---
title: Index content areas
slug: cms-12/docs/index-content-areas
docTags: 
createdAt: 2026-08-10T15:56:04.000Z
---

Optimizely Search & Navigation does not index content in a content area by default.

In Optimizely Content Management System (CMS), you can place content in a content area, which is a [property](https://world.optimizely.com/documentation/developer-guides/CMS/Content/Properties/built-in-property-types/) of the type `ContentArea`. While CMS does not index content in a content area by default as part of the main content, you can use methods to index such content, such as block-type content inside a content area.

- Use the content type's `IndexInContentAreas` attribute. CMS indexes instances of the content type dropped in a content area as a part of the main content.
- In admin mode, create a Boolean property for the content type (selected or not selected) with the name `IndexInContentAreas`, and set its value to **True**. CMS indexes instances of that content type in a content area as part of the main content.
- Change the default behavior of the `IContentIndexerConventions.ShouldIndexInContentAreaConvention`.
- To limit the serialized object depth when having nested `ContentAreas`, the serialization contract for the `ContentArea` type can be modified using the `MaxDepthContentAreaConverter` method (by default nested `ContentAreas` are indexed):

```csharp
SearchClient.Instance.Conventions.ForinstancesOf<ContentArea>().ModifyContract(x => x.Converter = new MaxDepthContentAreaConverter(int maxDepth));
```

:::hint{type="info"}
**Note**
Starting from CMS version 12.22.3, a special feature called Inline Blocks are the default; see [Improve publishing with inline edit blocks](docId\:ZWZupvC4266Q5RS1nhLdO). Optimizely Search & Navigation can support including the Inline Blocks content to `SearchText` when indexing a content area. You still need to use the `IndexInContentAreas` attribute for the Inline Blocks if you want to include its content when indexing.
:::