# Dynamic Template usage for nested fields

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/dynamic-template-usage-for-nested-fields/382229>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Tags:** vector-search\
**Created:** [September 25, 2025, 2:09pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/dynamic-template-usage-for-nested-fields/382229 "2025-09-25T14:09:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Shweta\_Chadha](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/shweta_chadha/32/145164_2.png) [@Shweta\_Chadha](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Shweta_Chadha)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2025, 2:09pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/dynamic-template-usage-for-nested-fields/382229/1 "2025-09-25T14:09:18Z")

</div>

Hi folks! We are on Elastic version 8.17 and have an existing ES index that we are now introducing a dynamic attribute using dynamic template to. The dynamic fields would be added within an existing nested field.

Our bridged schema definition -

```auto
...
   "mappings": {
        "dynamic": "false",
        "dynamic_templates": [
            {
                "variant_vectors_by_model": {
                    "path_match": "variants.item_embeddings.*",
                    "mapping": {
                        "type": "dense_vector",
                        "index": true,
                        "similarity": "cosine"
                    }
                }
            }
        ],
        "properties": {
            "group_id": {
                "type": "keyword"
            },
            "codes": {
                "type": "keyword"
            },
            "variants": {
                "dynamic": false,
                "type": "nested",
                "properties": {
                    "code": {
                        "type": "keyword",
                        "store": true,
                        "fields": {
                            "search_keyword": {
                                "type": "keyword",
                                "normalizer": "lowercase_normalizer"
                            }
                        }
                    },
                    "item_embeddings": {
                        "type": "object",
                        "dynamic": true
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }
...

```

A sample document we are trying to index -

```auto
{
    "group_id": "random_group",
    "codes": [
        "1234",
        "5678"
    ],
    "variants": [
        {
            "item_embeddings": {
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        },
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            },
            "code": "5678"
        }
    ]
}

```

Elastic throws the following error -

```auto
{
    "error": {
        "root_cause": [
            {
                "type": "null_pointer_exception",
                "reason": null
            }
        ],
        "type": "null_pointer_exception",
        "reason": null
    },
    "status": 500
}

```

Indexing works fine if we modify the document and remove one nested variant like so -

```auto
{
    "group_id": "random_group",
    "codes": [
        "1234",
        "5678"
    ],
    "variants": [
        {
            "item_embeddings": {
                "model_v1": [
                    0.05667318031191826,
                    0.03676224127411842,
                    0.03171849250793457,
                    0.01680068112909794,
                    -0.05972050502896309,
                    -0.0732097253203392,
                    0.007977733388543129,
                    0.024116408079862595,
                    0.05233846604824066,
                    0.007091963663697243,
                    0.018920909613370895,
                    0.00994688831269741,
                    -0.03117530047893524,
                    -0.03920264169573784,
                    0.0024608306121081114,
                    0.08436288684606552,
                    0.09416638314723969,
                    -0.02230188064277172,
                    -0.04007192701101303,
                    -0.04768383875489235,
                    -0.05513140186667442,
                    0.04384570196270943,
                    -0.027235502377152443,
                    0.002757014473900199,
                    0.03788439929485321,
                    0.009888852946460247,
                    0.05454133078455925,
                    -0.013158638961613178,
                    0.01422518864274025,
                    -0.014908150769770145,
                    -0.012250110507011414,
                    -0.006658331025391817,
                    -0.009525774046778679,
                    0.00005040172618464567,
                    0.027454864233732224,
                    0.026344215497374535,
                    -0.014987037517130375,
                    -0.019977308809757233,
                    0.014925945550203323,
                    0.02228066883981228,
                    0.037019744515419006,
                    -0.1255623698234558,
                    -0.033644549548625946,
                    -0.028516236692667007,
                    0.044139184057712555,
                    -0.03505230322480202,
                    -0.03997375816106796,
                    0.011344539932906628,
                    0.014801067300140858,
                    0.015361261554062366,
                    0.03306423872709274,
                    -0.022899985313415527,
                    -0.024189596995711327,
                    -0.03816773369908333,
                    0.01008186861872673,
                    -0.00008663388143759221,
                    0.0514993779361248,
                    -0.002248553093522787,
                    -0.0419624000787735,
                    0.04228736460208893,
                    0.05774098262190819,
                    0.010159933939576149,
                    -0.007106570526957512,
                    0.02951483242213726,
                    0.05634437873959541,
                    -0.00033239895128645003,
                    -0.0293535478413105,
                    0.023926932364702225,
                    0.0348331555724144,
                    0.008085130713880062,
                    -0.00501627754420042,
                    -0.01947554387152195,
                    -0.07726071029901505,
                    -0.011533509008586407,
                    -0.026907769963145256,
                    -0.004003502428531647,
                    0.024635018780827522,
                    -0.003822702681645751,
                    -0.03705618157982826,
                    -0.0758415162563324,
                    -0.019427645951509476,
                    -0.06774822622537613,
                    0.006928539369255304,
                    -0.001465015928260982,
                    -0.03276766091585159,
                    -0.02698662504553795,
                    0.002840219996869564,
                    0.016294054687023163,
                    -0.004398120101541281,
                    -0.05081615969538689,
                    0.06606673449277878,
                    0.051079269498586655,
                    -0.00797408539801836,
                    -0.03056160919368267,
                    -0.07847192138433456,
                    0.04809975251555443,
                    0.02581951580941677,
                    -0.015610875561833382,
                    -0.0003428397758398205,
                    -0.01234754640609026,
                    0.0007668399484828115,
                    -0.003478564554825425,
                    0.05073230341076851,
                    0.026372309774160385,
                    -0.02552119456231594,
                    0.003984949551522732,
                    0.047887172549963,
                    0.052004192024469376,
                    -0.08150003105401993,
                    0.02950786054134369,
                    0.017233461141586304,
                    0.017632029950618744,
                    0.03181365877389908,
                    -0.0010408436646685004,
                    0.03340645134449005,
                    0.03351975604891777,
                    0.05431903153657913,
                    0.03496186062693596,
                    0.05294286459684372,
                    -0.03482921048998833
                ],
                "model_v2": [
                    -0.011533509008586407,
                    -0.026907769963145256,
                    -0.004003502428531647,
                    0.024635018780827522,
                    -0.003822702681645751,
                    -0.03705618157982826,
                    -0.0758415162563324,
                    -0.019427645951509476,
                    -0.06774822622537613,
                    0.006928539369255304,
                    -0.001465015928260982,
                    -0.03276766091585159,
                    -0.02698662504553795,
                    0.002840219996869564,
                    0.016294054687023163,
                    -0.004398120101541281,
                    -0.05081615969538689,
                    0.06606673449277878,
                    0.051079269498586655,
                    -0.00797408539801836,
                    -0.03056160919368267,
                    -0.07847192138433456,
                    0.04809975251555443,
                    0.02581951580941677,
                    -0.015610875561833382,
                    -0.0003428397758398205,
                    -0.01234754640609026,
                    0.0007668399484828115,
                    -0.003478564554825425,
                    0.05073230341076851,
                    0.026372309774160385,
                    -0.02552119456231594,
                    0.003984949551522732,
                    0.047887172549963,
                    0.052004192024469376,
                    -0.08150003105401993,
                    0.02950786054134369,
                    0.017233461141586304,
                    0.017632029950618744,
                    0.03181365877389908,
                    -0.0010408436646685004,
                    0.03340645134449005,
                    0.03351975604891777,
                    0.05431903153657913,
                    0.03496186062693596,
                    0.05294286459684372,
                    -0.03482921048998833,
                    0.05645470693707466,
                    -0.017539020627737045,
                    0.05545613169670105,
                    0.026850489899516106,
                    -0.03160329908132553,
                    -0.014252671040594578,
                    -0.0055099185556173325,
                    -0.06456445902585983,
                    -0.0026039292570203543,
                    0.00016189702728297561,
                    -0.016720732674002647,
                    -0.03572947531938553,
                    -0.03525441512465477,
                    0.018726889044046402,
                    -0.020997267216444016,
                    -0.002859925152733922,
                    0.028501175343990326,
                    -0.08033537864685059,
                    -0.05114390328526497,
                    0.06307440251111984,
                    0.03973092883825302,
                    -0.021966882050037384,
                    0.012732028029859066,
                    0.005040609743446112,
                    -0.032527245581150055,
                    -0.05229898542165756,
                    0.018316911533474922,
                    -0.076856829226017,
                    -0.04725717753171921,
                    0.0217917338013649,
                    0.06270810216665268,
                    0.04003457725048065,
                    0.0505179762840271,
                    0.0009315540082752705,
                    0.017734821885824203,
                    0.03280230984091759,
                    -0.0018475797260180116,
                    0.026251157745718956,
                    0.08345657587051392,
                    0.07981608062982559,
                    -0.009289843030273914,
                    -0.0002385903790127486,
                    -0.0595359280705452,
                    -0.023921649903059006,
                    0.012957212515175343,
                    0.012339817360043526,
                    -0.025282321497797966,
                    -0.025736678391695023,
                    0.011146784760057926,
                    -0.012356351129710674,
                    -0.054246608167886734,
                    -0.07149291038513184,
                    0.008146672509610653,
                    -0.02918223664164543,
                    -0.006232865620404482,
                    -0.011239223182201385,
                    -0.11836868524551392,
                    0.032120078802108765,
                    -0.025980276986956596,
                    -0.015189899131655693,
                    0.03470538556575775,
                    0.08147629350423813,
                    0.024406176060438156,
                    -0.0012608955148607492,
                    0.010617654770612717,
                    0.0153469517827034,
                    -0.0022471777629107237,
                    0.012003668583929539,
                    -0.031690362840890884,
                    -0.03480655327439308,
                    -0.04548567160964012,
                    0.0572417713701725,
                    -0.038150712847709656,
                    -0.0019421266624704003,
                    0.012202783487737179,
                    0.007642634678632021,
                    0.027861179783940315,
                    0.024305002763867378,
                    0.0045427256263792515,
                    0.05376886576414108,
                    0.03932100906968117,
                    0.042523521929979324,
                    0.03893957659602165,
                    -0.04955670237541199,
                    -0.054524924606084824,
                    0.039282187819480896,
                    0.02744641713798046,
                    0.07789070904254913,
                    0.011605729348957539,
                    -0.07004345208406448,
                    -0.03383749723434448,
                    -0.03189760074019432,
                    0.034358154982328415
                ]
            },
            "code": "1234"
        }
    ]
}

```

Subsequently, when we use the original document for indexing, it gets indexed correctly.

Can someone please help us understand if we are missing something in the index definition? The null pointer error with the original document doesn't have any details.

Thank you!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![john-wagster](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/john-wagster/32/139021_2.png) [@john-wagster](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/john-wagster)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2025, 3:12am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/dynamic-template-usage-for-nested-fields/382229/2 "2025-09-26T03:12:59Z")

</div>

@Shweta_Chadha First off welcome!

This was a bit non-intuitive for me too. I tried on a newer version and I think the null exception message you are getting has been fixed. However, there are still a couple errors here that pop up. One of them is a bit non-intuitive (feel free to log an issue on the github side we might be able to make this more intuitive: [https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues](https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues) ).

To get this working I think you’ll need to specify the number of `dims` in the `embeddings` mapping and you’ll need to add configuration to effectively stop the object from being further nested with `subobjects: false` under `item_embeddings` (this is the non-intuitive part to me and the part potentially worth a bug ticket imo; if you do file one let me know and happy to help shepard it).

So here’s what that mapping looks like that worked for me:

```auto
   "mappings": {
        "dynamic": "false",
        "dynamic_templates": [
            {
                "variant_vectors_by_model": {
                    "path_match": "variants.item_embeddings.*",
                    "mapping": {
                        "type": "dense_vector",
                        "index": true,
                        "dims": 120
                        "similarity": "cosine"
                    }
                }
            }
        ],
        "properties": {
            "group_id": {
                "type": "keyword"
            },
            "codes": {
                "type": "keyword"
            },
            "variants": {
                "dynamic": false,
                "type": "nested",
                "properties": {
                    "code": {
                        "type": "keyword",
                        "store": true,
                        "fields": {
                            "search_keyword": {
                                "type": "keyword",
                                "normalizer": "lowercase_normalizer"
                            }
                        }
                    },
                    "item_embeddings": {
                        "type": "object",
                        "dynamic": true,
                        "subobjects": false
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }

```

Let me know if that helps at all or if you are still running problems.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Shweta\_Chadha](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/shweta_chadha/32/145164_2.png) [@Shweta\_Chadha](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Shweta_Chadha)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2025, 4:20pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/dynamic-template-usage-for-nested-fields/382229/3 "2025-09-26T16:20:47Z")

</div>

Hi @john-wagster , thank you for the quick response on this.

Unfortunately, we cannot add explicit `dims` at the time of defining the schema since we don't have that information upfront. There is another team responsible for generating the embeddings, and the dimension size can vary based on the model(s) they use. In addition, they will have multiple models that may have different dimension size associated with them.

We tried the suggested change of introducing `"subobjects": ` **`false`** but that by itself does not help with the null pointer exception.

Interestingly, once a dynamic attribute is introduced in the mapping - by way of indexing a single variant first - the subsequent indexing of the original document with multiple variants succeeds.

> I tried on a newer version and I think the null exception message you are getting has been fixed.

Interesting, which version is this? Although it would not be possible for us to upgrade right away.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![john-wagster](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/john-wagster/32/139021_2.png) [@john-wagster](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/john-wagster)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2025, 8:21pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/dynamic-template-usage-for-nested-fields/382229/4 "2025-09-26T20:21:48Z")

</div>

@Shweta_Chadha previously I tested on main. I went ahead and tested on the latest release 9.1.4 and also on the latest 8.17, which is 8.17.10, as well. I can confirm that this works with the suggestions I made on both 9.1.4 and and on 8.17.10. Ill share my example below. I also can reproduce the null pointer exception and can confirm it’s been fixed since then on 9.1.4. The example code I have works without modification on both versions. So if you need to iterate you could iterate on 9.1.4 and then bring your code back to 8.17.10 to finish testing if that helps you at all.

I don’t think you’ll be able to get away with not specifying `dims`. I tried a couple variations and was unable to do so. You likely will need a different schema for that. If you have known dims you might setup fields for each of the known dims you expect and then not worry too much about empty fields as they take up no space. Happy to discuss with you further on this.

Here’s that example I mentioned that I used to help me iterate:

Create a mapping:

```auto
curl -XPUT --header 'Content-Type: application/json' "http://localhost:9200/test" -d '{
   "mappings": {
        "dynamic": false,
        "dynamic_templates": [
            {
                "variant_vectors_by_model": {
                    "path_match": "variants.item_embeddings.*",
                    "mapping": {
                        "type": "dense_vector",
                        "index": true,
                        "dims": 3,
                        "similarity": "cosine"
                    }
                }
            }
        ],
        "properties": {
            "variants": {
                "dynamic": false,
                "type": "nested",
                "properties": {
                    "item_embeddings": {
                        "type": "object",
                        "dynamic": true,
                        "subobjects": false
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }
}'

```

add a doc:

```auto
seq 1 1 | xargs -I % -P1 curl -XPOST --header 'Content-Type: application/json' "http://localhost:9200/test/_doc?refresh" -d '
{
    "variants": [
        {
            "item_embeddings": {
                "model_v1": [
                    0.05667318031191826,
                    0.03676224127411842,
                    0.03171849250793457
                ],
                "model_v2": [
                    -0.011533509008586407,
                    -0.026907769963145256,
                    -0.004003502428531647
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "item_embeddings": {
                "model_v1": [
                    0.05667318031191826,
                    0.03676224127411842,
                    0.03171849250793457
                ],
                "model_v2": [
                    -0.011533509008586407,
                    -0.026907769963145256,
                    -0.004003502428531647
                ]
            }
        }
    ]
}
'

```