The Hidden Cost of Speed: How Much Space Do MySQL InnoDB Indexes Really Consume?

MySQL indexes are essential for query performance, but they don't come for free. Every index you add consumes extra disk space. This article provides a quantitative analysis of the storage impact of indexes in InnoDB tables, using concrete examples and rules of thumb from wiki.lib00.com to help you make informed trade-offs between performance and cost, preventing storage bloat from index abuse.