# Performance impacts of track\_scores on sorted queries
**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/performance-impacts-of-track-scores-on-sorted-queries/260578
**Category:** Elasticsearch
**Created:** [January 8, 2021, 8:43pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/performance-impacts-of-track-scores-on-sorted-queries/260578 "2021-01-08T20:43:09Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@AlanN](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/AlanN)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2021, 8:43pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/performance-impacts-of-track-scores-on-sorted-queries/260578/1 "2021-01-08T20:43:09Z")
Hi,
I'm attempting to wrap my head around what the performance hit is on queries with and without the track\_scores flag flipped in the sort during queries in our ElasticSearch 6.8 cluster. Unfortunately it's pretty busy and I feel like I was unable to isolate enough variables to tease out what the performance hit actually was. I actually got the average score tracked sorted query to be faster than untracked queries, which is the opposite of what I was expecting.
Has anyone found a meaningful performance hit? Or does anyone know what the factors are with the track\_scores flag and how they affect searches? Perhaps a ballpark on the % inefficiency in query time?
Thanks!
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### Author:  [@myspacebarisbroken](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/myspacebarisbroken)
#### Post date: [January 9, 2021, 6:57am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/performance-impacts-of-track-scores-on-sorted-queries/260578/2 "2021-01-09T06:57:12Z")
I'm not sure testing performance stuff like that is a good idea on live servers haha -
But when sorting on a field, scores are not computed. By setting track\_scores to true, scores will be computed and tracked. So there's going to be some kind of performance impact, even if it's extremely small/unnoticeable, it's going to be there.
If you were using it on live servers and getting mixed results (as in faster or equivalent searches) it's safe to say it wont impact search speed much.
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### Author:  [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [February 6, 2021, 6:57am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/performance-impacts-of-track-scores-on-sorted-queries/260578/3 "2021-02-06T06:57:23Z")
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