# Delete by query on alias or multiple indexes
**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/delete-by-query-on-alias-or-multiple-indexes/43102
**Category:** Elasticsearch
**Created:** [March 1, 2016, 10:28am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/delete-by-query-on-alias-or-multiple-indexes/43102 "2016-03-01T10:28:21Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ogauchard](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/ogauchard)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2016, 10:28am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/delete-by-query-on-alias-or-multiple-indexes/43102/1 "2016-03-01T10:28:21Z")
I am trying to delete documents by query on multiple indexes.
The plugin seems to fail on aliases with the following error :
Alias [xxx] has more than one indices associated with it
I also tried to delete using \_all and wildcard but it also fail.
Is there any way to delete documents by query on multiple indexes ?
---
### Author:  [@danielmitterdorfer](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/danielmitterdorfer)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2016, 12:16pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/delete-by-query-on-alias-or-multiple-indexes/43102/2 "2016-03-01T12:16:58Z")
Hi,
this works fine indeed. Here's a complete example based on Elasticsearch 2.2:
Install the `delete-by-query` plugin:
```auto
bin/plugin install delete-by-query
```
Create a few documents in multiple indices:
```auto
POST /_bulk
{"index":{"_index":"logs-2014","_type":"click"}}
{"ip_address":"1.1.1.1","event":"click"}
{"index":{"_index":"logs-2014","_type":"click"}}
{"ip_address":"1.1.1.1","event":"buy"}
{"index":{"_index":"logs-2015","_type":"click"}}
{"ip_address":"1.1.1.1","event":"click"}
{"index":{"_index":"logs-2015","_type":"click"}}
{"ip_address":"1.1.1.1","event":"buy"}
{"index":{"_index":"logs-2016","_type":"click"}}
{"ip_address":"1.1.1.1","event":"click"}
{"index":{"_index":"logs-2016","_type":"click"}}
{"ip_address":"1.1.1.1","event":"buy"}
{"index":{"_index":"logs-2016","_type":"click"}}
{"ip_address":"1.1.1.1","event":"click"}
```
Add a `logs` alias for all these indices:
```auto
POST /_aliases
{
"actions" : [
{ "add" : { "index" : "logs-2014", "alias" : "logs" } },
{ "add" : { "index" : "logs-2015", "alias" : "logs" } },
{ "add" : { "index" : "logs-2016", "alias" : "logs" } }
]
}
```
Check that we actually have documents across multiple indices:
```auto
GET /logs/_search
{
"query": {
"match_all": { }
}
}
```
Now delete all "click" events across all indices (based on the alias `logs`):
```auto
DELETE /logs/_query
{
"query": {
"match": {
"event": {
"query": "click"
}
}
}
}
```
This returns:
```auto
{
"took": 0,
"timed_out": false,
"_indices": {
"_all": {
"found": 4,
"deleted": 4,
"missing": 0,
"failed": 0
},
"logs-2015": {
"found": 1,
"deleted": 1,
"missing": 0,
"failed": 0
},
"logs-2016": {
"found": 2,
"deleted": 2,
"missing": 0,
"failed": 0
},
"logs-2014": {
"found": 1,
"deleted": 1,
"missing": 0,
"failed": 0
}
},
"failures": []
}
```
Daniel
---
### Author:  [@ogauchard](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/ogauchard)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2016, 1:25pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/delete-by-query-on-alias-or-multiple-indexes/43102/3 "2016-03-01T13:25:31Z")
You're right, it works fine !
I made a mistake in uris.
I was using this one for check : GET /logs/\_search
And quite the same for delete : DELETE /logs/\_search
But for delete it is **query** and not search as you suggested : DELETE/logs/\_query
Thanks for your help.
---
### Author:  [@danielmitterdorfer](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/danielmitterdorfer)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2016, 2:35pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/delete-by-query-on-alias-or-multiple-indexes/43102/4 "2016-03-01T14:35:06Z")
You're right. It is "query". I had already edited the post after I have initially written it. It should now be correct as is. Great to know that it works for you know.
---
### Author:  [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2017, 11:12pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/delete-by-query-on-alias-or-multiple-indexes/43102/5 "2017-07-05T23:12:29Z")