# Search API vs Query DSL

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/search-api-vs-query-dsl/58149>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Created:** [August 16, 2016, 1:56pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/search-api-vs-query-dsl/58149 "2016-08-16T13:56:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![muhamadli302](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@muhamadli302](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/muhamadli302)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 1:56pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/search-api-vs-query-dsl/58149/1 "2016-08-16T13:56:44Z")

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Hi,

can someone please explain the difference between Search API and Query DSL?  
I have been using both but still don't understand the difference.

Thanks

---

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**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:** [August 16, 2016, 3:06pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/search-api-vs-query-dsl/58149/2 "2016-08-16T15:06:25Z")

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Query DSL is a language for specifying queries. The Search API is a subset of operations that you can perform with an elasticsearch cluster related to search. Many Search API operations such as search and percolation requests accept queries as a part of these requests, these queries have to be specified in Query DSL.

So, you can think of Query DSL as a part of Search API. In other words, if we take a look at this request:

```auto
GET /_search
{
    "query" : {
        "term" : { "user" : "kimchy" }
    },
    "size": 100,
    "from": 300
}

```

then this portion can be considered to be a part of Search API:

```auto
GET /_search
{
    "query" : {
        ...
    },
    "size": 100,
    "from": 300
}

```

And this portion is Query DSL:

```auto
{
        "term" : { "user" : "kimchy" }
}

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2017, 10:27pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/search-api-vs-query-dsl/58149/3 "2017-07-05T22:27:33Z")

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