# Query help must\_not except when
**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/query-help-must-not-except-when/172935
**Category:** Elasticsearch
**Created:** [March 19, 2019, 10:03am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/query-help-must-not-except-when/172935 "2019-03-19T10:03:38Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@grant\_donovan](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/grant_donovan)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2019, 10:03am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/query-help-must-not-except-when/172935/1 "2019-03-19T10:03:38Z")
I wonder if someone would be able to help me with this query
The query works and returns results, but I want to change the must not bit, instead of
"must\_not": [ { "match": { "notificationType": "88" }}
I want to say do not include records where notificationType = 88 except if brand="Fiction" and PublicationDate=now
I don't understand how to add in that exception to the main query.
Any help would be appreciated
Thanks
Grant
```
{
"query": {
"bool": {
"must": [
{
"range": {
"pub_date_calculated": {
"lt": "now+180d"
}
}
}
],
"must_not": [
{
"match": {
"notificationType": "88"
}
},
{
"match": {
"productForm": "DH"
}
}
] }
}
}
```
---
### Author:  [@dadoonet](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dadoonet)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2019, 10:20am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/query-help-must-not-except-when/172935/2 "2019-03-19T10:20:54Z")
I think you need to add a new `bool` query inside your `must_not` clause.
This new `bool` query would then be a `should` array with 2 clauses:
- One for `notificationType = 88`
- Another one with a bool query containing a must\_not array with 2 clauses for:
- `brand="Fiction"`
- `PublicationDate=now`
HTH
---
### Author:  [@grant\_donovan](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/grant_donovan)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2019, 11:18am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/query-help-must-not-except-when/172935/3 "2019-03-19T11:18:07Z")
Thanks for the guidance, I still don't seem to be able to get this to work. I would be expecting the number of records to increase. Have I done this must\_not query correctly?
Ant help would be appreciated
Grant
```
"must_not": [
{
"query": {
"bool": {
"should": [
{
"match": {
"notificationType": "88"
}
},
{
"query": {
"bool": {
"must": [
{
"match": {
"brand": "Fiction"
}
},
{
"range": {
"pub_date_calculated": {
"lt": "now+280d"
}
}
}
]
}
}
}
]
}
}
},
{
"match": {
"notificationType": "88"
}
},
{
"match": {
"productForm": "DH"
}
}
```
]
---
### Author:  [@dadoonet](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dadoonet)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2019, 11:30am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/query-help-must-not-except-when/172935/4 "2019-03-19T11:30:53Z")
I believe this because you let the following clauses:
```auto
{
"match": {
"notificationType": "88"
}
},
{
"match": {
"productForm": "DH"
}
}
```
I'd probably remove that.
If you need further help, could you provide a full recreation script as described in [About the Elasticsearch category](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/about-the-elasticsearch-category/21). It will help to better understand what you are doing. Please, try to keep the example as simple as possible.
---
### Author:  [@grant\_donovan](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/grant_donovan)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2019, 12:36pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/query-help-must-not-except-when/172935/5 "2019-03-19T12:36:08Z")
OK, I have a simpler version below
Get records pub\_date\_calculated less than now + 1 day
Exclude records notificationType = 88
Include all records that have an Imprint of Avon (even if they have a notificationType = 88)
Thanks
Grant
```
productindex/_search
{
"query": {
"bool": {
"must": [
{
"range": {
"pub_date_calculated": {
"lt": "now+1d"
}
}
}
],
"must_not": [
{
"query": {
"bool": {
"should": [
{
"match": {
"notificationType": "88"
}
},
{
"query": {
"bool": {
"must_not": [
{
"match": {
"imprint": "Avon"
}
}
]
}
}
}
]
}
}
}
]
}
}
}
```
---
### Author:  [@dadoonet](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dadoonet)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2019, 2:03pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/query-help-must-not-except-when/172935/6 "2019-03-19T14:03:18Z")
Does it work?
---
### Author:  [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2019, 2:03pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/query-help-must-not-except-when/172935/7 "2019-04-16T14:03:25Z")
This topic was automatically closed 28 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.