# Delete-by-query Plugin sort("\_doc")

**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/delete-by-query-plugin-sort--doc/34806
**Category:** Elasticsearch
**Created:** [November 17, 2015, 1:48pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/delete-by-query-plugin-sort--doc/34806 "2015-11-17T13:48:58Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Brian\_Hudson](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/brian_hudson/32/1306_2.png) [@Brian\_Hudson](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Brian_Hudson)
#### Post date: [November 17, 2015, 1:48pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/delete-by-query-plugin-sort--doc/34806/1 "2015-11-17T13:48:58Z")

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I was comparing how the delete-by-query plugin was implemented compared to how I implemented similar functionality. In the plugin I noticed the following:

```
            SearchSourceBuilder source = new SearchSourceBuilder()
                    .query(request.query())
                    .fields(fields)
                    .sort("_doc") // important for performance
                    .fetchSource(false)
                    .version(true);

```

What is the significance of `sort("_doc")`? The only reference I have found to \_doc is in regards to scripting.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2017, 11:37pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/delete-by-query-plugin-sort--doc/34806/2 "2017-07-05T23:37:53Z")

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