# \`max\_errors\` clarification - its use and purpose
**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/max-errors-clarification-its-use-and-purpose/51810
**Category:** Elasticsearch
**Created:** [June 3, 2016, 3:56pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/max-errors-clarification-its-use-and-purpose/51810 "2016-06-03T15:56:05Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Imran\_Azad](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Imran_Azad)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2016, 3:56pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/max-errors-clarification-its-use-and-purpose/51810/1 "2016-06-03T15:56:05Z")
I want to clarify the purpose of max\_errors I understand that it is an option to specify the number of erroneous terms in a given phrase. In my use case, I would always want all terms to be corrected so for example:
paracetmol tummour CLODRoONATE
If I specify max\_errors as 2 I get the following output:
"suggest": {
"phrase": [
{
"text": "paracetmol tummour CLODRoONATE",
"offset": 0,
"length": 30,
"options": [
{
"text": "paracetamol tumour clodroonate",
"highlighted": "_paracetamol tumour_ clodroonate",
"score": 0.0000011286303
},
{
"text": "paracetmol tumour clodronate",
"highlighted": "paracetmol _tumour clodronate_",
"score": 3.56549e-7
},
{
"text": "paracetmol tumour clodroonate",
"highlighted": "paracetmol _tumour_ clodroonate",
"score": 1.8145049e-7
},
{
"text": "paracetamol tummour clodronate",
"highlighted": "_paracetamol_ tummour _clodronate_",
"score": 1.7691919e-7
},
{
"text": "paracetamol tummour clodroonate",
"highlighted": "_paracetamol_ tummour clodroonate",
"score": 9.003551e-8
}
]
}
]
}
}
However I would always want as many terms to be corrected as possible so in this instance I would specify 3, since a query string can be any number in length, I'm planning on setting this to a large number such as 200 to ensure as many terms are corrected as possible. So the question is what exactly is the purpose of max\_errors why would you want to set a limit on it? Perhaps I'm misunderstanding its purpose of what it is intended for.
---
### Author:  [@Mark\_Harwood](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Mark_Harwood)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2016, 4:23pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/max-errors-clarification-its-use-and-purpose/51810/2 "2016-06-03T16:23:05Z")
> [@Imran\_Azad](#):
>
> since a query string can be any number in length, I'm planning on setting this to a large number such as 200
If it is set to a fraction (ie \>0 and \<1) rather than a number \>=1 then it acts a percentage of the provided terms.
> [@Imran\_Azad](#):
>
> why would you want to set a limit on it?
The docs [1] warn of a performance hit but I presume it might also mean that you have suggestions that aren't remotely close to what the user typed.
[1] [Phrase Suggester | Elasticsearch Guide [2.3] | Elastic](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/2.3/search-suggesters-phrase.html#_basic_phrase_suggest_api_parameters)
---
### Author:  [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2017, 10:46pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/max-errors-clarification-its-use-and-purpose/51810/3 "2017-07-05T22:46:22Z")