# Changing the \_type of all entries **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [October 29, 2017, 5:05pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/changing-the-type-of-all-entries/105669 "2017-10-29T17:05:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ChaosMTA](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/chaosmta/32/23372_2.png) [@ChaosMTA](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/ChaosMTA)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2017, 5:05pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/changing-the-type-of-all-entries/105669/1 "2017-10-29T17:05:55Z")
Hey guys, Would really appreciate if someone could tell me how I can change all of my \_type entries in a index to be the same. Right now some are 'log' and some are 'doc' when really they should all be doc. I hear that reindexing would work however I want to keep the index name, furthermore doesn't reindexing cause issues with mapping? Since I want the mapping to remain the same. The only reason this is needed, is because Elastic's python API seems to limit search queries based on the \_type which is causing major headache. I'd like to keep all \_type's the same otherwise not all the entries get returned. More info here: [https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch-dsl-py/issues/761#issuecomment-340278067](https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch-dsl-py/issues/761#issuecomment-340278067) Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![warkolm](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/warkolm/32/39224_2.png) [@warkolm](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/warkolm)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2017, 7:56pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/changing-the-type-of-all-entries/105669/2 "2017-10-29T19:56:59Z")
You need to reindex. If you do that into the same index it will not change the mapping, because it will use the existing template. You will have to run a delete by query after you are done, to remove the documents with the old type. ---
**Author:** ![ChaosMTA](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/chaosmta/32/23372_2.png) [@ChaosMTA](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/ChaosMTA)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2017, 8:46pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/changing-the-type-of-all-entries/105669/3 "2017-10-29T20:46:12Z")
To do so I am trying to reindex like so. I have setup the mapping for the new index. However I keep getting the error `{ "error" : { "root_cause" : [{ "type" : "null_pointer_exception", "reason" : "Can't reindex without a destination type!" }], "type" : "null_pointer_exception", "reason" : "Can't reindex without a destination type!" }, "status" : 500 }` This is my query: ```auto curl -XPOST -d '{ "source": { "index": "logs", "type": ["log", "doc"] }, "dest": { "index": "new_logs", "type": "doc" }, "script": { "source": "ctx._type = 'doc';" } }' 'localhost:9200/_reindex?pretty' ``` This should take `log` and `doc` types and add them to the new index all under the `doc` type. However I can't see to solve the error I keep getting about how the destination needs a type. I thought I specified that properly? ---
**Author:** ![warkolm](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/warkolm/32/39224_2.png) [@warkolm](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/warkolm)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2017, 8:49pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/changing-the-type-of-all-entries/105669/4 "2017-10-29T20:49:45Z")
Why not just reindex the current `log` types to be `doc` and in the existing index? They won't conflict and you reduce your reindex load by half (of the types). ---
**Author:** ![ChaosMTA](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/chaosmta/32/23372_2.png) [@ChaosMTA](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/ChaosMTA)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2017, 8:53pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/changing-the-type-of-all-entries/105669/5 "2017-10-29T20:53:15Z")
I'm confused I thought you just said that wasn't possible to reindex in an existing index? How could I change all the log types to doc then? And thanks for taking the time to help me out Mark, I appreciate it ---
**Author:** ![warkolm](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/warkolm/32/39224_2.png) [@warkolm](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/warkolm)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2017, 9:04pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/changing-the-type-of-all-entries/105669/6 "2017-10-29T21:04:30Z")
> [@ChaosMTA](#): > > I'm confused I thought you just said that wasn't possible to reindex in an existing index? Nope? > [@ChaosMTA](#): > > How could I change all the log types to doc then? Something like what you have, eg; ```auto curl -XPOST -d '{ "source": { "index": "logs", "type": "log" }, "dest": { "index": "logs", "type": "doc" }, "script": { "source": "ctx._type = 'doc';" } }' 'localhost:9200/_reindex?pretty' ``` ---
**Author:** ![ChaosMTA](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/chaosmta/32/23372_2.png) [@ChaosMTA](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/ChaosMTA)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2017, 9:07pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/changing-the-type-of-all-entries/105669/7 "2017-10-29T21:07:30Z")
Haha this is why I was getting confused about your replies, because `_reindex` does not allow source and dest to be the same. ```auto { "error" : { "root_cause" : [ { "type" : "action_request_validation_exception", "reason" : "Validation Failed: 1: reindex cannot write into an index its reading from [logs];" } ], "type" : "action_request_validation_exception", "reason" : "Validation Failed: 1: reindex cannot write into an index its reading from [logs];" }, "status" : 400 } ``` ---
**Author:** ![warkolm](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/warkolm/32/39224_2.png) [@warkolm](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/warkolm)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2017, 9:09pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/changing-the-type-of-all-entries/105669/8 "2017-10-29T21:09:19Z")
Oh, my mistake then ☹ ---
**Author:** ![ChaosMTA](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/chaosmta/32/23372_2.png) [@ChaosMTA](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/ChaosMTA)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2017, 9:10pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/changing-the-type-of-all-entries/105669/9 "2017-10-29T21:10:28Z")
Solved thanks 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![warkolm](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/warkolm/32/39224_2.png) [@warkolm](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/warkolm)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2017, 11:32pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/changing-the-type-of-all-entries/105669/10 "2017-10-29T23:32:08Z")
How'd you end up solving it? It might be useful for others in future 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ChaosMTA](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/chaosmta/32/23372_2.png) [@ChaosMTA](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/ChaosMTA)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2017, 11:44pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/changing-the-type-of-all-entries/105669/11 "2017-10-29T23:44:35Z")
Removing the script completely, specifying the type to import to fixed the issue in the new index! It combined the `log` and `doc` types from the `logs` index into `new_logs`. ```auto curl -XPOST -d '{ "source": { "index": "logs", }, "dest": { "index": "new_logs", "type": "doc" } }' 'localhost:9200/_reindex?pretty' ``` ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 11:44pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/changing-the-type-of-all-entries/105669/12 "2017-11-26T23:44:40Z")
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