# Change type of mapping field without reindex?

**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/change-type-of-mapping-field-without-reindex/360299
**Category:** Elasticsearch
**Tags:** painless, reindex
**Created:** [May 27, 2024, 1:36pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/change-type-of-mapping-field-without-reindex/360299 "2024-05-27T13:36:18Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 2

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### Author: ![Sajad\_Soltanian](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/sajad_soltanian/32/122022_2.png) [@Sajad\_Soltanian](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Sajad_Soltanian)
#### Post date: [May 27, 2024, 11:02pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/change-type-of-mapping-field-without-reindex/360299/2 "2024-05-27T23:02:26Z")

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No, you cannot update mapping for the existing fields without re-indexing.

though, **why don't you use the current date.date sub-field** instead?

also you might think of adding a new field like `date_new` for example. however, this will also only works for newly indexed documents, not the previously indexed ones.

you might find much similar questions as yours, here and on the Stackoverflow (e.g. [below one](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/updating-a-mapping-in-existing-indicese/294918/7))

> [@Updating a mapping in existing indicese](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/updating-a-mapping-in-existing-indicese/294918/7):
>
> it is impossible to change existing fields mappings or delete existing fields.

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