# Elasticsearch mapping changes

**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-mapping-changes/84088
**Category:** Elasticsearch
**Created:** [April 29, 2017, 2:46pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-mapping-changes/84088 "2017-04-29T14:46:23Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![rso249](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/rso249/32/41992_2.png) [@rso249](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/rso249)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2017, 2:46pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-mapping-changes/84088/1 "2017-04-29T14:46:23Z")

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Hello everyone,

I want to start a project and we will use es as search engine!! I have a few questions. I know how important the mapping is. I have read some topics that if I change a field type in the mapping then the index must be deleted and created again. I want to be sure about all the cases that I describe bellow in the newest version of es. The cases are:

1. Updating an existing mapping adding a new field
2. Delete a field from a mapping
3. Change a type of a field in the mapping

In which cases my Index must deleted and recreated? Thank you a lot for your answers!!

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### Author: ![Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/christian_dahlqvist/32/4617_2.png) [@Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Christian_Dahlqvist)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2017, 8:03am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-mapping-changes/84088/2 "2017-04-30T08:03:31Z")

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> [@rso249](#):
>
> 1. Updating an existing mapping adding a new field

Adding a new field does not require any reindexing.

> [@rso249](#):
>
> 1. Delete a field from a mapping
> 2. Change a type of a field in the mapping

Deleting or changing the mapping of a field does require reindexing into a new index.

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![rso249](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/rso249/32/41992_2.png) [@rso249](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/rso249)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2017, 2:07pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-mapping-changes/84088/3 "2017-04-30T14:07:54Z")

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Thank you!

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### Author: ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2017, 2:16pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-mapping-changes/84088/4 "2017-05-28T14:16:14Z")

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