# How to get all indices that ever existed

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-get-all-indices-that-ever-existed/31360>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Created:** [September 29, 2015, 6:10pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-get-all-indices-that-ever-existed/31360 "2015-09-29T18:10:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![apt275](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9e8a1a/32.png) [@apt275](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/apt275)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2015, 6:10pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-get-all-indices-that-ever-existed/31360/1 "2015-09-29T18:10:41Z")

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Hello,

is there a way to find out the names of all the indices ever created? Even after the index might have been deleted. Does elastic store such historical info?

Thanks

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**Author:** ![json](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/json/32/4125_2.png) [@json](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/json)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 9:06am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-get-all-indices-that-ever-existed/31360/2 "2015-09-30T09:06:50Z")

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Hello,

Elasticsearch does not keep a record of deleted indices. You may be able to find a record of them in the cluster log. Look for lines like this:

```auto
[2015-09-30 10:47:17,309][INFO][cluster.metadata] [Johnny] [twiiter] deleting index

```

Thanks

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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:** [July 5, 2017, 11:47pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-get-all-indices-that-ever-existed/31360/3 "2017-07-05T23:47:26Z")

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Closed on July 5, 2017, 11:47pm UTC