# Removing boost from an existing index **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [October 12, 2012, 10:09pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/removing-boost-from-an-existing-index/9345 "2012-10-12T22:09:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![masonite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@masonite](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/masonite)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 10:09pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/removing-boost-from-an-existing-index/9345/1 "2012-10-12T22:09:50Z")
Hello, First time posting and fairly new ElasticSearch user... We have some fairly large indexes which were unfortunately mapped with many fields having a "boost" factor but also "omit\_norms" set to true. In the older versions of Lucene this wasn't too much of an issue but now when attempting a version upgrade we've discovered that Lucene 3.6 is throwing exceptions for such fields. Is it possible to update the mappings of our existing indexes to remove these boost settings? If not, what are our possible remedies? --Mason ---
**Author:** ![dadoonet](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/dadoonet/32/137187_2.png) [@dadoonet](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dadoonet)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 10:53am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/removing-boost-from-an-existing-index/9345/2 "2012-10-16T10:53:33Z")
IMHO, I'm not sure you can modify boost in mapping. Just run a test with a simple mapping and then add a boost on this field and merge mapping. Modify it again and merge. If you get MergeException, you will have to reindex all your docs. That's one of the reason I follow Shay's advice and I now use boost at query Time. If you don't have anymore your source docs, and you have not disabled \_source field, you can scan & scroll your index and reindex in another index (with new settings). BTW I don't know what is the effect of applying a boost factor at query time on a field with a defined boost. Perhaps, the first one can cancel the second one? HTH -- David 😉 Twitter : @dadoonet / @elasticsearchfr / @scrutmydocs Le 13 oct. 2012 à 00:09, masonite [masonite@gmail.com](mailto:masonite@gmail.com) a écrit : > Hello, > > First time posting and fairly new Elasticsearch user... We have some fairly > large indexes which were unfortunately mapped with many fields having a > "boost" factor but also "omit\_norms" set to true. In the older versions of > Lucene this wasn't too much of an issue but now when attempting a version > upgrade we've discovered that Lucene 3.6 is throwing exceptions for such > fields. > > Is it possible to update the mappings of our existing indexes to remove > these boost settings? If not, what are our possible remedies? > > --Mason > > -- > View this message in context: [http://elasticsearch-users.115913.n3.nabble.com/removing-boost-from-an-existing-index-tp4023929.html](http://elasticsearch-users.115913.n3.nabble.com/removing-boost-from-an-existing-index-tp4023929.html) > Sent from the Elasticsearch Users mailing list archive at [Nabble.com](http://Nabble.com). > > -- -- ---
**Author:** ![dadoonet](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/dadoonet/32/137187_2.png) [@dadoonet](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dadoonet)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 11:15am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/removing-boost-from-an-existing-index/9345/3 "2012-10-16T11:15:40Z")
Not sure my first answer has been delivered. Posting it again: sorry for the noise :-/ IMHO, I'm not sure you can modify boost in mapping. Just run a test with a simple mapping and then add a boost on this field and merge mapping. Modify it again and merge. If you get MergeException, you will have to reindex all your docs. That's one of the reason I follow Shay's advice and I now use boost at query Time. If you don't have anymore your source docs, and you have not disabled \_source field, you can scan & scroll your index and reindex in another index (with new settings). BTW I don't know what is the effect of applying a boost factor at query time on a field with a defined boost. Perhaps, the first one can cancel the second one? HTH -- David 😉 Twitter : @dadoonet / @elasticsearchfr / @scrutmydocs Le 13 oct. 2012 à 00:09, masonite [masonite@gmail.com](mailto:masonite@gmail.com) a écrit : > Hello, > > First time posting and fairly new Elasticsearch user... We have some fairly > large indexes which were unfortunately mapped with many fields having a > "boost" factor but also "omit\_norms" set to true. In the older versions of > Lucene this wasn't too much of an issue but now when attempting a version > upgrade we've discovered that Lucene 3.6 is throwing exceptions for such > fields. > > Is it possible to update the mappings of our existing indexes to remove > these boost settings? If not, what are our possible remedies? > > --Mason > > -- > View this message in context: [http://elasticsearch-users.115913.n3.nabble.com/removing-boost-from-an-existing-index-tp4023929.html](http://elasticsearch-users.115913.n3.nabble.com/removing-boost-from-an-existing-index-tp4023929.html) > Sent from the Elasticsearch Users mailing list archive at [Nabble.com](http://Nabble.com). > > -- -- ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 3:08am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/removing-boost-from-an-existing-index/9345/4 "2017-07-06T03:08:34Z")