# Elastic Search update api - updating complex data including array objects and parts of document
**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elastic-search-update-api-updating-complex-data-including-array-objects-and-parts-of-document/272644
**Category:** Elasticsearch
**Created:** [May 11, 2021, 8:02am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elastic-search-update-api-updating-complex-data-including-array-objects-and-parts-of-document/272644 "2021-05-11T08:02:20Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ab.umarjikar](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/ab.umarjikar)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2021, 8:02am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elastic-search-update-api-updating-complex-data-including-array-objects-and-parts-of-document/272644/1 "2021-05-11T08:02:20Z")
````auto
I have complex structure of data coming in as bellow:
{
"id": 1,
"other_details": [{
"address_details": {
"city": "pune",
"country": "India",
"state": "Maharashtra"
}
,
"profession_details": [{
"pfid": 1,
"post": "Trainee",
"start": "2010",
"end": "2011"
}
, {
"pfid": 2,
"post": "Software Engineer",
"start": "2011",
"end": "2014"
}
],
"education": "BE"
}
],
"created": "2010",
....(some other fields)
}
```
Here..
I have an use case to update the elements of an array.
Below are the 3 different update events for the same id["id":1]
1) json 1
{
"id": "1",
"other_details": [{
"address_details": {
"city": "Pune",
"country": "India",
"state": "Maharashtra"
}
}
],
"created": "2012"
}
2) json 2
{
"id": "1",
"other_details": [{
"profession_details": [{
"pfid": 1,
"post": "Trainee",
"start": "2010"
}
],
"education": "BE"
}
]
}
3) json 3
{
"id": "1",
"other_details": [{
"profession_details": [{
"pfid": 2,
"post": "Software Engineer",
"start": "2011",
"end": "2014"
}
, {
"pfid": 1,
"end": "2011"
}
]
}
]
}
The output which we are expecting is as below -
{
"id": "1",
"other_details": [{
"address_details": {
"city": "Pune",
"country": "India",
"state": "Maharashtra"
}
,
"profession_details": [{
"pfid": 1,
"post": "Trainee",
"start": "2010",
"end": "2011"
}
, {
"pfid": 2,
"post": "Software Engineer",
"start": "2011",
"end": "2014"
}
],
"education": "BE"
}
],
"created": "2012"
}
Basically whenever there is an update in the array elements(professional_details - in this example), that has to be updated in the source document.
Kindly help me out !
````
---
### Author:  [@sagarpatel](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/sagarpatel)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2021, 9:20am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elastic-search-update-api-updating-complex-data-including-array-objects-and-parts-of-document/272644/2 "2021-05-11T09:20:40Z")
If i understand your question correcttly you want to update array inside the existing document.
There are 2 option:
1. you can send entire new json/document (with updated array) to index and it will replace exsiting document.
2. you can use script with upsert to updating document. Please check official document for [upsert with script](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/docs-update.html#scripted_upsert).
Below are some other link which will help you to resolved this:
>
> [@Update existing values within a list or array in Elastic Search](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-existing-values-within-a-list-or-array-in-elastic-search/18279):
>
> I have a requirement where I need to update(not append) existing values within a list or array in Elastic Search. Is this feature supported in elastic search? For eg: I have a field called jobs as part of my document "jobs": [{ "status": "InProgress", "runId": 1, "start\_date": 2101112, "orderId": "undefined" }, { "status": "InProgress", "runId": 2, "start\_date": 2101112, "orderId": "undefined" },], and I am required to update the orderId for each job run to different values…
---
### Author:  [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2021, 9:20am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elastic-search-update-api-updating-complex-data-including-array-objects-and-parts-of-document/272644/3 "2021-06-08T09:20:56Z")
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