ask to trust the workspace?

VS Code’s Workspace Trust feature restricts extensions in untrusted folders. Claude Code requires a trusted workspace to execute code and modify files. Click ‘Trust Folder and Enable All Features’ when prompted, or add the folder to your trusted list in VS Code settings.

Can I work with multiple workspaces?

Claude Code operates in one workspace per session. To work across multiple projects, open separate terminal windows or VS Code instances, each with its own Claude Code session pointed at a different workspace.

What glob patterns does Claude Code support?

Claude Code supports standard glob patterns: * (any characters in a segment), ** (any depth of directories), ? (single character), and {a,b} (alternatives). Example: src/**/*.ts matches all TypeScript files under src/.

Try it: Paste your error into our Error Diagnostic for an instant fix.

Implementation Details

When working with this in Claude Code, pay attention to these practical details:

Project configuration. Add specific instructions to your CLAUDE.md file describing how your project handles this area. Include file paths, naming conventions, and any patterns that differ from common defaults. Claude Code reads CLAUDE.md at the start of every session and uses it to guide all operations.

Testing the setup. After configuration, verify everything works by running a simple test task. Ask Claude Code to perform a read-only operation first (like listing files or reading a config) before moving to write operations. This confirms that permissions, paths, and tools are all correctly configured.

Monitoring and iteration. Track your results over several sessions. If Claude Code consistently makes the same mistake, the fix is usually a more specific CLAUDE.md instruction. If it makes different mistakes each time, the issue is likely in the project setup or toolchain configuration.

Troubleshooting Checklist

When something does not work as expected, check these items in order:

  1. CLAUDE.md exists at the project root — run ls -la CLAUDE.md to verify
  2. Node.js version is 18+ — run node --version to check
  3. API key is set — run echo $ANTHROPIC_API_KEY | head -c 10 to verify (shows first 10 characters only)
  4. Disk space is available — run df -h . to check
  5. Network can reach the API — run curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" https://api.anthropic.com (should return 401 without auth, meaning the server is reachable)
  6. No conflicting processes — run ps aux | grep claude | grep -v grep to check for stale sessions