# Enforcing best\_compression on already optimized indices
**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/enforcing-best-compression-on-already-optimized-indices/56140
**Category:** Elasticsearch
**Created:** [July 21, 2016, 9:48pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/enforcing-best-compression-on-already-optimized-indices/56140 "2016-07-21T21:48:15Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@gerry](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/gerry)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2016, 9:48pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/enforcing-best-compression-on-already-optimized-indices/56140/1 "2016-07-21T21:48:15Z")
As per the topic, is that possible, or do I have to re-index?
Thanks!
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### Author:  [@warkolm](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/warkolm)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2016, 10:11pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/enforcing-best-compression-on-already-optimized-indices/56140/2 "2016-07-21T22:11:19Z")
You can apply it dynacmically - [https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/2.3/index-modules.html#index-codec](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/2.3/index-modules.html#index-codec)
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### Author:  [@gerry](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/gerry)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2016, 10:25pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/enforcing-best-compression-on-already-optimized-indices/56140/3 "2016-07-21T22:25:09Z")
I have it applied, but for an index that's already force merged down to 1 segment and has no more indexing activity, is there a way to get that enforced so as to save on disk space without re-indexing?
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### Author:  [@warkolm](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/warkolm)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2016, 10:37pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/enforcing-best-compression-on-already-optimized-indices/56140/4 "2016-07-21T22:37:49Z")
Yes, apply the setting, that's it.
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### Author:  [@gerry](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/gerry)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2016, 5:44pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/enforcing-best-compression-on-already-optimized-indices/56140/5 "2016-07-22T17:44:29Z")
Is there a way to get that setting to be applicable to currently existing documents?
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### Author:  [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2017, 10:33pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/enforcing-best-compression-on-already-optimized-indices/56140/6 "2017-07-05T22:33:22Z")