diff --git a/docs/cli.rst b/docs/cli.rst
index 305051a..9440699 100644
--- a/docs/cli.rst
+++ b/docs/cli.rst
@@ -154,6 +154,21 @@ After running the above ``dogs.json`` example, try running this::
 
 This will replace the record for id=2 (Pancakes) with a new record with an updated age.
 
+Configuring full-text search
+============================
+
+You can enable SQLite full-text search on a table and a set of columns like this::
+
+    $ sqlite-utils enable-fts mydb.db documents title summary
+
+This will use SQLite's FTS5 module by default. Use ``--fts4`` if you want to use FTS4::
+
+    $ sqlite-utils enable-fts mydb.db documents title summary --fts4
+
+The ``enable-fts`` command will populate the new index with all existing documents. If you later add more documents you will need to use ``populate-fts`` to cause them to be indexed as well::
+
+    $ sqlite-utils populatesfts mydb.db documents title summary
+
 Vacuum
 ======
 
diff --git a/sqlite_utils/cli.py b/sqlite_utils/cli.py
index 3e42480..97dac60 100644
--- a/sqlite_utils/cli.py
+++ b/sqlite_utils/cli.py
@@ -62,6 +62,45 @@ def optimize(path, no_vacuum):
         db.vacuum()
 
 
+@cli.command(name="enable-fts")
+@click.argument(
+    "path",
+    type=click.Path(exists=True, file_okay=True, dir_okay=False, allow_dash=False),
+    required=True,
+)
+@click.argument("table")
+@click.argument("column", nargs=-1, required=True)
+@click.option(
+    "--fts4", help="Just show FTS4 enabled tables", default=False, is_flag=True
+)
+@click.option(
+    "--fts5", help="Just show FTS5 enabled tables", default=False, is_flag=True
+)
+def enable_fts(path, table, column, fts4, fts5):
+    fts_version = "FTS5"
+    if fts4 and fts5:
+        click.echo("Can only use one of --fts4 or --fts5", err=True)
+        return
+    elif fts4:
+        fts_version = "FTS4"
+
+    db = sqlite_utils.Database(path)
+    db[table].enable_fts(column, fts_version=fts_version)
+
+
+@cli.command(name="populate-fts")
+@click.argument(
+    "path",
+    type=click.Path(exists=True, file_okay=True, dir_okay=False, allow_dash=False),
+    required=True,
+)
+@click.argument("table")
+@click.argument("column", nargs=-1, required=True)
+def populate_fts(path, table, column):
+    db = sqlite_utils.Database(path)
+    db[table].populate_fts(column)
+
+
 def insert_upsert_options(fn):
     for decorator in reversed(
         (
diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
index 3b66871..76e1d9b 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -37,6 +37,41 @@ def test_tables_fts5(db_path):
     assert "Gosh_fts" == result.output.strip()
 
 
+def test_enable_fts(db_path):
+    assert None == Database(db_path)["Gosh"].detect_fts()
+    result = CliRunner().invoke(
+        cli.cli, ["enable-fts", db_path, "Gosh", "c1", "--fts4"]
+    )
+    assert 0 == result.exit_code
+    assert "Gosh_fts" == Database(db_path)["Gosh"].detect_fts()
+
+
+def test_populate_fts(db_path):
+    Database(db_path)["Gosh"].insert_all([{"c1": "baz"}])
+    exit_code = (
+        CliRunner()
+        .invoke(cli.cli, ["enable-fts", db_path, "Gosh", "c1", "--fts4"])
+        .exit_code
+    )
+    assert 0 == exit_code
+
+    def search(q):
+        return (
+            Database(db_path)
+            .conn.execute("select c1 from Gosh_fts where c1 match ?", [q])
+            .fetchall()
+        )
+
+    assert [("baz",)] == search("baz")
+    Database(db_path)["Gosh"].insert_all([{"c1": "martha"}])
+    assert [] == search("martha")
+    exit_code = (
+        CliRunner().invoke(cli.cli, ["populate-fts", db_path, "Gosh", "c1"]).exit_code
+    )
+    assert 0 == exit_code
+    assert [("martha",)] == search("martha")
+
+
 def test_vacuum(db_path):
     result = CliRunner().invoke(cli.cli, ["vacuum", db_path])
     assert 0 == result.exit_code