diff --git a/openedx/core/djangoapps/content/search/documents.py b/openedx/core/djangoapps/content/search/documents.py
index 0dd02683ceea..f18ae660328a 100644
--- a/openedx/core/djangoapps/content/search/documents.py
+++ b/openedx/core/djangoapps/content/search/documents.py
@@ -76,6 +76,12 @@ class Fields:
     # Structural XBlocks may use this one day to indicate how many child blocks they ocntain.
     num_children = "num_children"
 
+    # Publish status can be on of:
+    #   "published",
+    #   "modified" (for blocks that were published but have been modified since),
+    #   "never" (for never-published blocks).
+    publish_status = "publish_status"
+
     # Published data (dictionary) of this object
     published = "published"
     published_display_name = "display_name"
@@ -96,6 +102,15 @@ class DocType:
     collection = "collection"
 
 
+class PublishStatus:
+    """
+    Values for the 'publish_status' field on each doc in the search index
+    """
+    never = "never"
+    published = "published"
+    modified = "modified"
+
+
 def meili_id_from_opaque_key(usage_key: UsageKey) -> str:
     """
     Meilisearch requires each document to have a primary key that's either an
@@ -376,11 +391,15 @@ def searchable_doc_for_library_block(xblock_metadata: lib_api.LibraryXBlockMetad
     library_name = lib_api.get_library(xblock_metadata.usage_key.context_key).title
     block = xblock_api.load_block(xblock_metadata.usage_key, user=None)
 
+    publish_status = PublishStatus.published
     try:
         block_published = xblock_api.load_block(xblock_metadata.usage_key, user=None, version=LatestVersion.PUBLISHED)
+        if xblock_metadata.last_published and xblock_metadata.last_published < xblock_metadata.modified:
+            publish_status = PublishStatus.modified
     except NotFound:
         # Never published
         block_published = None
+        publish_status = PublishStatus.never
 
     doc = searchable_doc_for_usage_key(xblock_metadata.usage_key)
     doc.update({
@@ -389,6 +408,7 @@ def searchable_doc_for_library_block(xblock_metadata: lib_api.LibraryXBlockMetad
         Fields.created: xblock_metadata.created.timestamp(),
         Fields.modified: xblock_metadata.modified.timestamp(),
         Fields.last_published: xblock_metadata.last_published.timestamp() if xblock_metadata.last_published else None,
+        Fields.publish_status: publish_status,
     })
 
     doc.update(_fields_from_block(block))
diff --git a/openedx/core/djangoapps/content/search/index_config.py b/openedx/core/djangoapps/content/search/index_config.py
index 9570956e425e..f0a6eb9ca30a 100644
--- a/openedx/core/djangoapps/content/search/index_config.py
+++ b/openedx/core/djangoapps/content/search/index_config.py
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
     Fields.access_id,
     Fields.last_published,
     Fields.content + "." + Fields.problem_types,
+    Fields.publish_status,
 ]
 
 # Mark which attributes are used for keyword search, in order of importance:
diff --git a/openedx/core/djangoapps/content/search/tests/test_api.py b/openedx/core/djangoapps/content/search/tests/test_api.py
index c9c2b2589a31..8063307d61e9 100644
--- a/openedx/core/djangoapps/content/search/tests/test_api.py
+++ b/openedx/core/djangoapps/content/search/tests/test_api.py
@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@ def setUp(self):
             "last_published": None,
             "created": created_date.timestamp(),
             "modified": modified_date.timestamp(),
+            "publish_status": "never",
         }
         self.doc_problem2 = {
             "id": "lborg1libproblemp2-b2f65e29",
@@ -164,6 +165,7 @@ def setUp(self):
             "last_published": None,
             "created": created_date.timestamp(),
             "modified": created_date.timestamp(),
+            "publish_status": "never",
         }
 
         # Create a couple of taxonomies with tags
diff --git a/openedx/core/djangoapps/content/search/tests/test_documents.py b/openedx/core/djangoapps/content/search/tests/test_documents.py
index 603cc8d92f5e..b8067a106db1 100644
--- a/openedx/core/djangoapps/content/search/tests/test_documents.py
+++ b/openedx/core/djangoapps/content/search/tests/test_documents.py
@@ -298,6 +298,7 @@ def test_html_library_block(self):
                 "taxonomy": ["Difficulty"],
                 "level0": ["Difficulty > Normal"],
             },
+            "publish_status": "never",
         }
 
     def test_html_published_library_block(self):
@@ -337,6 +338,7 @@ def test_html_published_library_block(self):
                 "level0": ["Difficulty > Normal"],
             },
             'published': {'display_name': 'Text'},
+            "publish_status": "published",
         }
 
         # Update library block to create a draft
@@ -378,6 +380,7 @@ def test_html_published_library_block(self):
                 "level0": ["Difficulty > Normal"],
             },
             "published": {"display_name": "Text"},
+            "publish_status": "published",
         }
 
         # Publish new changes
@@ -420,6 +423,7 @@ def test_html_published_library_block(self):
                 "display_name": "Text 2",
                 "description": "This is a Test",
             },
+            "publish_status": "published",
         }
 
     def test_collection_with_library(self):
diff --git a/openedx/core/djangoapps/content/search/tests/test_handlers.py b/openedx/core/djangoapps/content/search/tests/test_handlers.py
index 3577cbfc5692..b3bd272497c1 100644
--- a/openedx/core/djangoapps/content/search/tests/test_handlers.py
+++ b/openedx/core/djangoapps/content/search/tests/test_handlers.py
@@ -153,6 +153,7 @@ def test_create_delete_library_block(self, meilisearch_client):
             "last_published": None,
             "created": created_date.timestamp(),
             "modified": created_date.timestamp(),
+            "publish_status": "never",
         }
 
         meilisearch_client.return_value.index.return_value.update_documents.assert_called_with([doc_problem])
@@ -177,6 +178,7 @@ def test_create_delete_library_block(self, meilisearch_client):
             library_api.publish_changes(library.key)
         doc_problem["last_published"] = published_date.timestamp()
         doc_problem["published"] = {"display_name": "Blank Problem"}
+        doc_problem["publish_status"] = "published"
         meilisearch_client.return_value.index.return_value.update_documents.assert_called_with([doc_problem])
 
         # Delete the Library Block