diff --git a/docarray/index/abstract.py b/docarray/index/abstract.py
index 434d9734c82..2f8fddf70a1 100644
--- a/docarray/index/abstract.py
+++ b/docarray/index/abstract.py
@@ -230,6 +230,16 @@ def execute_query(self, query: Any, *args, **kwargs) -> Any:
         """
         ...
 
+    @abstractmethod
+    def _doc_exists(self, doc_id: str) -> bool:
+        """
+        Checks if a given document exists in the index.
+
+        :param doc_id: The id of a document to check.
+        :return: True if the document exists in the index, False otherwise.
+        """
+        ...
+
     @abstractmethod
     def _find(
         self,
@@ -403,6 +413,21 @@ def __delitem__(self, key: Union[str, Sequence[str]]):
         # delete data
         self._del_items(key)
 
+    def __contains__(self, item: BaseDoc) -> bool:
+        """
+        Checks if a given document exists in the index.
+
+        :param item: The document to check.
+            It must be an instance of BaseDoc or its subclass.
+        :return: True if the document exists in the index, False otherwise.
+        """
+        if safe_issubclass(type(item), BaseDoc):
+            return self._doc_exists(str(item.id))
+        else:
+            raise TypeError(
+                f"item must be an instance of BaseDoc or its subclass, not '{type(item).__name__}'"
+            )
+
     def configure(self, runtime_config=None, **kwargs):
         """
         Configure the DocumentIndex.
@@ -1170,14 +1195,6 @@ def _get_root_doc_id(self, id: str, root: str, sub: str) -> str:
             )
             return self._get_root_doc_id(cur_root_id, root, '')
 
-    def __contains__(self, item: BaseDoc) -> bool:
-        """Checks if a given BaseDoc item is contained in the index.
-
-        :param item: the given BaseDoc
-        :return: if the given BaseDoc item is contained in the index
-        """
-        return False  # Will be overridden by backends
-
     def subindex_contains(self, item: BaseDoc) -> bool:
         """Checks if a given BaseDoc item is contained in the index or any of its subindices.
 
diff --git a/docarray/index/backends/elastic.py b/docarray/index/backends/elastic.py
index e201dca4ac0..7981ba3d4e8 100644
--- a/docarray/index/backends/elastic.py
+++ b/docarray/index/backends/elastic.py
@@ -669,16 +669,11 @@ def _format_response(self, response: Any) -> Tuple[List[Dict], List[Any]]:
     def _refresh(self, index_name: str):
         self._client.indices.refresh(index=index_name)
 
-    def __contains__(self, item: BaseDoc) -> bool:
-        if safe_issubclass(type(item), BaseDoc):
-            if len(item.id) == 0:
-                return False
-            ret = self._client_mget([item.id])
-            return ret["docs"][0]["found"]
-        else:
-            raise TypeError(
-                f"item must be an instance of BaseDoc or its subclass, not '{type(item).__name__}'"
-            )
+    def _doc_exists(self, doc_id: str) -> bool:
+        if len(doc_id) == 0:
+            return False
+        ret = self._client_mget([doc_id])
+        return ret["docs"][0]["found"]
 
     ###############################################
     # API Wrappers                                #
diff --git a/docarray/index/backends/hnswlib.py b/docarray/index/backends/hnswlib.py
index b13e143a6c6..00124c7fbd0 100644
--- a/docarray/index/backends/hnswlib.py
+++ b/docarray/index/backends/hnswlib.py
@@ -393,18 +393,11 @@ def _get_items(self, doc_ids: Sequence[str], out: bool = True) -> Sequence[TSche
             raise KeyError(f'No document with id {doc_ids} found')
         return out_docs
 
-    def __contains__(self, item: BaseDoc):
-        if safe_issubclass(type(item), BaseDoc):
-            hash_id = self._to_hashed_id(item.id)
-            self._sqlite_cursor.execute(
-                f"SELECT data FROM docs WHERE doc_id = '{hash_id}'"
-            )
-            rows = self._sqlite_cursor.fetchall()
-            return len(rows) > 0
-        else:
-            raise TypeError(
-                f"item must be an instance of BaseDoc or its subclass, not '{type(item).__name__}'"
-            )
+    def _doc_exists(self, doc_id: str) -> bool:
+        hash_id = self._to_hashed_id(doc_id)
+        self._sqlite_cursor.execute(f"SELECT data FROM docs WHERE doc_id = '{hash_id}'")
+        rows = self._sqlite_cursor.fetchall()
+        return len(rows) > 0
 
     def num_docs(self) -> int:
         """
diff --git a/docarray/index/backends/in_memory.py b/docarray/index/backends/in_memory.py
index 62ee3f0ffee..8a8132c2394 100644
--- a/docarray/index/backends/in_memory.py
+++ b/docarray/index/backends/in_memory.py
@@ -431,13 +431,8 @@ def _text_search_batched(
     ) -> _FindResultBatched:
         raise NotImplementedError(f'{type(self)} does not support text search.')
 
-    def __contains__(self, item: BaseDoc):
-        if safe_issubclass(type(item), BaseDoc):
-            return any(doc.id == item.id for doc in self._docs)
-        else:
-            raise TypeError(
-                f"item must be an instance of BaseDoc or its subclass, not '{type(item).__name__}'"
-            )
+    def _doc_exists(self, doc_id: str) -> bool:
+        return any(doc.id == doc_id for doc in self._docs)
 
     def persist(self, file: Optional[str] = None) -> None:
         """Persist InMemoryExactNNIndex into a binary file."""
diff --git a/docarray/index/backends/qdrant.py b/docarray/index/backends/qdrant.py
index 0ddf77a1e96..5288da19881 100644
--- a/docarray/index/backends/qdrant.py
+++ b/docarray/index/backends/qdrant.py
@@ -317,21 +317,16 @@ def num_docs(self) -> int:
         """
         return self._client.count(collection_name=self.collection_name).count
 
-    def __contains__(self, item: BaseDoc) -> bool:
-        if safe_issubclass(type(item), BaseDoc):
-            response, _ = self._client.scroll(
-                collection_name=self.index_name,
-                scroll_filter=rest.Filter(
-                    must=[
-                        rest.HasIdCondition(has_id=[self._to_qdrant_id(item.id)]),
-                    ],
-                ),
-            )
-            return len(response) > 0
-        else:
-            raise TypeError(
-                f"item must be an instance of BaseDoc or its subclass, not '{type(item).__name__}'"
-            )
+    def _doc_exists(self, doc_id: str) -> bool:
+        response, _ = self._client.scroll(
+            collection_name=self.index_name,
+            scroll_filter=rest.Filter(
+                must=[
+                    rest.HasIdCondition(has_id=[self._to_qdrant_id(doc_id)]),
+                ],
+            ),
+        )
+        return len(response) > 0
 
     def _del_items(self, doc_ids: Sequence[str]):
         items = self._get_items(doc_ids)
diff --git a/docarray/index/backends/redis.py b/docarray/index/backends/redis.py
index e82652d86e4..937c77efdaa 100644
--- a/docarray/index/backends/redis.py
+++ b/docarray/index/backends/redis.py
@@ -377,7 +377,7 @@ def _del_items(self, doc_ids: Sequence[str]) -> None:
             ):
                 self._client.delete(*batch)
 
-    def _doc_exists(self, doc_id) -> bool:
+    def _doc_exists(self, doc_id: str) -> bool:
         """
         Checks if a document exists in the index.
 
@@ -610,18 +610,3 @@ def _text_search_batched(
             scores.append(results.scores)
 
         return _FindResultBatched(documents=docs, scores=scores)
-
-    def __contains__(self, item: BaseDoc) -> bool:
-        """
-        Checks if a given document exists in the index.
-
-        :param item: The document to check.
-            It must be an instance of BaseDoc or its subclass.
-        :return: True if the document exists in the index, False otherwise.
-        """
-        if safe_issubclass(type(item), BaseDoc):
-            return self._doc_exists(item.id)
-        else:
-            raise TypeError(
-                f"item must be an instance of BaseDoc or its subclass, not '{type(item).__name__}'"
-            )
diff --git a/docarray/index/backends/weaviate.py b/docarray/index/backends/weaviate.py
index 20b1c649c3b..b001888dd98 100644
--- a/docarray/index/backends/weaviate.py
+++ b/docarray/index/backends/weaviate.py
@@ -760,25 +760,20 @@ def _filter_by_parent_id(self, id: str) -> Optional[List[str]]:
         ]
         return ids
 
-    def __contains__(self, item: BaseDoc) -> bool:
-        if safe_issubclass(type(item), BaseDoc):
-            result = (
-                self._client.query.get(self.index_name, ['docarrayid'])
-                .with_where(
-                    {
-                        "path": ['docarrayid'],
-                        "operator": "Equal",
-                        "valueString": f'{item.id}',
-                    }
-                )
-                .do()
-            )
-            docs = result["data"]["Get"][self.index_name]
-            return docs is not None and len(docs) > 0
-        else:
-            raise TypeError(
-                f"item must be an instance of BaseDoc or its subclass, not '{type(item).__name__}'"
+    def _doc_exists(self, doc_id: str) -> bool:
+        result = (
+            self._client.query.get(self.index_name, ['docarrayid'])
+            .with_where(
+                {
+                    "path": ['docarrayid'],
+                    "operator": "Equal",
+                    "valueString": f'{doc_id}',
+                }
             )
+            .do()
+        )
+        docs = result["data"]["Get"][self.index_name]
+        return docs is not None and len(docs) > 0
 
     class QueryBuilder(BaseDocIndex.QueryBuilder):
         def __init__(self, document_index):
diff --git a/tests/index/base_classes/test_base_doc_store.py b/tests/index/base_classes/test_base_doc_store.py
index 69b63c57e88..09f46ee4535 100644
--- a/tests/index/base_classes/test_base_doc_store.py
+++ b/tests/index/base_classes/test_base_doc_store.py
@@ -97,6 +97,9 @@ def python_type_to_db_type(self, x):
     def num_docs(self):
         return 3
 
+    def _doc_exists(self, doc_id: str) -> bool:
+        return False
+
     _index = _identity
     _del_items = _identity
     _get_items = _identity
diff --git a/tests/index/base_classes/test_configs.py b/tests/index/base_classes/test_configs.py
index 7b7efbea596..b2a5f0ecfd5 100644
--- a/tests/index/base_classes/test_configs.py
+++ b/tests/index/base_classes/test_configs.py
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ class DBConfig(BaseDocIndex.DBConfig):
 
 @dataclass
 class RuntimeConfig(BaseDocIndex.RuntimeConfig):
-
     default_ef: int = 50
 
 
@@ -61,6 +60,7 @@ def python_type_to_db_type(self, x):
     _filter_batched = _identity
     _text_search = _identity
     _text_search_batched = _identity
+    _doc_exists = _identity
 
 
 def test_defaults():