# Beginner Elasticsearch question: AND vs +

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/beginner-elasticsearch-question-and-vs/357345>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Created:** [April 13, 2024, 2:09pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/beginner-elasticsearch-question-and-vs/357345 "2024-04-13T14:09:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![chris312o](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@chris312o](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/chris312o)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2024, 2:09pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/beginner-elasticsearch-question-and-vs/357345/1 "2024-04-13T14:09:26Z")

</div>

I have a beginner's question about search syntax:

are the following searches identical? or if not what is the difference?

- United AND Kingdom
- United +Kingdom

Thank you

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dadoonet](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/dadoonet/32/137187_2.png) [@dadoonet](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dadoonet)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2024, 4:28pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/beginner-elasticsearch-question-and-vs/357345/2 "2024-04-13T16:28:48Z")

</div>

I think you meant

```
+United +Kingdom

```

Both then are equivalent.

Otherwise United is optional with

```
United +Kingdom

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![chris312o](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@chris312o](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/chris312o)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2024, 6:44pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/beginner-elasticsearch-question-and-vs/357345/3 "2024-04-13T18:44:07Z")

</div>

Thank you very much, and sorry for the basic question. Based on your answer, may I confirm that the text **somewhere in the Kingdom** WOULD MATCH the search text **United +Kingdom** (because, as you point out, "United" is optional) ?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dadoonet](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/dadoonet/32/137187_2.png) [@dadoonet](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dadoonet)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2024, 8:53pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/beginner-elasticsearch-question-and-vs/357345/4 "2024-04-13T20:53:30Z")

</div>

Yes. That's correct.

But note that in general, you should prefer not using such a syntax as the end user should not care about the syntax... But this depends on the use case.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 8:53pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/beginner-elasticsearch-question-and-vs/357345/5 "2024-05-11T20:53:32Z")

</div>

Closed on May 11, 2024, 8:53pm UTC

This topic was automatically closed 28 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.