How can you identify and resolve slow queries in MongoDB?
To address slow MongoDB queries, first use .explain("executionStats") to analyze query performance by checking totalDocsExamined, index usage (IXSCAN vs COLLSCAN), and executionTimeMillis. 1) Add indexes on frequently queried fields if missing. 2) Monitor slow queries using the database profiler with db.setProfilingLevel(1, { slowms: 100 }) and review logs via db.system.profile.find(). 3) Optimize queries by using compound indexes, avoiding inefficient operators like $where or $regex, and limiting returned fields via projection. 4) Check system health for connection limits, disk I/O, and RAM using tools like mongostat or monitoring platforms to detect infrastructure bottlenecks.
When your MongoDB database starts slowing down, the culprit is often a slow query. Identifying and resolving these queries isn’t magic — it’s about knowing where to look and how to interpret what you find.
Use explain()
to understand query performance
The first step in diagnosing a slow query is to run .explain("executionStats")
on it. This shows you exactly how MongoDB executed the query — which indexes were used (or not), how many documents were scanned, and how long each stage took.
Here's what to look for:
-
totalDocsExamined
should be close tonReturned
, especially if you're filtering with specific criteria. - If
IXSCAN
isn't used, your query might be doing a full collection scan (COLLSCAN
), which is usually slow. - Pay attention to
executionTimeMillis
— this tells you how long just that query took (excluding network time).
A quick example:
db.collection.find({ status: "pending" }).explain("executionStats")
If you see high numbers in totalDocsExamined
, consider adding an index on status
.
Monitor slow queries using the database profiler
MongoDB has a built-in profiler that logs operations taking longer than a specified duration. You can turn it on like this:
db.setProfilingLevel(1, { slowms: 100 })
This captures all queries slower than 100 milliseconds. Then you can review them:
db.system.profile.find().pretty()
You’ll typically see things like:
- Which collections are being hit hardest
- Whether indexes are missing or inefficient
- Long-running operations that may be locking resources
Just remember: profiling adds overhead, so don’t leave it on at level 2 (full logging) in production unless you know what you’re doing.
Optimize queries and indexing strategies
Once you’ve identified problematic queries, the next step is optimization. Here are some practical steps:
- Add indexes on frequently queried fields — but avoid over-indexing.
- Use compound indexes when querying on multiple fields together.
- Avoid using
$where
,$regex
, or large$in
clauses without proper support from indexes. - Consider projection — only return the fields you need.
- Think about data shape: sometimes denormalizing data helps avoid expensive joins or lookups.
Also, make sure your indexes are actually being used. Run .hint()
with different indexes to test or check the output of .explain()
again after changes.
Watch out for connection and hardware bottlenecks
Sometimes, slow queries aren’t really about the query itself. It could be:
- Too many open connections overwhelming the server
- Disk I/O saturation due to heavy writes or scans
- Insufficient RAM causing frequent page faults
Use tools like mongostat
or monitoring platforms (like MongoDB Atlas or Prometheus Grafana) to get a broader system view. Look at metrics such as:
- Page faults
- Queues (readers/writers)
- Connection count
- Index miss ratio
If everything looks fine on the query side but performance is still sluggish, dig into the infrastructure layer.
That’s basically it. Slow queries in MongoDB usually come down to poor indexing, inefficient query patterns, or system-level issues. Start with explain()
, use the profiler to catch hidden offenders, optimize carefully, and don’t ignore server health.
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