# Searching array for empty string causes tab lockup and shows garbage

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/searching-array-for-empty-string-causes-tab-lockup-and-shows-garbage/312149>\
**Category:** Kibana\
**Created:** [August 16, 2022, 8:30am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/searching-array-for-empty-string-causes-tab-lockup-and-shows-garbage/312149 "2022-08-16T08:30:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![nisow95612](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3d9bf3/32.png) [@nisow95612](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/nisow95612)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2022, 8:30am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/searching-array-for-empty-string-causes-tab-lockup-and-shows-garbage/312149/1 "2022-08-16T08:30:29Z")

</div>

Hello.  
I have a keyword field in elastic. I index arrays of string into it.  
I usually search with KQL like `field: value` and it works.  
But how I search for empty string?

I tried `field:`, but that gives Search Error.  
I tried `field: ""`, but that makes kibana tab lock up.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![nisow95612](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3d9bf3/32.png) [@nisow95612](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/nisow95612)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2022, 9:21am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/searching-array-for-empty-string-causes-tab-lockup-and-shows-garbage/312149/2 "2022-08-16T09:21:09Z")

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Oh. After an hour it finished, but it show garbage like `x<mark></mark><<mark></mark>m<mark></mark>a<mark></mark>r<mark></mark>k<mark></mark>><mark></mark><<mark></mark>/<mark></mark>m<mark></mark>a<mark></mark>r<mark></mark>k<mark></mark>><mark></mark><<mark>`...

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cheshirecat](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/cheshirecat/32/109532_2.png) [@cheshirecat](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/cheshirecat)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2022, 10:25am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/searching-array-for-empty-string-causes-tab-lockup-and-shows-garbage/312149/3 "2022-08-16T10:25:44Z")

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Something like this? [Query for an empty string.](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/query-for-an-empty-string/83070)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![nisow95612](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3d9bf3/32.png) [@nisow95612](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/nisow95612)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2022, 1:16pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/searching-array-for-empty-string-causes-tab-lockup-and-shows-garbage/312149/4 "2022-08-16T13:16:04Z")

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My field is `keyword` type, so by that topic `field: ""` should work.  
 ![img1](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/d/9/d9994e477d6d9d15795658f26cd394d274d9d40e.png)

Er. It does not give error, but I wouldn't say it works:

 ![img2](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/8/8/882b7058566065900c0d9dda2e570d47fe7a28fa.png)

Changed topic title to question why it causes tab lockup and much later show garbage.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![nisow95612](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3d9bf3/32.png) [@nisow95612](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/nisow95612)\
**Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 7:52am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/searching-array-for-empty-string-causes-tab-lockup-and-shows-garbage/312149/5 "2022-08-18T07:52:35Z")

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Found it. I think its kibana bug.

Create index like this:

```auto
PUT /lab_1
{
  "settings": {
    "number_of_shards": 1,
    "number_of_replicas": 0
  },
  "mappings": {
    "properties": {
      "trigger": {
        "type": "keyword"
      },
      "@timestamp": {
        "type": "date"
      }
    }
  }
}

```

Index two documents in it:

```auto
POST /lab_1/_doc/
{
  "trigger": ["", "", "xyz"],
  "@timestamp": "2022-08-08"
}

```

```auto
POST /lab_1/_doc/
{
  "trigger": ["", "", "", "xyz"],
  "@timestamp": "2022-08-08"
}

```

Create kibana index pattern for `lab_*` and search it for `trigger: ""`.

First document will show like `(empty), (empty), x<mark></mark>y<mark></mark>z`  
Second document will show like `(empty), (empty), (empty), x<mark></mark><<mark></mark>m<mark></mark>a<mark></mark>r<mark></mark>k<mark></mark>><mark></mark><<mark></mark>/<mark></mark>m<mark></mark>a<mark></mark>r<mark></mark>k<mark></mark>><mark></mark>y<mark></mark><<mark></mark>m<mark></mark>a<mark></mark>r<mark></mark>k<mark></mark>><mark></mark><<mark></mark>/<mark></mark>m<mark></mark>a<mark></mark>r<mark></mark>k<mark></mark>><mark></mark>z`

 ![kbb](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/f/0/f07c1b3c11f24719c442e49e2ce1c27e14b36323.png)  
Can somebody please test this and report to github? I can't. Microsoft doesn't like my e-mail host.

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<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:** [September 15, 2022, 7:52am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/searching-array-for-empty-string-causes-tab-lockup-and-shows-garbage/312149/6 "2022-09-15T07:52:52Z")

</div>

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