# Inconsistency with queries on unknown fields **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Tags:** eql-elastic-query-language\ **Created:** [June 13, 2023, 8:49am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/inconsistency-with-queries-on-unknown-fields/335841 "2023-06-13T08:49:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![yfful](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/yfful/32/88024_2.png) [@yfful](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/yfful)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2023, 8:49am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/inconsistency-with-queries-on-unknown-fields/335841/1 "2023-06-13T08:49:20Z")
Hello, If you make a search request with a `geo_bounding_box` query, it will fail with a `QueryShardException` with message `failed to find geo field [my-field]` in the case where the index doesn't have a mapping for `my-field`. However, if you try other queries such as `terms`, it will **not** fail if you execute it over a field that is not defined in the mapping; it will just return no result. What should I do to make the `geo_bounding_box` query behave like the `terms` query in the case the index is missing a mapping for the field ? This behaviour happens in Elasticsearch 8.8. ---
**Author:** ![Alex\_Salgado-Elastic](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/alex_salgado-elastic/32/103081_2.png) [@Alex\_Salgado-Elastic](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Alex_Salgado-Elastic)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2023, 8:24pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/inconsistency-with-queries-on-unknown-fields/335841/2 "2023-06-21T20:24:22Z")
> [@yfful](#): > > Hello, > > If you make a search request with a `geo_bounding_box` query, it will fail with a `QueryShardException` with message `failed to find geo field [my-field]` in the case where the index doesn't have a mapping for `my-field`. However, if you try other queries such as `terms`, it will **not** fail if you execute it over a field that is not defined in the mapping; it will just return no result. > > What should I do to make the `geo_bounding_box` query behave like the `terms` query in the case the index is missing a mapping for the field ? > > This behaviour happens in Elasticsearch 8.8. Hi @yfful , Can you list the structure of your index? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![yfful](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/yfful/32/88024_2.png) [@yfful](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/yfful)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2023, 9:04pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/inconsistency-with-queries-on-unknown-fields/335841/3 "2023-06-21T21:04:22Z")
Hello @Alex_Salgado-Elastic , This can be seen with a bare bone index, default mappings. For example, create an index with just a single document: ```auto GET test/_search { "_shards": { "failed": 0, "skipped": 0, "successful": 1, "total": 1 }, "hits": { "hits": [ { "_id": "GeG_34gBVnz3g-FH0pXq", "_index": "test", "_score": 1.0, "_source": { "f1": "aaa" } } ], "max_score": 1.0, "total": { "relation": "eq", "value": 1 } }, "timed_out": false, "took": 66 } ``` The query with `geo_bounding_box` fails if the field doesn't exist, but `terms` doesn't: ```auto GET test/_search { "query": { "terms": { "f2": [ "aaa" ] } } } GET test/_search { "query": { "geo_bounding_box": { "f2": { "top_left": { "lat": 41.722535, "lon": -0.0109849999999998 }, "bottom_right": { "lat": 41.195595000000004, "lon": 25.169675 } } } } } ``` ---
**Author:** ![Alex\_Salgado-Elastic](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/alex_salgado-elastic/32/103081_2.png) [@Alex\_Salgado-Elastic](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Alex_Salgado-Elastic)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2023, 3:15pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/inconsistency-with-queries-on-unknown-fields/335841/4 "2023-06-22T15:15:49Z")
Have you tried using the "exists" method? This method checks if a specific field exists in a document before executing the query. Here is an example of how you can adapt your query: ```auto GET test/_search { "query": { "bool": { "filter": { "exists": { "field": "f2" } }, "must": { "geo_bounding_box": { "f2": { "top_left": { "lat": 41.722535, "lon": -0.0109849999999998 }, "bottom_right": { "lat": 41.195595000000004, "lon": 25.169675 } } } } } } } ``` ---
**Author:** ![yfful](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/yfful/32/88024_2.png) [@yfful](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/yfful)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2023, 6:56pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/inconsistency-with-queries-on-unknown-fields/335841/5 "2023-06-22T18:56:35Z")
It works but I think it's cumbersome having to put the `exists` query. There may be other queries that have the same issue with missing fields; we'd have to pair every query with an `exists` query then. For example, this can become very complex in `bool` queries with a `should` clause. Consider the following with a "natural" expression: ```auto { "query": { "bool": { "should": [ { "geo_bounding_box": { "f2": { "top_left": { "lat": 41.722535, "lon": -0.0109849999999998 }, "bottom_right": { "lat": 41.195595000000004, "lon": 25.169675 } } } }, { "geo_bounding_box": { "f3": { "top_left": { "lat": 41.722535, "lon": -0.0109849999999998 }, "bottom_right": { "lat": 41.195595000000004, "lon": 25.169675 } } } } ] } } } ``` With the `exists` query trick, this must be written as: ```auto { "query": { "bool": { "should": [ { "bool": { "filter": [ { "geo_bounding_box": { "f3": { "top_left": { "lat": 41.722535, "lon": -0.0109849999999998 }, "bottom_right": { "lat": 41.195595000000004, "lon": 25.169675 } } } }, { "exists": { "field": "f3" } } ] } }, { "bool": { "filter": [ { "geo_bounding_box": { "f2": { "top_left": { "lat": 41.722535, "lon": -0.0109849999999998 }, "bottom_right": { "lat": 41.195595000000004, "lon": 25.169675 } } } }, { "exists": { "field": "f2" } } ] } } ] } } } ``` I think the "natural" expression of the `should` clause is better. The `exists` query fix works for simple cases, but it doesn't seem to scale to more complex ones. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2023, 6:57pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/inconsistency-with-queries-on-unknown-fields/335841/6 "2023-07-20T18:57:35Z")
Closed on July 20, 2023, 6:57pm UTC This topic was automatically closed 28 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.