# How much resource consuming is to get count only from ES ? What are the ways to just count the total documents? **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [January 18, 2012, 5:50am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-much-resource-consuming-is-to-get-count-only-from-es-what-are-the-ways-to-just-count-the-total-documents/6423 "2012-01-18T05:50:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Carl\_Sharma](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/carl_sharma/32/2767_2.png) [@Carl\_Sharma](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Carl_Sharma)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 5:50am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-much-resource-consuming-is-to-get-count-only-from-es-what-are-the-ways-to-just-count-the-total-documents/6423/1 "2012-01-18T05:50:31Z")
I have around 2 million documents in my Index currently. Now I have some pages where i have to show the statistics of the content. I just want the total counts of the documents. But I have to use the complex filters, so that i can count only the required documents. Mostly I'm using the "bool" and "and" in my queries. I think I can just send limit : 0 , to fetch the documents, and get the total count from the "total hits", but I am not sure will it be fast or is there any other way to just count the total documents. ---
**Author:** ![otisg](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/otisg/32/492_2.png) [@otisg](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/otisg)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 5:56am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-much-resource-consuming-is-to-get-count-only-from-es-what-are-the-ways-to-just-count-the-total-documents/6423/2 "2012-01-18T05:56:29Z")
Hi Chetan, Not sure if you saw [Elastic — The Search AI Company | Elastic](http://www.elasticsearch.org/guide/reference/api/count.html) ## Otis Sematext - Hiring Elasticsearch / Solr Devs - [Jobs](http://sematext.com/about/jobs.html) On Jan 18, 12:50 am, Chetan Sharma [c...@izap.in](mailto:c...@izap.in) wrote: > I have around 2 million documents in my Index currently. Now I have some > pages where i have to show the statistics of the content. I just want the > total counts of the documents. But I have to use the complex filters, so > that i can count only the required documents. Mostly I'm using the "bool" > and "and" in my queries. > > I think I can just send limit : 0 , to fetch the documents, and get the > total count from the "total hits", but I am not sure will it be fast or is > there any other way to just count the total documents. ---
**Author:** ![kimchy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/kimchy/32/44952_2.png) [@kimchy](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/kimchy)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 9:08pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-much-resource-consuming-is-to-get-count-only-from-es-what-are-the-ways-to-just-count-the-total-documents/6423/3 "2012-01-18T21:08:50Z")
Another option is to set search\_type in the search request to count. The benefit there is that you can also get facets for example. On Wed, Jan 18, 2012 at 7:56 AM, Otis Gospodnetic \< [otis.gospodnetic@gmail.com](mailto:otis.gospodnetic@gmail.com)\> wrote: > Hi Chetan, > > Not sure if you saw > [Elasticsearch Platform — Find real-time answers at scale | Elastic](http://www.elasticsearch.org/guide/reference/api/count.html) > > ## Otis > > Sematext - Hiring Elasticsearch / Solr Devs - > [Jobs - Sematext](http://sematext.com/about/jobs.html) > > On Jan 18, 12:50 am, Chetan Sharma [c...@izap.in](mailto:c...@izap.in) wrote: > > > I have around 2 million documents in my Index currently. Now I have some > > pages where i have to show the statistics of the content. I just want the > > total counts of the documents. But I have to use the complex filters, so > > that i can count only the required documents. Mostly I'm using the "bool" > > and "and" in my queries. > > > > I think I can just send limit : 0 , to fetch the documents, and get the > > total count from the "total hits", but I am not sure will it be fast or > > is > > there any other way to just count the total documents. ---
**Author:** ![Carl\_Sharma](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/carl_sharma/32/2767_2.png) [@Carl\_Sharma](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Carl_Sharma)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 12:51pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-much-resource-consuming-is-to-get-count-only-from-es-what-are-the-ways-to-just-count-the-total-documents/6423/4 "2012-01-20T12:51:20Z")
Thanks Guys.. Its great help. ---
**Author:** ![Carl\_Sharma](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/carl_sharma/32/2767_2.png) [@Carl\_Sharma](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Carl_Sharma)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 12:53pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-much-resource-consuming-is-to-get-count-only-from-es-what-are-the-ways-to-just-count-the-total-documents/6423/5 "2012-01-20T12:53:39Z")
Just one more question. Will it take the same time as query and fetch the document, or it is faster ? ---
**Author:** ![kimchy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/kimchy/32/44952_2.png) [@kimchy](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/kimchy)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 3:01pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-much-resource-consuming-is-to-get-count-only-from-es-what-are-the-ways-to-just-count-the-total-documents/6423/6 "2012-01-20T15:01:22Z")
You mean search\_type set to count? If so, it will be faster, since you don't need to bring back any hits back, even if you set size to 0, search\_type set to count will be faster. On Fri, Jan 20, 2012 at 2:53 PM, Chetan Sharma [carl@izap.in](mailto:carl@izap.in) wrote: > Just one more question. Will it take the same time as query and fetch the > document, or it is faster ? ---
**Author:** ![Carl\_Sharma](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/carl_sharma/32/2767_2.png) [@Carl\_Sharma](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Carl_Sharma)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 3:07pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-much-resource-consuming-is-to-get-count-only-from-es-what-are-the-ways-to-just-count-the-total-documents/6423/7 "2012-01-20T15:07:16Z")
Thanks. On Fri, Jan 20, 2012 at 8:31 PM, Shay Banon [kimchy@gmail.com](mailto:kimchy@gmail.com) wrote: > You mean search\_type set to count? If so, it will be faster, since you > don't need to bring back any hits back, even if you set size to 0, > search\_type set to count will be faster. > > On Fri, Jan 20, 2012 at 2:53 PM, Chetan Sharma [carl@izap.in](mailto:carl@izap.in) wrote: > > > Just one more question. Will it take the same time as query and fetch the > > document, or it is faster ? ## -- Your Sincerely, Chetan Sharma iZAPTeam ( Social Network Promoter ) [http://www.izap.in](http://www.izap.in) Exclusive ElggStore: [http://www.pluginlotto.com](http://www.pluginlotto.com) ---
**Author:** ![Carl\_Sharma](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/carl_sharma/32/2767_2.png) [@Carl\_Sharma](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Carl_Sharma)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 3:08pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-much-resource-consuming-is-to-get-count-only-from-es-what-are-the-ways-to-just-count-the-total-documents/6423/8 "2012-01-20T15:08:38Z")
Thanks alot. This was what I wanted 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 3:41am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-much-resource-consuming-is-to-get-count-only-from-es-what-are-the-ways-to-just-count-the-total-documents/6423/9 "2017-07-06T03:41:59Z")