# How to expand on special characters?

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-expand-on-special-characters/224413>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Created:** [March 20, 2020, 11:56am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-expand-on-special-characters/224413 "2020-03-20T11:56:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lukecaptaincode](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@lukecaptaincode](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/lukecaptaincode)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2020, 11:56am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-expand-on-special-characters/224413/1 "2020-03-20T11:56:51Z")

</div>

I have an index full of brand names and some of them contain special characters (E.L.F, L'oreal) and they show up when searched for exactly but how do I set queries to essentially ignore the special character when searching for them? e.g elf = E.L.F or loreal = L'oreal. Is this a mappings issue or a query issue?

---

<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 20, 2020, 12:10pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-expand-on-special-characters/224413/2 "2020-03-20T12:10:30Z")

</div>

This is something to solve at index time IMO. Playing with analyzers could help I believe.

I don't have a specific answer to help but I'd go that way most likely.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lukecaptaincode](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@lukecaptaincode](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/lukecaptaincode)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2020, 12:11pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-expand-on-special-characters/224413/3 "2020-03-20T12:11:19Z")

</div>

That's somewhere to start at least! thanks a million.

---

<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 17, 2020, 12:11pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-expand-on-special-characters/224413/4 "2020-04-17T12:11:20Z")

</div>

This topic was automatically closed 28 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.