# In Elasticsearch 2.2.0, how to do a filter-only query?

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/in-elasticsearch-2-2-0-how-to-do-a-filter-only-query/43329>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Created:** [March 3, 2016, 1:43am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/in-elasticsearch-2-2-0-how-to-do-a-filter-only-query/43329 "2016-03-03T01:43:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![tbessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a698b9/32.png) [@tbessie](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/tbessie)\
**Post date:** [March 3, 2016, 1:43am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/in-elasticsearch-2-2-0-how-to-do-a-filter-only-query/43329/1 "2016-03-03T01:43:27Z")

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In Elasticsearch 1.5.2 I used:

```
                builder = builder.setQuery(QueryBuilders.filteredQuery(null, afb));

```

(where "afb" was my collection of filters).

However, if I use:

```
                builder = builder.setQuery(QueryBuilders.boolQuery().must(null).filter(afb));

```

... in Elasticsearch 2.2.0, and then examine the builder with builder.toString(), I see:

```
    { "error" : "NullPointerException[null]"}

```

... this seems to indicate that using must(null) is not acceptable. If not, what can I use to create a filter-only query, with no search term?

- Tim

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**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 3, 2016, 4:38am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/in-elasticsearch-2-2-0-how-to-do-a-filter-only-query/43329/2 "2016-03-03T04:38:53Z")

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Don't use must method.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tbessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a698b9/32.png) [@tbessie](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/tbessie)\
**Post date:** [March 3, 2016, 4:44am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/in-elasticsearch-2-2-0-how-to-do-a-filter-only-query/43329/3 "2016-03-03T04:44:52Z")

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Ah, thanks!

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**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, 11:11pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/in-elasticsearch-2-2-0-how-to-do-a-filter-only-query/43329/4 "2017-07-05T23:11:49Z")

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