# Cannot add \_timestamp post indexing

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/cannot-add--timestamp-post-indexing/76>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Created:** [April 30, 2015, 11:46pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/cannot-add--timestamp-post-indexing/76 "2015-04-30T23:46:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![shaunak](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/shaunak/32/6643_2.png) [@shaunak](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/shaunak)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2015, 11:46pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/cannot-add--timestamp-post-indexing/76/1 "2015-04-30T23:46:06Z")

</div>

#### PROBLEM

I have documents already indexed in Elasticsearch. I recently discovered that I forgot to enable the \_timestamp metadata field. I tried using the mapping API to update the existing mapping for my type but the store:true change does not get applied.

```auto
{ 
  "_timestamp" : { 
  "enabled" : "true", 
  "store" : "true" 
} 

```

#### CAUSE

The behavior observed is expected as currently designed. The store parameter on an existing field cannot be updated once the data has been indexed. This applies to the `_timestamp` field as well.

#### SOLUTION

Re-index and set `"enabled": "true"` and `"store": "true"` for the `_timestamp` metadata field prior to indexing data.

---

<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:** [July 6, 2017, 12:16am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/cannot-add--timestamp-post-indexing/76/2 "2017-07-06T00:16:23Z")

</div>

Closed on July 6, 2017, 12:16am UTC