Update mapping API

The update mapping API requires an existing data stream or index. The following create index API request creates the publications index with no mapping.

PUT /publications

The following update mapping API request adds title, a new text field, to the publications index.

PUT /publications/_mapping
{
  "properties": {
    "title":  { "type": "text"}
  }
}

The update mapping API can be applied to multiple data streams or indices with a single request. For example, you can update mappings for the my-index-000001 and my-index-000002 indices at the same time:

# Create the two indices
PUT /my-index-000001
PUT /my-index-000002

# Update both mappings
PUT /my-index-000001,my-index-000002/_mapping
{
  "properties": {
    "user": {
      "properties": {
        "name": {
          "type": "keyword"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

You can use the update mapping API to add new properties to an existing object field. To see how this works, try the following example.

Use the create index API to create an index with the name object field and an inner first text field.

PUT /my-index-000001
{
  "mappings": {
    "properties": {
      "name": {
        "properties": {
          "first": {
            "type": "text"
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Use the update mapping API to add a new inner last text field to the name field.

PUT /my-index-000001/_mapping
{
  "properties": {
    "name": {
      "properties": {
        "last": {
          "type": "text"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Multi-fields let you index the same field in different ways. You can use the update mapping API to update the fields mapping parameter and enable multi-fields for an existing field.

To see how this works, try the following example.

Use the create index API to create an index with the city text field.

PUT /my-index-000001
{
  "mappings": {
    "properties": {
      "city": {
        "type": "text"
      }
    }
  }
}

While text fields work well for full-text search, keyword fields are not analyzed and may work better for sorting or aggregations.

Use the update mapping API to enable a multi-field for the city field. This request adds the city.raw keyword multi-field, which can be used for sorting.

PUT /my-index-000001/_mapping
{
  "properties": {
    "city": {
      "type": "text",
      "fields": {
        "raw": {
          "type": "keyword"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

The documentation for each mapping parameter indicates whether you can update it for an existing field using the update mapping API. For example, you can use the update mapping API to update the ignore_above parameter.

To see how this works, try the following example.

Use the create index API to create an index containing a user_id keyword field. The user_id field has an ignore_above parameter value of 20.

PUT /my-index-000001
{
  "mappings": {
    "properties": {
      "user_id": {
        "type": "keyword",
        "ignore_above": 20
      }
    }
  }
}

Use the update mapping API to change the ignore_above parameter value to 100.

PUT /my-index-000001/_mapping
{
  "properties": {
    "user_id": {
      "type": "keyword",
      "ignore_above": 100
    }
  }
}

Except for supported mapping parameters, you can’t change the mapping or field type of an existing field. Changing an existing field could invalidate data that’s already indexed.

If you need to change the mapping of a field in a data stream’s backing indices, see Change mappings and settings for a data stream.

If you need to change the mapping of a field in other indices, create a new index with the correct mapping and reindex your data into that index.

To see how you can change the mapping of an existing field in an index, try the following example.

Use the create index API to create an index with the user_id field with the long field type.

PUT /my-index-000001
{
  "mappings" : {
    "properties": {
      "user_id": {
        "type": "long"
      }
    }
  }
}

Use the index API to index several documents with user_id field values.

POST /my-index-000001/_doc?refresh=wait_for
{
  "user_id" : 12345
}

POST /my-index-000001/_doc?refresh=wait_for
{
  "user_id" : 12346
}

To change the user_id field to the keyword field type, use the create index API to create a new index with the correct mapping.

PUT /my-new-index-000001
{
  "mappings" : {
    "properties": {
      "user_id": {
        "type": "keyword"
      }
    }
  }
}

Use the reindex API to copy documents from the old index to the new one.

POST /_reindex
{
  "source": {
    "index": "my-index-000001"
  },
  "dest": {
    "index": "my-new-index-000001"
  }
}

Renaming a field would invalidate data already indexed under the old field name. Instead, add an alias field to create an alternate field name.

For example, use the create index API to create an index with the user_identifier field.

PUT /my-index-000001
{
  "mappings": {
    "properties": {
      "user_identifier": {
        "type": "keyword"
      }
    }
  }
}

Use the update mapping API to add the user_id field alias for the existing user_identifier field.

PUT /my-index-000001/_mapping
{
  "properties": {
    "user_id": {
      "type": "alias",
      "path": "user_identifier"
    }
  }
}