# Java API for Mappings **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [July 23, 2010, 3:06pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/java-api-for-mappings/3142 "2010-07-23T15:06:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![James\_Cook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@James\_Cook](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/James_Cook)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2010, 3:06pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/java-api-for-mappings/3142/1 "2010-07-23T15:06:01Z")
Hi, How do I use the Java API's to add a mapping to Elastic Search? At startup, I would like to check and see if a mapping (for a specific set of types) exists yet. If it doesn't, I will add it. Also, do I add a mapping file to each node in my cluster, or when I add a mapping file to one node, does it apply to all nodes? One more, I want to run the mapping file into the node when it initializes. If it is going to use mapping files from other nodes, do I have to wait for a specific event to occur before I can check for the presence of the mapping file? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![kimchy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/kimchy/32/44952_2.png) [@kimchy](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/kimchy)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2010, 3:11pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/java-api-for-mappings/3142/2 "2010-07-23T15:11:46Z")
There is an API to put mappings, it is exposed as a Java API (under the indices admin API). You can get the current mappings from the cluster state Java API. Once you put a mapping, it is automatically shared between all the different nodes (and future nodes) in the cluster and stored as part of the cluster meta data. -shay.banon On Fri, Jul 23, 2010 at 6:06 PM, James Cook [jcook@tracermedia.com](mailto:jcook@tracermedia.com) wrote: > Hi, > > How do I use the Java API's to add a mapping to Elastic Search? > > At startup, I would like to check and see if a mapping (for a specific set > of types) exists yet. If it doesn't, I will add it. > > Also, do I add a mapping file to each node in my cluster, or when I add a > mapping file to one node, does it apply to all nodes? > > One more, I want to run the mapping file into the node when it initializes. > If it is going to use mapping files from other nodes, do I have to wait for > a specific event to occur before I can check for the presence of the mapping > file? > > Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 4:21am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/java-api-for-mappings/3142/3 "2017-07-06T04:21:44Z")