Search index upgrade not available in the portal

Question

Search index upgrade not available in the portal

Lloyd Newby 21

I'd like to upgrade a search index, but the button is not available in the portal. It is in other index within the same Subscription but can't find our how to do this in the portal.

Lloyd Newby 21 Reputation points

2026-03-25T17:38:26.65+00:00

I'd like to talk, or get advice on how to upgrade this particular search index. We should have the capacity to do this. Can a MS Engineer please get in touch and I can give some specific details please. We have a support contract :).
Praneeth Maddali 9,515 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-25T17:57:16.8333333+00:00
Hi @Lloyd Newby

Thanks for reaching us regarding your question related to Search index upgrade

This is expected behavior and not a portal issue Based on Microsoft documentation, the Azure portal offers a one-click “Migrate” option only for vector indexes created with the 2023‑07‑01‑preview API. If this option appears, it allows you to update the vector schema to a newer API version. If you don’t see it, the index likely doesn’t qualify for portal-based migration.

This usually happens if:

The index wasn’t created with the 2023‑07‑01‑preview API,

The index already uses a newer stable or preview API version, or

The index has multiple vector algorithm configurations, which aren’t supported for portal migration and need manual changes.

If portal migration isn’t available, you should manually update the index using the Azure AI Search REST APIs or recreate the index with a supported API version.

Reference:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/search/search-api-migration#portal-upgrade-for-vector-indexes

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/search/search-how-to-upgrade

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/search/search-sku-tier#basic-private-endpoint

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/search/search-limits-quotas-capacity

Kindly let us know if the above helps or you need further assistance on this issue.

Please "upvote" if the information helped you. This will help us and others in the community as well.
Praneeth Maddali 9,515 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-26T19:20:41.2966667+00:00

Hi @Lloyd Newby

Just following up to see if your issue has been resolved or if you had a chance to review my earlier comment?
Lloyd Newby 21 Reputation points

2026-03-30T15:03:45.5666667+00:00

Thanks for your reply. Not had chance to check yet. Will take a look now
Lloyd Newby 21 Reputation points

2026-03-30T15:13:07.0766667+00:00

The API version for our Search Service is 2023-11-01.

Do we have to downgrade to 2023-07-1 in order to upgrade to 2023-07-1 preview (which doesn't seen to be one of the possible API versions, see attached)?
Lloyd Newby 21 Reputation points

2026-03-30T15:23:34.9766667+00:00

According to the documentation the search service does qualify to be upgraded.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/search/search-how-to-upgrade
Praneeth Maddali 9,515 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-30T16:37:12.61+00:00
Hi @Lloyd Newby

Thank you for the update and for sharing the screenshot of the available API versions that’s very helpful.

To directly address your questions:

No, you do not need to downgrade to 2023-07-01-preview. In fact, you cannot downgrade API versions in Azure AI Search. The 2023-07-01-preview version is now deprecated, and your current service is already on the newer, stable 2023-11-01 version, which is the correct and recommended path.

The “Migrate” button in the Azure portal only appears for indexes that were originally created using the 2023-07-01-preview API version. Since your index was created (or last updated) with 2023-11-01, the portal migration option is not available. This is expected behavior, not an issue with your service.

You are right that your search service may qualify for a service-level upgrade (increasing storage and vector capacity). This is completely separate from index migration. You can check this directly in the portal by going to your Search Service > Overview and looking for the Upgrade button.

How to upgrade your vector index (Manual approach)

Since the one-click portal migration isn’t available, you can upgrade the index manually using the REST API or any of the SDKs (.NET, Python, Java, etc.). Here are the recommended steps:

Get the current index definition using 2023-11-01.

Update the vectorSearch section to use the modern structure (vector profiles, algorithms, etc.).

Update the index using Create or Update Index API.

If needed, re-index your documents.

Reference:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/search/search-api-migration#portal-upgrade-for-vector-indexes

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/search/search-api-migration

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/rest/api/searchservice/indexes/create-or-update?view=rest-searchservice-2025-09-01&tabs=HTTP

Kindly let us know if the above helps or you need further assistance on this issue.

Please "upvote" if the information helped you. This will help us and others in the community as well.
Lloyd Newby 21 Reputation points

2026-03-31T16:02:14.97+00:00

Thanks for the information. But unfortunately this didn't resolve my issue.
Praneeth Maddali 9,515 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-31T18:50:52.0466667+00:00
Hi @Lloyd Newby

The Migrate button is not showing because your index was created (or last updated) using the 2023-11-01 API version. The portal’s one-click migration is only available for indexes that were originally built with the older 2023-07-01-preview version. Since you're already on a newer stable version, the button doesn't appear — this is expected behavior.

Recommended Solution: Manual Index Update

You can easily modernize or upgrade your vector index using the REST API (or any Azure SDK). Here’s the practical approach:

Retrieve your current index definition Use a simple GET request with your admin key: GET https://your-service.search.windows.net/indexes/your-index-name?api-version=2023-11-01

Update the vectorSearch configuration Modify the JSON to use the current structure with vector profiles and algorithms. You can add new capabilities like vector compression, new HNSW settings, or additional vector fields.

Apply the changes Send the updated definition back using Create or Update Index (PUT request) with the latest stable API version (2025-09-01 is recommended).

This approach lets you upgrade without needing the portal button and without any downtime for queries.

reference :

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/search/search-api-migration

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/search/search-api-migration#portal-upgrade-for-vector-indexes

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/rest/api/searchservice/indexes/create-or-update?view=rest-searchservice-2025-09-01&tabs=HTTP

Kindly let us know if the above helps or you need further assistance on this issue.

Please "upvote" if the information helped you. This will help us and others in the community as well.
Praneeth Maddali 9,515 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-01T20:41:58.33+00:00

Hi @Lloyd Newby

Just following up to see if your issue has been resolved or if you had a chance to review my earlier comment?
Gautami Bhoopati 90 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-07T05:30:58.87+00:00

Hello @Lloyd NewbyJust following up to see if your issue has been resolved by the resolution provided by Praneeth Maddali. Otherwise, will respond with more details and we will try to help.