apache/cassandra · error · InvalidRequestException

Only CUSTOM indexes can be created without specifying a…

Error message

Only CUSTOM indexes can be created without specifying a target column

What it means

CreateIndexStatement.apply validation: CREATE INDEX without a target column is only legal for custom index implementations (which manage their own targets); a plain composite index requires an explicit column target.

Solutions

1. Specify the column to index, e.g. CREATE INDEX ON tbl(col).
2. Add USING with a custom index class if a columnless custom index is intended.

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cql3/statements/schema/CreateIndexStatement.java:191 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of apache/cassandra@88fd0f6a0e (2026-09-10). Data as JSON: /api/errors/5810c2ced92b7690. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cql3/statements/schema/CreateIndexStatement.java:191

        if (table.isView())
            throw ire(MATERIALIZED_VIEWS_NOT_SUPPORTED);

        if (keyspace.replicationStrategy.hasTransientReplicas())
            throw new InvalidRequestException(TRANSIENTLY_REPLICATED_KEYSPACE_NOT_SUPPORTED);

        // guardrails to limit number of secondary indexes per table.
        Guardrails.secondaryIndexesPerTable.guard(table.indexes.size() + 1,
                                                  Strings.isNullOrEmpty(indexName)
                                                  ? String.format("on table %s", table.name)
                                                  : String.format("%s on table %s", indexName, table.name),
                                                  false,
                                                  state);

        List<IndexTarget> indexTargets = Lists.newArrayList(transform(rawIndexTargets, t -> t.prepare(table)));

        if (indexTargets.isEmpty() && !attrs.isCustom)
            throw ire(CUSTOM_CREATE_WITHOUT_COLUMN);

        if (indexTargets.size() > 1)
        {
            if (!attrs.isCustom)
                throw ire(CUSTOM_MULTIPLE_COLUMNS);

            Set<ColumnIdentifier> columns = new HashSet<>();
            for (IndexTarget target : indexTargets)
                if (!columns.add(target.column))
                    throw ire(DUPLICATE_TARGET_COLUMN, target.column);
        }

        IndexMetadata.Kind kind = attrs.isCustom ? IndexMetadata.Kind.CUSTOM : IndexMetadata.Kind.COMPOSITES;

        indexTargets.forEach(t -> validateIndexTarget(table, kind, t, attrs));

        String name = null == indexName ? generateIndexName(keyspace, indexTargets) : indexName;

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