# Nested query and empty results **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [July 3, 2017, 3:44pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/nested-query-and-empty-results/91665 "2017-07-03T15:44:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![airpons1](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/airpons1/32/19727_2.png) [@airpons1](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/airpons1)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 3:44pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/nested-query-and-empty-results/91665/1 "2017-07-03T15:44:59Z")
Hi all, I'm starting to use ES and I struggle with the concept of nested queries. I would like to filter nested comment of my blog post respecting the following condition - Only nested elements which respect query are returned - If there are no nested results, the parent must be returned. The goal is to return all posts without their unvalidated comments. **My mapping** ``` { "post":{ "mappings":{ "post":{ "properties":{ "id":{ "type":"integer" }, "comments":{ "type":"nested", "include_in_parent":true, "properties":{ "content":{ "type":"text" }, "is_valid":{ "type":"integer", } } } } } } } } ``` **Current documents** ``` { "_shards": { "total": 1, "successful": 1, "failed": 0 }, "hits": { "total": 3, "max_score": 1, "hits": [ { "_type": "post", "_id": "1", "_score": 1, "_routing": "1", "_source": { "id": "1", "comments": [ { "id": "1", "content": "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.", "is_valid" : 1 }, { "id": "2", "content": "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.", "is_valid" : 0 }, ] }, { "id": "2", "comments": [ { "id": "3", "content": "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.", "is_valid" : 0 } ] }, { "id": "3", }, } ] } } ``` **Current query** ``` GET _search { "query": { "bool": { "should": [ { "nested": { "path": "comments", "query": { "match" : { "comments.is_valid" : 1 } }, "inner_hits": {} } }, { "bool": { "must_not": { "exists": { "field": "comments" } } } } ] } } } ``` So with this query, I can retrieve **post#1** without invalid comments in his inner\_hits field and **post#3** cause he has no comments. But I don't know how to get **post#2** , he has only one invalid comment and this query doesn't match. How can I fix this? Thanks 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Rory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Rory](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Rory)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 4:00pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/nested-query-and-empty-results/91665/2 "2017-07-03T16:00:20Z")
What is it exactly that you want the query to return? All posts that have at least 1 invalid comment or no comments at all?? ---
**Author:** ![airpons1](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/airpons1/32/19727_2.png) [@airpons1](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/airpons1)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 4:11pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/nested-query-and-empty-results/91665/3 "2017-07-03T16:11:45Z")
Ideally this ``` { "hits": { "total": 3, "max_score": 1, "hits": [ { "_source": { "id": "1", "comments": [ { "id": "1", "content": "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet", "is_valid" : 1 }, ] } }, { "_source": { "id": "2" } }, { "_source": { "id": "3", }, ] } } ``` I want to get all posts, regardless they have comments or not. And if they had, only valid ones will be returned. ---
**Author:** ![Rory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Rory](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Rory)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 8:59pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/nested-query-and-empty-results/91665/4 "2017-07-13T20:59:16Z")
Sorry for the late reply. But i think what you need to do is use two nested queries: ``` GET /indexname/_search { "size":0, "query":{ "bool":{ "should": [ { "nested":{ #condition 1 } }, { "nested":{ #condition 2 } } ] } } } ``` I am not 100% sure why the query format you used doesn't work, maybe someone on the Elastic Team can reply to the thread, I tried using your format and it surely doesn't work. But the one I provided works for me, let me know if this solves your issue. Sorry for the late reply. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![airpons1](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/airpons1/32/19727_2.png) [@airpons1](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/airpons1)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 3:29pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/nested-query-and-empty-results/91665/5 "2017-07-18T15:29:41Z")
Hi, Thx for your answer I tried with 2 nested queries, But I'm not able to get **post#2** without his invalid comments, or I miss something. Basically, the question is, can nested query filter doc's children without impact their parents? If my nested query returns no result, can I still get the parent? Maybe I'm trying to achieve something that ES is not designed for. ^^ ---
**Author:** ![Rory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Rory](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Rory)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 1:54am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/nested-query-and-empty-results/91665/6 "2017-07-19T01:54:02Z")
So you have 3 different kinds of nested documents that you want the query to return. Have you tried using 3 nested queries inside the should block(each nested block would return one kind of document that you want the query to return)... ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2017, 1:54am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/nested-query-and-empty-results/91665/7 "2017-08-16T01:54:03Z")
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