# Is omitting "sort" same as sorting by \_doc?

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/is-omitting-sort-same-as-sorting-by--doc/38898>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Created:** [January 11, 2016, 5:15pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/is-omitting-sort-same-as-sorting-by--doc/38898 "2016-01-11T17:15:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dimitris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@dimitris](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dimitris)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 5:15pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/is-omitting-sort-same-as-sorting-by--doc/38898/1 "2016-01-11T17:15:42Z")

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When sorting is **not** specified at all, is performance going to be equivalent to having specified sorting upon the "\_doc" field?

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**Author:** ![jpountz](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/jpountz/32/45836_2.png) [@jpountz](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/jpountz)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2016, 6:22pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/is-omitting-sort-same-as-sorting-by--doc/38898/2 "2016-02-22T18:22:39Z")

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No: elasticsearch will sort by \_score by default.

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**Author:** ![dimitris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@dimitris](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dimitris)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2016, 10:28am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/is-omitting-sort-same-as-sorting-by--doc/38898/3 "2016-02-23T10:28:40Z")

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Many thanks!

What about when a filters-only query is used (and hence \_score is always null)?

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**Author:** ![jpountz](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/jpountz/32/45836_2.png) [@jpountz](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/jpountz)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2016, 5:42am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/is-omitting-sort-same-as-sorting-by--doc/38898/4 "2016-02-24T05:42:46Z")

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A bool query that only wraps filters is still a query, it will just generate scores that are equal to zero.

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**Author:** ![dimitris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@dimitris](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dimitris)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2016, 2:30pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/is-omitting-sort-same-as-sorting-by--doc/38898/5 "2016-02-24T14:30:01Z")

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Great, 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, 11:13pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/is-omitting-sort-same-as-sorting-by--doc/38898/6 "2017-07-05T23:13:55Z")

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