# "NOT Empty" KQL query returns records with empty fields **URL:** \ **Category:** Kibana\ **Tags:** kql-kibana-query-language\ **Created:** [November 30, 2022, 8:40pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/not-empty-kql-query-returns-records-with-empty-fields/320193 "2022-11-30T20:40:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wpm](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/wpm/32/110146_2.png) [@wpm](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/wpm)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2022, 8:40pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/not-empty-kql-query-returns-records-with-empty-fields/320193/1 "2022-11-30T20:40:57Z")
My records have a text field called "My Field". For some records these are the empty string and for others they have a value. I want to find all the ones for which "My Field" is not the empty string. In the KQL query bar of Discover I create a query that says "NOT My Field: (empty)". This returns all the records in the index. I get the same result if I temporarily disable this query clause. If instead I create a query of the form "My Field: some value" I do get records returned. (The data is proprietary, so I can't post an example.) I must not be understanding something about KQL. What am I doing wrong? ---
**Author:** ![jughosta](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/jughosta/32/107160_2.png) [@jughosta](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/jughosta)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2022, 10:02am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/not-empty-kql-query-returns-records-with-empty-fields/320193/2 "2022-12-07T10:02:24Z")
Hi @wpm, Try querying a field with "keyword" field type instead if it's present in your index mapping. For example: `not my_field.keyword: ""`. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2023, 8:57am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/not-empty-kql-query-returns-records-with-empty-fields/320193/3 "2023-01-04T08:57:32Z")
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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:** [February 1, 2023, 8:57am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/not-empty-kql-query-returns-records-with-empty-fields/320193/4 "2023-02-01T08:57:38Z")
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