# Combining multi\_match with boosting **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [June 22, 2015, 7:33am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/combining-multi-match-with-boosting/24058 "2015-06-22T07:33:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![madmuffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@madmuffin](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/madmuffin)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 7:33am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/combining-multi-match-with-boosting/24058/1 "2015-06-22T07:33:14Z")
Hi, I'm new to elasticsearch and still trying to figure out the query dsl. What a lot a features! I need to look for two strings in two fields, I found this to be working pretty well: ``` {"multi_match":{"query":"keyword1 keyword2","type":"best_fields","fields":["field1", "field2"],"tie_breaker":1}} ``` now, what I cannot figure out is how to rank matches higher, if field2 is missing. I found this option, which is supposedly what I am looking for. ``` {"boosting":{"negative":{"constant_score":{"filter":{"missing":{"field":"field2"}}}},"negative_boost":3}} ``` Unfortunately, when I combine the two, all I get is `ElasticsearchParseException[Expected field name but got START_OBJECT "0"]`. Any hints? Cheers. ---
**Author:** ![colings86](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/colings86/32/44960_2.png) [@colings86](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/colings86)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 8:10am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/combining-multi-match-with-boosting/24058/2 "2015-06-22T08:10:56Z")
> [@madmuffin](#): > > Unfortunately, when I combine the two, all I get is ElasticsearchParseException[Expected field name but got START\_OBJECT "0"]. Could you show us the full query you are sending to Elasticsearch? It's hard to comment on why you get the error without knowing the complete query you are running. ---
**Author:** ![madmuffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@madmuffin](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/madmuffin)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 8:57am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/combining-multi-match-with-boosting/24058/3 "2015-06-22T08:57:58Z")
Sure. My full query object is: ``` { "query": { "multi_match": { "query": "keyword1 keyword2", "type": "best_fields", "fields": [ "field1^3", "field2" ], "tie_breaker": 1 }, "boosting": { "negative": { "constant_score": { "filter": { "missing": { "field": "field1" } } } }, "negative_boost": 0.2 } } } ``` by the way, there was a small issue in my query, now I have `ElasticsearchParseException[Expected field name but got START_OBJECT \"boosting\"];` ---
**Author:** ![colings86](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/colings86/32/44960_2.png) [@colings86](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/colings86)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 9:15am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/combining-multi-match-with-boosting/24058/4 "2015-06-22T09:15:55Z")
This is illegal syntax because you are trying to use multiple queries without telling Elasticsearch how to combine them. The `query` object is only allowed to contain one query, so to combine multiple queries together you need to use [a `bool` query](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/query-dsl-bool-query.html). This will allow you to specify how you want to combine the two queries. HTH ---
**Author:** ![madmuffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@madmuffin](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/madmuffin)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 2:24pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/combining-multi-match-with-boosting/24058/5 "2015-06-22T14:24:32Z")
Sorry, I'm still not able to figure it out. I have rewritten my query into a bool, like this: ``` { "bool": { "must": { "multi_match": { "query": " keyword1 keyword2", "type": "best_fields", "fields": [ "field1", "field2" ], "tie_breaker": 1 } } } } ``` but where would the boosting go? i tried adding it as a sibling to multi\_match and also to must, but neither did work. ---
**Author:** ![colings86](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/colings86/32/44960_2.png) [@colings86](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/colings86)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 3:01pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/combining-multi-match-with-boosting/24058/6 "2015-06-22T15:01:18Z")
If I understand what you want correct, then you want to only return documents that match the `multi_match` query but rank documents which don't have any value for `field2` highest. In which case you need to have your `multi_match` query as a `must` clause (since a document must match this criteria to be returned) and the `boosting` query as a `should` clause (since you want documents without a `field2` field to rank higher). If so, then try the following: ```auto { "query": { "bool": { "must": [ { "multi_match": { "query": "keyword1 keyword2", "type": "best_fields", "fields": [ "field1^3", "field2" ], "tie_breaker": 1 } } ], "should": [ { "boosting": { "negative": { "constant_score": { "filter": { "missing": { "field": "field2" } } } }, "negative_boost": 0.2 } } ] } } } ``` ---
**Author:** ![madmuffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@madmuffin](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/madmuffin)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2015, 4:57pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/combining-multi-match-with-boosting/24058/7 "2015-06-23T16:57:18Z")
thanks a lot, that really really helped me. A note for anyone else having this issue: I also had to add a positive boosting, as only a negative boosting did not work, but I have it up and running now! so my result looks like this: ``` { "query": { "bool": { "must": [ { "multi_match": { "query": "keyword1 keyword2", "type": "best_fields", "fields": [ "field1^3", "field2" ], "tie_breaker": 1 } } ], "should": [ { "boosting": { "negative": { "constant_score": { "filter": { "missing": { "field": "field2" } } } }, "positive": { "constant_score": { "filter": { "exists": { "field": "field2" } } } }, "negative_boost": 0.2 } } ] } } } ``` ---
**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, 12:05am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/combining-multi-match-with-boosting/24058/8 "2017-07-06T00:05:51Z")