# How change default number of shards
**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-change-default-number-of-shards/117985
**Category:** Elasticsearch
**Created:** [February 1, 2018, 9:36am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-change-default-number-of-shards/117985 "2018-02-01T09:36:47Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@dorinand](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dorinand)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2018, 9:36am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-change-default-number-of-shards/117985/1 "2018-02-01T09:36:47Z")
Hello, I am using ES 6.1. and I am trying to change default number of shards from 5 to , for example, 6. Is it possible in some way? When I add lines bellow to the elasticsearch.yaml file, the ES will not start.
```
index.number_of_replicas : 1
index.number_of_shards: 6
```
The error looks like this:
> Found index level settings on node level configuration.
>
> Since elasticsearch 5.x index level settings can NOT be set on the nodes
> configuration like the elasticsearch.yaml, in system properties or command line
> arguments.In order to upgrade all indices the settings must be updated via the
> /${index}/\_settings API. Unless all settings are dynamic all indices must be closed
> in order to apply the upgradeIndices created in the future should use index templates
> to set default values.
>
> Please ensure all required values are updated on all indices by executing:
>
> curl -XPUT '[http://localhost:9200/\_all/\_settings?preserve\_existing=true](http://localhost:9200/_all/_settings?preserve_existing=true)' -d '{
> "index.number\_of\_replicas" : "1",
> "index.number\_of\_shards" : "6"
> }'
**My understandig:**
If I have no indices or when all indices are closed, i can change default value via :
curl -XPUT '[http://localhost:9200/\_all/\_settings?preserve\_existing=true](http://localhost:9200/_all/_settings?preserve_existing=true)' -d '{
"index.number\_of\_replicas" : "1",
"index.number\_of\_shards" : "6"
}'
Otherwise I am not possible to change default number of shards.
I know I can't change number of shard after indices are created. I can create index like this
```
curl -XPUT "$(hostname -I):9200/myindex/_settings?pretty" -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d'
{
"index" : {
"number_of_shards" : 2,
"number_of_replicas" : 0
}
}
'
```
I am sending data to ES from Logstash, and create indexes automatically with name depends on date and type, so I cannot create every index manually.
My questions are:
1. is there any way how to change default number of shard ? If yes, how?
2. May I have different indices with different number of shards?
---
### Author:  [@Shaoranlaos](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Shaoranlaos)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2018, 9:48am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-change-default-number-of-shards/117985/2 "2018-02-01T09:48:09Z")
you have to use index templates: [https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/indices-templates.html](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/indices-templates.html)
with this you can set a default for all indices as follows
```auto
POST _template/default
{
"template": ["*"]
"order": -1
"settings": {
"number_of_shards": "6",
"number_of_replicas": "1"
}
}
```
with the same api you can change the values also index specific
```auto
POST _template/
{
"template": []
"order": 1
"settings": {
"number_of_shards": "6",
"number_of_replicas": "1"
}
}
```
---
### Author:  [@dorinand](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dorinand)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2018, 10:18am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-change-default-number-of-shards/117985/3 "2018-02-01T10:18:11Z")
Thank you for fast reply, it really helps. I just change "template" line to "index\_patterns" like this:
```
PUT _template/default
{
"index_patterns": ["*"],
"order": -1,
"settings": {
"number_of_shards": "6",
"number_of_replicas": "1"
}
}
```
---
### Author:  [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2018, 10:18am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-change-default-number-of-shards/117985/4 "2018-03-01T10:18:36Z")
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