# Found differences in mapping. Can I simply update the mapping?

**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/found-differences-in-mapping-can-i-simply-update-the-mapping/266278
**Category:** Elasticsearch
**Created:** [March 4, 2021, 6:58pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/found-differences-in-mapping-can-i-simply-update-the-mapping/266278 "2021-03-04T18:58:36Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Lennart\_Wong](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/lennart_wong/32/84395_2.png) [@Lennart\_Wong](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Lennart_Wong)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2021, 6:58pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/found-differences-in-mapping-can-i-simply-update-the-mapping/266278/1 "2021-03-04T18:58:36Z")

</div>

Hello! I am very new to Elasticsearch and was tasked to add a new cluster and put it to work. Any help is much appreciated!

My company has a few existing ES cluster. After I added the new cluster and the indexes, I am seeing differences in the mapping in one of the indexes. For example, the existing cluster has

```auto
  "subscriptionId" : {
    "type" : "keyword"
  },

```

while the new cluster has

```auto
      "subscriptionId" : {
        "type" : "text",
        "fields" : {
          "keyword" : {
            "type" : "keyword",
            "ignore_above" : 256
          }
        }
      },

```

Other than the `ignore_above`, are they the same thing??

The new cluster has already ingested a bunch of data. Can I just simply update the mapping and ES will take care of it or I need to re-ingest again?

Thank you!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![dadoonet](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/dadoonet/32/137187_2.png) [@dadoonet](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dadoonet)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2021, 11:04pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/found-differences-in-mapping-can-i-simply-update-the-mapping/266278/2 "2021-03-04T23:04:10Z")

</div>

Welcome!

No you can't update the mapping to transform a field into something else (here text to keyword).

You need to reindex.

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2021, 11:04pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/found-differences-in-mapping-can-i-simply-update-the-mapping/266278/3 "2021-04-01T23:04:39Z")

</div>

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