# \[failed to parse search source. unknown search element \[mappings\]\]
**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/failed-to-parse-search-source-unknown-search-element-mappings/135595
**Category:** Elasticsearch
**Created:** [June 12, 2018, 8:22pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/failed-to-parse-search-source-unknown-search-element-mappings/135595 "2018-06-12T20:22:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@silversun](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/silversun)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2018, 8:22pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/failed-to-parse-search-source-unknown-search-element-mappings/135595/1 "2018-06-12T20:22:05Z")
Hi,
I am trying to exclude a field from \_source and I am trying to run this curl command -
```
curl -X POST "http://localhost:9200/appindex/appindex/_search" -d '{
"mappings":{
"appindex":{
"_source":{
"excludes":[
"field_attachment_resource_name_base64"
]
},
"properties":{
"field_attachment_resource_name_base64":{
"type":"attachment",
"fields":{
"content":{
"type":"string",
"store":true
}
}
},
"name":{
"type":"string"
}
}
}
}
}'
```
And this is the **error** I get -
> SearchParseException[failed to parse search source. unknown search element [mappings]]
> {"error":{"root\_cause":[{"type":"search\_parse\_exception","reason":"failed to parse search source. unknown search element [mappings]","line":2,"col":14}],"type":"search\_phase\_execution\_exception","reason":"all shards failed","phase":"query","grouped":true,"failed\_shards":[{"shard":0,"index":"pbaindex","node":"PQBFXvM5XniVQ","reason":{"type":"search\_parse\_exception","reason":"failed to parse search source. unknown search element [mappings]","line":2,"col":14}}]},"status":400}
---
### Author:  [@Igor\_Motov](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Igor_Motov)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2018, 8:23pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/failed-to-parse-search-source-unknown-search-element-mappings/135595/2 "2018-06-12T20:23:05Z")
Your url looks like a search command. The request body looks like [put mapping](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/6.2/indices-put-mapping.html) command. Not sure if you want to exclude field during indexing or during searching.
---
### Author:  [@silversun](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/silversun)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2018, 8:27pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/failed-to-parse-search-source-unknown-search-element-mappings/135595/3 "2018-06-12T20:27:12Z")
Thanks for your response! I added new type "attachment" using mapper attachment plugin (ES 2.4).
I have indexed two documents and the base64 "content" field is showing up under "\_source" which increases the size of the document.
I would like to exclude it from \_source. Please advise best approach.
I was following this url - [https://qbox.io/blog/index-attachments-files-elasticsearch-mapper](https://qbox.io/blog/index-attachments-files-elasticsearch-mapper)
---
### Author:  [@Igor\_Motov](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Igor_Motov)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2018, 8:28pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/failed-to-parse-search-source-unknown-search-element-mappings/135595/4 "2018-06-12T20:28:55Z")
it should be
```auto
curl -X POST "http://localhost:9200/appindex" -d '{
"mappings":{
....
```
instead of
```auto
curl -X POST "http://localhost:9200/appindex/appindex/_search" -d '{
"mappings":{
....
```
---
### Author:  [@silversun](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/silversun)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2018, 8:32pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/failed-to-parse-search-source-unknown-search-element-mappings/135595/5 "2018-06-12T20:32:49Z")
Thank you! I get this new error now -
> {"error":{"root\_cause":[{"type":"index\_already\_exists\_exception","reason":"already exists","index":"appindex"}],"type":"index\_already\_exists\_exception","reason":"already exists","index":"appindex"},"status":400}
This is my new curl command -
```
curl -X POST "http://localhost:9200/appindex" -d '{
"mappings":{
"appindex":{
"_source":{
"excludes":[
"field_attachment_resource_name_base64"
]
},
"properties":{
"field_attachment_resource_name_base64":{
"type":"attachment",
"fields":{
"content":{
"type":"string",
"store":true
}
}
},
"name":{
"type":"string"
}
}
}
}
}'
```
---
### Author:  [@Igor\_Motov](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Igor_Motov)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2018, 8:36pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/failed-to-parse-search-source-unknown-search-element-mappings/135595/6 "2018-06-12T20:36:31Z")
Yes, you need to recreate your index.
Delete index first with
```auto
curl -X DELETE "http://localhost:9200/appindex"
```
Then execute the command that you posted.
Please, note that it will delete all data in this index. So, you will have to add all your data again.
---
### Author:  [@silversun](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/silversun)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2018, 8:38pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/failed-to-parse-search-source-unknown-search-element-mappings/135595/7 "2018-06-12T20:38:21Z")
Okay. I will try that. Thanks!
---
### Author:  [@silversun](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/silversun)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2018, 8:46pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/failed-to-parse-search-source-unknown-search-element-mappings/135595/8 "2018-06-12T20:46:34Z")
It worked!!! Thank you very much!!!!!
---
### Author:  [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2018, 8:46pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/failed-to-parse-search-source-unknown-search-element-mappings/135595/9 "2018-07-10T20:46:34Z")
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