In Sitecore Search, every attribute in your index schema includes a small but powerful option: Return in API Response.

When enabled, the attribute’s value is included in the Search API response for every document—regardless of whether the request comes through the API directly or via the React SDK.
To keep your responses lean and efficient, only enable this option for fields that your UI truly needs. Unnecessary attributes increase payload size, slow down responses, and add overhead to your front end.

You can easily review and fine-tune these settings under Feature Configuration → API Response, where all attributes marked “Return in API Response” are listed. Disable any unnecessary attributes to improve performance and reduce payload size.
