# How to search for documents where field doesn't exist?
**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-search-for-documents-where-field-doesnt-exist/189112
**Category:** Elasticsearch
**Created:** [July 5, 2019, 1:24pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-search-for-documents-where-field-doesnt-exist/189112 "2019-07-05T13:24:20Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@i333](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/i333)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2019, 1:24pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-search-for-documents-where-field-doesnt-exist/189112/1 "2019-07-05T13:24:20Z")
[https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/query-dsl-exists-query.html#find-docs-null-values](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/query-dsl-exists-query.html#find-docs-null-values) shows how to find a document where the field contains `[]` or null. But how can I search for documents where the field doesn't exist at all on the document?
So if the document contains that field but it is `[]` or null, the search should treat that document as if the field exists (and not include it in the results).
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### Author:  [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2019, 1:24pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-search-for-documents-where-field-doesnt-exist/189112/2 "2019-08-02T13:24:26Z")
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