diff --git a/arches/management/commands/updateproject.py b/arches/management/commands/updateproject.py
index c5d342e1d9d..1b0a3055039 100644
--- a/arches/management/commands/updateproject.py
+++ b/arches/management/commands/updateproject.py
@@ -302,6 +302,46 @@ def update_to_v7_6(self):
                 os.path.join(settings.APP_ROOT, "apps.py"),
             )
 
+        if os.path.isfile(
+            os.path.join(settings.APP_ROOT, "search_indexes", "sample_index.py")
+        ):
+            self.stderr.write(
+                "Existing sample_index.py detected. Skipping creation of sample_index.py",
+            )
+        else:
+            self.stdout.write(
+                f"Creating /{settings.APP_NAME}/search_indexes/sample_index.py"
+            )
+            src_path = os.path.join(settings.APP_ROOT, "search_indexes")
+            if not os.path.isdir(src_path):
+                os.mkdir(src_path)
+
+            shutil.copy2(
+                os.path.join(
+                    settings.ROOT_DIR,
+                    "install",
+                    "arches-templates",
+                    "project_name",
+                    "search_indexes",
+                    "sample_index.py",
+                ),
+                src_path,
+            )
+            self.stdout.write(
+                f"Creating /{settings.APP_NAME}/search_indexes/__init__.py"
+            )
+            shutil.copy2(
+                os.path.join(
+                    settings.ROOT_DIR,
+                    "install",
+                    "arches-templates",
+                    "project_name",
+                    "search_indexes",
+                    "__init__.py",
+                ),
+                src_path,
+            )
+
         if os.path.isfile(
             os.path.join(
                 settings.APP_ROOT, "src", settings.APP_NAME, "declarations.d.ts"