# Scoring results from multiple indices **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [November 16, 2012, 11:54am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/scoring-results-from-multiple-indices/9740 "2012-11-16T11:54:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Andrew\_O\_Brien](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/andrew_o_brien/32/1642_2.png) [@Andrew\_O\_Brien](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Andrew_O_Brien)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 11:54am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/scoring-results-from-multiple-indices/9740/1 "2012-11-16T11:54:51Z")
Hi everyone, I love how easy it is to search multiple indices at once in ES, but I started to wonder: how does scoring work with multiple indices? From what I understand, the idf of a term within an index was only valid for that particular index. When you search across multiple indices does that someone combine the idfs? Or does the searcher end up just comparing score values (even though they are strictly comparable), relying on us to provide index boosts to compensate? Thanks. -- ---
**Author:** ![Iftekharul\_Haque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19adc/32.png) [@Iftekharul\_Haque](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Iftekharul_Haque)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 1:09pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/scoring-results-from-multiple-indices/9740/2 "2012-11-16T13:09:00Z")
A query to n indices, results in n result sets. Scores can differentiate within a result set, but not across result sets. On Friday, November 16, 2012, Andrew O'Brien wrote: > Hi everyone, > > I love how easy it is to search multiple indices at once in ES, but I > started to wonder: how does scoring work with multiple indices? From what I > understand, the idf of a term within an index was only valid for that > particular index. When you search across multiple indices does that someone > combine the idfs? > > Or does the searcher end up just comparing score values (even though they > are strictly comparable), relying on us to provide index boosts to > compensate? > > Thanks. > > -- -- ---
**Author:** ![Andrew\_O\_Brien](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/andrew_o_brien/32/1642_2.png) [@Andrew\_O\_Brien](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Andrew_O_Brien)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 2:19pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/scoring-results-from-multiple-indices/9740/3 "2012-11-16T14:19:17Z")
So when I GET /\_search without specifying an index, I get results from multiple indices. I don't have them in front of me now, but I'm pretty sure they were mixed together (which follows from what I understood from the Multi-Tenancy blurb on the ES front page). How does that work? -- ---
**Author:** ![Igor\_Motov](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/igor_motov/32/45193_2.png) [@Igor\_Motov](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Igor_Motov)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 11:19pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/scoring-results-from-multiple-indices/9740/4 "2012-11-16T23:19:07Z")
You can choose how elasticsearch should handle distributed scoring by specifying search\_type for your query: > **[Elasticsearch Platform — Find real-time answers at scale](https://www.elastic.co)** > > Power insights and outcomes with the Elasticsearch Platform and AI. See into your data and find answers that matter with enterprise solutions designed to help you build, observe, and protect. Try Elasticsearch free today. On Friday, November 16, 2012 9:19:17 AM UTC-5, Andrew O'Brien wrote: > So when I GET /\_search without specifying an index, I get results from > multiple indices. I don't have them in front of me now, but I'm pretty sure > they were mixed together (which follows from what I understood from the > Multi-Tenancy blurb on the ES front page). How does that work? -- ---
**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, 3:03am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/scoring-results-from-multiple-indices/9740/5 "2017-07-06T03:03:55Z")