# Search results to contain only first element of an array field
**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/search-results-to-contain-only-first-element-of-an-array-field/136525
**Category:** Elasticsearch
**Created:** [June 19, 2018, 3:28pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/search-results-to-contain-only-first-element-of-an-array-field/136525 "2018-06-19T15:28:03Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Pyppe](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Pyppe)
#### Post date: [June 19, 2018, 3:28pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/search-results-to-contain-only-first-element-of-an-array-field/136525/1 "2018-06-19T15:28:04Z")
Hi there.
I want to limit the search result JSON, so that for a particular (nested) field — that is an array — only the first element (if one exists) is returned. I guess the `_source` filtering doesn't support this. I tried painless, but cannot figure out how to handle the case when the array is empty:
```json
{
"query": {...},
"script_fields": {
"firstElement": {
"script": {
"lang": "painless",
"source": "params['_source'].parent.arrayThatMightBeEmpty[0]"
}
}
}
}
```
So this will work, as long as the `arrayThatMightBeEmpty` contains elements, but will fail at runtime, if any search result contains an empty array.
How can this be solved?
Thanks!
---
### Author:  [@Pyppe](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Pyppe)
#### Post date: [June 19, 2018, 3:35pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/search-results-to-contain-only-first-element-of-an-array-field/136525/2 "2018-06-19T15:35:09Z")
OK, thanks for rubber ducking, at least the following works:
```json
"source": "params['_source'].parent.arrayThatMightBeEmpty.stream().findFirst().orElse(null)"
```
But I'd still prefer to return `null` or the actual element. Instead of an array. E.g. `[null]`. Any tips?
---
### Author:  [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2018, 3:35pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/search-results-to-contain-only-first-element-of-an-array-field/136525/3 "2018-07-17T15:35:15Z")
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