# Index alias functionality

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/index-alias-functionality/211524>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Created:** [December 11, 2019, 9:21pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/index-alias-functionality/211524 "2019-12-11T21:21:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![John\_Guzman](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/john_guzman/32/83587_2.png) [@John\_Guzman](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/John_Guzman)\
**Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 9:21pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/index-alias-functionality/211524/1 "2019-12-11T21:21:42Z")

</div>

Hello ES Community!

I want to know what happens when i make a search on an Index Alias ​​with a time filter. Will it bring me back only the indexes that contains that data to search on them or it will bring me back all the indexes of the alias making the search slower?.

Thanks!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![spinscale](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/spinscale/32/25011_2.png) [@spinscale](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/spinscale)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2019, 9:08am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/index-alias-functionality/211524/2 "2019-12-12T09:08:18Z")

</div>

Hey,

that filter is added to your query automatically. It's basically the same search that you would execute by specifying all the indices you point to in the alias and that time filter manually.

Hope this helps!

--Alex

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![John\_Guzman](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/john_guzman/32/83587_2.png) [@John\_Guzman](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/John_Guzman)\
**Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 4:43pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/index-alias-functionality/211524/3 "2019-12-17T16:43:02Z")

</div>

Hi, Alexander

So, it would be better just search for the indexes i need (for example on event based indexes, one per day) instead of searching on the whole index alias? I mean, in matter of performance and response time.

Thanks

---

<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:** [January 14, 2020, 4:43pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/index-alias-functionality/211524/4 "2020-01-14T16:43:03Z")

</div>

This topic was automatically closed 28 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.