diff --git a/services/search/pkg/bleve/index.go b/services/search/pkg/bleve/index.go
index f541b1941a..50726b97be 100644
--- a/services/search/pkg/bleve/index.go
+++ b/services/search/pkg/bleve/index.go
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ func NewIndex(root string) (bleve.Index, searchmapping.Classification, error) {
 	switch classification.Verdict {
 	case searchmapping.VerdictBreaking:
 		_ = index.Close()
-		return nil, classification, searchmapping.ManualActionRequiredError(destination, "delete the index directory "+destination, classification.Reasons)
+		return nil, classification, searchmapping.ManualActionRequiredError(destination, classification.Reasons)
 	case searchmapping.VerdictAdditive:
 		// Safe: everything else is identical and the new fields hold no data.
 		// Reopen so the live mapping picks the change up; otherwise the fields
diff --git a/services/search/pkg/mapping/classify.go b/services/search/pkg/mapping/classify.go
index 696980e0fc..2e0e7e100a 100644
--- a/services/search/pkg/mapping/classify.go
+++ b/services/search/pkg/mapping/classify.go
@@ -13,20 +13,16 @@ import (
 // ErrManualActionRequired marks schema changes that cannot be applied in place.
 var ErrManualActionRequired = errors.New("manual action required")
 
-// ManualActionRequiredError builds the operator-facing error for a breaking
-// schema change. index names the index, deleteStep is the engine-specific
-// instruction to remove it.
-func ManualActionRequiredError(index, deleteStep string, reasons []string) error {
+// ManualActionRequiredError reports a breaking schema change. Because the index
+// is versioned by search.SchemaVersion, a released instance never hits this: a
+// version bump builds a fresh index. It fires in development when the mapping is
+// changed in a breaking way without bumping search.SchemaVersion, so the fix is
+// to bump it (or revert the change).
+func ManualActionRequiredError(index string, reasons []string) error {
 	return fmt.Errorf(
-		"%w: search index %s was built with a different schema:\n  - %s\n"+
-			"There is no in-place migration: with the OpenCloud search service stopped, %s, "+
-			"then start it again (an empty index with the new schema is created), "+
-			"then rebuild the content by running: opencloud search index --all-spaces. "+
-			"To bring the instance up without search until a maintenance window, "+
-			"set OC_EXCLUDE_RUN_SERVICES=search; until the service is back, search "+
-			"and features built on it (e.g. the search bar and the tag list) are "+
-			"unavailable",
-		ErrManualActionRequired, index, strings.Join(reasons, "\n  - "), deleteStep,
+		"%w: the search mapping in code differs from index %s in a breaking way:\n  - %s\n"+
+			"bump search.SchemaVersion to build a fresh index, or revert the mapping change",
+		ErrManualActionRequired, index, strings.Join(reasons, "\n  - "),
 	)
 }
 
diff --git a/services/search/pkg/opensearch/index.go b/services/search/pkg/opensearch/index.go
index a457bc446a..3ead1bed48 100644
--- a/services/search/pkg/opensearch/index.go
+++ b/services/search/pkg/opensearch/index.go
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ func (m IndexManager) Apply(ctx context.Context, name string, client *opensearch
 	)
 	reasons = append(reasons, classification.Reasons...)
 	if len(reasons) > 0 {
-		return searchmapping.ManualActionRequiredError(name, fmt.Sprintf("delete the index (DELETE /%s)", name), reasons)
+		return searchmapping.ManualActionRequiredError(name, reasons)
 	}
 	if len(classification.NewFields) == 0 {
 		return nil // schema is up to date
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ func (m IndexManager) Apply(ctx context.Context, name string, client *opensearch
 	case err != nil && errors.As(err, &putErr) && putErr.Err.Type == "illegal_argument_exception" &&
 		(strings.Contains(putErr.Err.Reason, "cannot be changed") || strings.Contains(putErr.Err.Reason, "Cannot update parameter")):
 		// backstop, should be unreachable after the classification above
-		return searchmapping.ManualActionRequiredError(name, fmt.Sprintf("delete the index (DELETE /%s)", name), []string{putErr.Err.Reason})
+		return searchmapping.ManualActionRequiredError(name, []string{putErr.Err.Reason})
 	case err != nil:
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to update mapping of index %s: %w", name, err)
 	case !putResp.Acknowledged: