# How to use filters in a query **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Tags:** eql-elastic-query-language\ **Created:** [February 11, 2022, 2:53pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-use-filters-in-a-query/296990 "2022-02-11T14:53:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MrFantastic2022](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e68b1a/32.png) [@MrFantastic2022](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/MrFantastic2022)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2022, 2:53pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-use-filters-in-a-query/296990/1 "2022-02-11T14:53:56Z")
Hello. I am working with Elasticsearch 6.8.0 and am trying to follow the example on this page [filter](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/6.8/query-filter-context.html) but cannot get the filter clause to produce the results I want. I am working with the sample dataset in the **bank** index and am trying to do something like the SQL statement _ **SELECT firstname, lastname FROM BANK WHERE STATE = 'IL';** _. My query looks like this: ```auto GET /bank/_search { "query": { "bool" : { "must: { "query_string": { "default_field": "state", "query": "MD" } }, "filter": { "term": { "gender": "F" } } } } } ``` If I remove the **filter** clause, I get quite a few hits; with the **filter** clause, I get zero. What is going on with the filter? Thanks in advance to all who respond. ---
**Author:** ![Tomo\_M](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/848f3c/32.png) [@Tomo\_M](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Tomo_M)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2022, 3:34pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-use-filters-in-a-query/296990/2 "2022-02-11T15:34:18Z")
your query (typo: only add " after must) worked well. Response: ```auto { "took" : 5, "timed_out" : false, "_shards" : { "total" : 1, "successful" : 1, "skipped" : 0, "failed" : 0 }, "hits" : { "total" : { "value" : 10, "relation" : "eq" }, "max_score" : 3.5588508, "hits" : [ { "_index" : "bank", "_type" : "_doc", "_id" : "HgZp6X4Bf0nakUP8t9-m", "_score" : 3.5588508, "_source" : { "account_number" : 126, "balance" : 3607, "firstname" : "Effie", "lastname" : "Gates", "age" : 39, "gender" : "F", "address" : "620 National Drive", "employer" : "Digitalus", "email" : "effiegates@digitalus.com", "city" : "Blodgett", "state" : "MD" } },... ``` ---
**Author:** ![MrFantastic2022](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e68b1a/32.png) [@MrFantastic2022](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/MrFantastic2022)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2022, 9:16pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-use-filters-in-a-query/296990/3 "2022-02-11T21:16:28Z")
Thank you! I will correct the typo and try again on Monday - headed out for the day in a few minutes! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MrFantastic2022](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e68b1a/32.png) [@MrFantastic2022](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/MrFantastic2022)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2022, 2:33pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-use-filters-in-a-query/296990/4 "2022-02-14T14:33:45Z")
Hi, Tomo - the typo exists in the code I typed into the post, since I can't copy the code from the Kibana console, as it is on a separate network. Having said that, the original code which _DOES NOT_ work _HAS_ the operator **"must"** properly quoted. Is there anything else I can look at? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![MrFantastic2022](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e68b1a/32.png) [@MrFantastic2022](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/MrFantastic2022)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2022, 2:36pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-use-filters-in-a-query/296990/5 "2022-02-14T14:36:32Z")
Another puzzling result: when I remove the filter, I get 28 hits but see only 10 entries. Why is that? ---
**Author:** ![Tomo\_M](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/848f3c/32.png) [@Tomo\_M](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Tomo_M)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2022, 2:40pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-use-filters-in-a-query/296990/6 "2022-02-14T14:40:53Z")
Elasticsearch returns only top 10 hits by default. ---
**Author:** ![MrFantastic2022](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e68b1a/32.png) [@MrFantastic2022](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/MrFantastic2022)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2022, 2:51pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-use-filters-in-a-query/296990/7 "2022-02-14T14:51:52Z")
Thank you, that's what I thought. Is there a parameter I can set which controls it for this particular search? I see such a parameter in other search types, like in the Java API with the size() method. ---
**Author:** ![Tomo\_M](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/848f3c/32.png) [@Tomo\_M](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Tomo_M)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2022, 3:09pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-use-filters-in-a-query/296990/8 "2022-02-14T15:09:50Z")
See [here](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/search-search.html). `size` is that. ---
**Author:** ![MrFantastic2022](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e68b1a/32.png) [@MrFantastic2022](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/MrFantastic2022)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2022, 3:12pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-use-filters-in-a-query/296990/9 "2022-02-14T15:12:50Z")
Okay, I'll look in the docs I'm working with. That link points to the latest ES; I'm on 6.8 at the moment. ---
**Author:** ![MrFantastic2022](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e68b1a/32.png) [@MrFantastic2022](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/MrFantastic2022)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2022, 6:24pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-use-filters-in-a-query/296990/10 "2022-02-14T18:24:41Z")
Is there anything else I can look at to see what is going on here? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Tomo\_M](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/848f3c/32.png) [@Tomo\_M](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Tomo_M)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2022, 11:01pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-use-filters-in-a-query/296990/11 "2022-02-14T23:01:38Z")
You can google "Elasticsearch 6.8 size" to find [From / Size | Elasticsearch Guide [6.8] | Elastic](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/6.8/search-request-from-size.html) ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 11:01pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-use-filters-in-a-query/296990/12 "2022-03-14T23:01:40Z")
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