# Curator - delete all indices based on "alias" name (prefix+timestring) **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [September 6, 2017, 1:21pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/curator-delete-all-indices-based-on-alias-name-prefix-timestring/99588 "2017-09-06T13:21:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![olc-olivier](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/olc-olivier/32/21845_2.png) [@olc-olivier](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/olc-olivier)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 1:21pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/curator-delete-all-indices-based-on-alias-name-prefix-timestring/99588/1 "2017-09-06T13:21:01Z")
Hi, I would like delete all indices older than xxx days based on alias name (prefix+timestring) and not index name. Is it possible ? action: delete\_indices \>\>\> action: delete\_indices\_from\_alias ex: alias \> log-20170506 indexes \> log-A1 indexes \> log-B2 indexes \> log-D1 name log- timestring: '%Y%m%d' unit: days unit\_count: xxx Thx for help. Best Regards ---
**Author:** ![thn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/thn/32/8061_2.png) [@thn](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/thn)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 1:31pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/curator-delete-all-indices-based-on-alias-name-prefix-timestring/99588/2 "2017-09-06T13:31:48Z")
You may find the info at the link below [https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/indices-aliases.html](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/indices-aliases.html) ---
**Author:** ![olc-olivier](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/olc-olivier/32/21845_2.png) [@olc-olivier](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/olc-olivier)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 3:00pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/curator-delete-all-indices-based-on-alias-name-prefix-timestring/99588/3 "2017-09-06T15:00:19Z")
I m not sure this page could be help me. Because I would like use curator actions. It is for cron task to automatic delete old indexes. Like this but regex on alias name doesn't work. Or How use timestring on Alias name. actions: 1: action: alias description: \>- Alias indices options: name: log-????????? warn\_if\_no\_indices: True ignore\_empty\_list: True timeout\_override: continue\_if\_exception: False disable\_action: False remove: filters: - filtertype: pattern kind: regex value: 'log.\*' - filtertype: age source: name direction: older timestring: '%Y%m%d' unit: days unit\_count: 1 exclude: ---
**Author:** ![theuntergeek](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/theuntergeek/32/44961_2.png) [@theuntergeek](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/theuntergeek)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 3:06pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/curator-delete-all-indices-based-on-alias-name-prefix-timestring/99588/4 "2017-09-06T15:06:41Z")
Try [Curator's alias filter](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/client/curator/current/filtertype_alias.html). It will keep only indices associated with a named alias. However, it currently requires fully named aliases. You can't specify `alias-%Y.%m.%d` to select _aliases_ older than `unit_count` `unit`s. ---
**Author:** ![olc-olivier](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/olc-olivier/32/21845_2.png) [@olc-olivier](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/olc-olivier)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 3:32pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/curator-delete-all-indices-based-on-alias-name-prefix-timestring/99588/5 "2017-09-06T15:32:22Z")
I can not provide fully named aliases. Because it is exactly what I want to do. Get indices from alias-%Y.%m.%d... Same thing that "delete\_indices" but from alias and not index name. So, for now, I will use the elasticsearch java api with a custom program. Waiting a new curator version with this function ^^. Thx a lot. ---
**Author:** ![theuntergeek](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/theuntergeek/32/44961_2.png) [@theuntergeek](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/theuntergeek)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 4:10pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/curator-delete-all-indices-based-on-alias-name-prefix-timestring/99588/6 "2017-09-06T16:10:01Z")
> [@olc-olivier](#): > > Waiting a new curator version with this function It won't happen without a feature request at [GitHub - elastic/curator: Curator: Tending your Elasticsearch indices](https://github.com/elastic/curator) Please go and add that feature there. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2017, 4:10pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/curator-delete-all-indices-based-on-alias-name-prefix-timestring/99588/7 "2017-10-04T16:10:08Z")
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