---
title: Use a data stream
description: After you set up a data stream, you can do the following: Add documents to a data stream, Search a data stream, Get statistics for a data stream, Manually...
url: https://www.elastic.co/docs/manage-data/data-store/data-streams/use-data-stream
products:
  - Elasticsearch
applies_to:
  - Elastic Cloud Serverless: Generally available
  - Elastic Stack: Generally available
---

# Use a data stream
After you [set up a data stream](https://www.elastic.co/docs/manage-data/data-store/data-streams/set-up-data-stream), you can do the following:
- [Add documents to a data stream](#add-documents-to-a-data-stream)
- [Search a data stream](#search-a-data-stream)
- [Get statistics for a data stream](#get-stats-for-a-data-stream)
- [Manually roll over a data stream](#manually-roll-over-a-data-stream)
- [Open closed backing indices](#open-closed-backing-indices)
- [Reindex with a data stream](#reindex-with-a-data-stream)
- [Update documents in a data stream by query](#update-docs-in-a-data-stream-by-query)
- [Delete documents in a data stream by query](#delete-docs-in-a-data-stream-by-query)
- [Update or delete documents in a backing index](#update-delete-docs-in-a-backing-index)


## Add documents to a data stream

To add an individual document, use the [index API](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-create). [Ingest pipelines](https://www.elastic.co/docs/manage-data/ingest/transform-enrich/ingest-pipelines) are supported.
```json

{
  "@timestamp": "2099-03-08T11:06:07.000Z",
  "user": {
    "id": "8a4f500d"
  },
  "message": "Login successful"
}
```

You cannot add new documents to a data stream using the index API’s `PUT /<target>/_doc/<_id>` request format. To specify a document ID, use the `PUT /<target>/_create/<_id>` format instead. Only an [`op_type`](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-create#docs-index-api-op_type) of `create` is supported.
To add multiple documents with a single request, use the [bulk API](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-bulk). Only `create` actions are supported.
```json

{"create":{ }}
{ "@timestamp": "2099-03-08T11:04:05.000Z", "user": { "id": "vlb44hny" }, "message": "Login attempt failed" }
{"create":{ }}
{ "@timestamp": "2099-03-08T11:06:07.000Z", "user": { "id": "8a4f500d" }, "message": "Login successful" }
{"create":{ }}
{ "@timestamp": "2099-03-09T11:07:08.000Z", "user": { "id": "l7gk7f82" }, "message": "Logout successful" }
```


## Search a data stream

The following search APIs support data streams:
- [Search](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-search)
- [Async search](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-async-search-submit)
- [Multi search](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-msearch)
- [Field capabilities](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-field-caps)
- [EQL search](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-eql-search)


## Get statistics for a data stream

Use the [data stream stats API](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-indices-data-streams-stats-1) to get statistics for one or more data streams:
```json
```


## Manually roll over a data stream

Use the [rollover API](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-indices-rollover) to manually [roll over](/docs/manage-data/data-store/data-streams#data-streams-rollover) a data stream. You have two options when manually rolling over:
1. To immediately trigger a rollover:
   ```json
   ```
2. Or to postpone the rollover until the next indexing event occurs:
   ```json
   ```
   Use the second to avoid having empty backing indices in data streams that do not get updated often.


## Open closed backing indices

You cannot search a [closed](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-indices-close) backing index, even by searching its data stream. You also cannot [update](#update-docs-in-a-data-stream-by-query) or [delete](#delete-docs-in-a-data-stream-by-query) documents in a closed index.
To re-open a closed backing index, submit an [open index API request](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-indices-open) directly to the index:
```json
```

To re-open all closed backing indices for a data stream, submit an open index API request to the stream:
```json
```


## Reindex with a data stream

Use the [reindex API](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-reindex) to copy documents from an existing index, alias, or data stream to a data stream. Because data streams are [append-only](/docs/manage-data/data-store/data-streams#data-streams-append-only), a reindex into a data stream must use an `op_type` of `create`. A reindex cannot update existing documents in a data stream.
```json

{
  "source": {
    "index": "archive"
  },
  "dest": {
    "index": "my-data-stream",
    "op_type": "create"
  }
}
```


## Update documents in a data stream by query

Use the [update by query API](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-update-by-query) to update documents in a data stream that match a provided query:
```json

{
  "query": {
    "match": {
      "user.id": "l7gk7f82"
    }
  },
  "script": {
    "source": "ctx._source.user.id = params.new_id",
    "params": {
      "new_id": "XgdX0NoX"
    }
  }
}
```


## Delete documents in a data stream by query

Use the [delete by query API](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-delete-by-query) to delete documents in a data stream that match a provided query:
```json

{
  "query": {
    "match": {
      "user.id": "vlb44hny"
    }
  }
}
```


## Update or delete documents in a backing index

If needed, you can update or delete documents in a data stream by sending requests to the backing index containing the document. You’ll need:
- The [document ID](https://www.elastic.co/docs/reference/elasticsearch/mapping-reference/mapping-id-field)
- The name of the backing index containing the document
- If updating the document, its [sequence number and primary term](https://www.elastic.co/docs/reference/elasticsearch/rest-apis/optimistic-concurrency-control)

To get this information, use a [search request](#search-a-data-stream):
```json

{
  "seq_no_primary_term": true,
  "query": {
    "match": {
      "user.id": "yWIumJd7"
    }
  }
}
```

Response:
```json
{
  "took": 20,
  "timed_out": false,
  "_shards": {
    "total": 3,
    "successful": 3,
    "skipped": 0,
    "failed": 0
  },
  "hits": {
    "total": {
      "value": 1,
      "relation": "eq"
    },
    "max_score": 0.2876821,
    "hits": [
      {
        "_index": ".ds-my-data-stream-2099.03.08-000003",      
        "_id": "bfspvnIBr7VVZlfp2lqX",              
        "_seq_no": 0,                               
        "_primary_term": 1,                         
        "_score": 0.2876821,
        "_source": {
          "@timestamp": "2099-03-08T11:06:07.000Z",
          "user": {
            "id": "yWIumJd7"
          },
          "message": "Login successful"
        }
      }
    ]
  }
}
```

To update the document, use an [index API](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-create) request with valid `if_seq_no` and `if_primary_term` arguments:
```json

{
  "@timestamp": "2099-03-08T11:06:07.000Z",
  "user": {
    "id": "8a4f500d"
  },
  "message": "Login successful"
}
```

To delete the document, use the [delete API](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-delete):
```json
```

To delete or update multiple documents with a single request, use the [bulk API](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-bulk)'s `delete`, `index`, and `update` actions. For `index` actions, include valid [`if_seq_no` and `if_primary_term`](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-bulk#bulk-optimistic-concurrency-control) arguments.
```json

{ "index": { "_index": ".ds-my-data-stream-2099.03.08-000003", "_id": "bfspvnIBr7VVZlfp2lqX", "if_seq_no": 0, "if_primary_term": 1 } }
{ "@timestamp": "2099-03-08T11:06:07.000Z", "user": { "id": "8a4f500d" }, "message": "Login successful" }
```