<p>I just reindexed after setting txindex=1. My data directory increased in size about 3GB, but it seems like it might be saving data in another location since moving the data directory to other nodes is asking me to reindex.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-17T17:15:49.660Z
2016-11-17T17:15:49.660Z
Shadouts
<p>Given the table above from Pieter's accepted answer and considering the historic blockchain size at the same dates, index data is around 10% the size of the blockchain.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-06T05:49:08.640Z
2022-02-06T05:49:08.640Z
castamos
<p>The total extra size is around 27GB as of June 2020. You can check by looking at the size of the <code>$DATADIR/blocks/index</code> directory.</p>
<p>If you copy that directory, you'll copy the index with it.</p>
<hr />
<p>Historic data:</p>
<div class="s-table-container">
<table class="s-table">
<thead>
<tr>
<th style="text-align: right;">Date</th>
<th style="text-align: right;">GB</th>
<th>Reference</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: right;">2016-11-18</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">7</td>
<td>original answer</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: right;">2017-05-08</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">11</td>
<td><a href="https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/users/43135/ens">ens</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: right;">2019-07-16</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">21</td>
<td><a href="https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/users/97001/vasil-toshkov">Vasil Toshkov</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: right;">2020-06-14</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">27</td>
<td><a href="https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/users/24925/anonymous">Anonymous</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
CC BY-SA 4.0
2016-11-18T04:10:00.273Z
2021-08-02T14:33:54.340Z
2021-08-02T14:33:54.340Z
Pieter Wuille
<p>For example for a 1 MB block, does the extra Tx index database take up another 100 kB on average?</p>

<p>And a follow-up: once my node has completed <code>-reindex</code> after setting <code>txindex=1</code> can I COPY the blockchain AND the TX index database together to other nodes? I know the blockchain can be copied but I'm not sure if the new node needs to reindex the blockchain itself or if the index database copies over as well.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-16T14:17:00.483Z
I’m voting to close this question because the answer becomes out-of-date very quickly to be useful to others in the future.
MCCCS
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-16T14:18:02.503Z
@MCCCS do you know of any block explorer, etc that publishes charts for blockchain size in MB?
pinhead
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-16T14:23:07.417Z
https://www.blockchain.com/en/charts/blocks-size but not txindex
MCCCS
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-16T14:43:26.153Z
Maybe a new best answer could describe the ratio of the index directory to the blockchain size as described by that chart. This will be a common enough question to maintain some kind of answer here. For example the `indexes/txindex` directory seems to be about 10% the size of the `blocks` directory.
pinhead
<storage-footprint><reindex>
How much extra disk space does txindex=1 require?
pinhead
# How much extra disk space does txindex=1 require?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-09-08)

For example for a 1 MB block, does the extra Tx index database take up another 100 kB on average?

And a follow-up: once my node has completed `-reindex` after setting `txindex=1` can I COPY the blockchain AND the TX index database together to other nodes? I know the blockchain can be copied but I'm not sure if the new node needs to reindex the blockchain itself or if the index database copies over as well.

**Tags:** storage-footprint, reindex

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I’m voting to close this question because the answer becomes out-of-date very quickly to be useful to others in the future.  
> **username_0**: @username_1 do you know of any block explorer, etc that publishes charts for blockchain size in MB?  
> **username_1**: https://www.blockchain.com/en/charts/blocks-size but not txindex  
> **username_0**: Maybe a new best answer could describe the ratio of the index directory to the blockchain size as described by that chart. This will be a common enough question to maintain some kind of answer here. For example the `indexes/txindex` directory seems to be about 10% the size of the `blocks` directory.  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2016-11-18. Score: 9 | Accepted answer

The total extra size is around 27GB as of June 2020. You can check by looking at the size of the `$DATADIR/blocks/index` directory.

If you copy that directory, you'll copy the index with it.

---

Historic data:

| Date | GB | Reference |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2016-11-18 | 7 | original answer |
| 2017-05-08 | 11 | [ens](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/users/43135/ens) |
| 2019-07-16 | 21 | [Vasil Toshkov](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/users/97001/vasil-toshkov) |
| 2020-06-14 | 27 | [Anonymous](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/users/24925/anonymous) |


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### Answer by username_2 on 2016-11-17. Score: 1

I just reindexed after setting txindex=1. My data directory increased in size about 3GB, but it seems like it might be saving data in another location since moving the data directory to other nodes is asking me to reindex.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2022-02-06. Score: 0

Given the table above from Pieter's accepted answer and considering the historic blockchain size at the same dates, index data is around 10% the size of the blockchain.


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