# Searching complex parent and child docs in the same query **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [March 29, 2013, 3:31am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/searching-complex-parent-and-child-docs-in-the-same-query/11373 "2013-03-29T03:31:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tbrianjones](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/tbrianjones/32/1402_2.png) [@tbrianjones](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/tbrianjones)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 3:31am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/searching-complex-parent-and-child-docs-in-the-same-query/11373/1 "2013-03-29T03:31:14Z")
I am storing information about companies in an ES index. Right now I have a `company` type and a `file` type. Each file doc has a parent document that is a `company` type. I would like to be able to search companies by both the data within the `company` docs and within the child `file` docs. I have been unable to figure out how to do this and am considering storing the `files` as nested objects inside the `company` docs. My concern is that this will create massive `company` docs that will cause some unforeseen problems, as a company can have thousands of `files` associated with it. Company docs have a lot of information that I need to search by: geolocation data, certifications, descriptions, titles, etc. File docs also have a lot of information like title, description, keywords, etc... as well as the content of the actual file ( pdf, word, ppt ). Searching for top children won't take company doc data into account. Filtering by a query on the children won't allow me to add a weighting based on file results. What should I do? Will including thousands of `file` docs ( with file attachments ) as nested objects inside the parent doc cause problems? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "elasticsearch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com). For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/groups/opt\_out](https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out). ---
**Author:** ![ppearcy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/ppearcy/32/980_2.png) [@ppearcy](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/ppearcy)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 6:31am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/searching-complex-parent-and-child-docs-in-the-same-query/11373/2 "2013-03-29T06:31:36Z")
Would it be possible to push the company info into each file doc? This would be painful, though, if the company data changes. I think your only other option is nested documents. This means that when the file or company data changes that company/files doc will get entirely re-indexed. Will this work at your scale? I have no clue 🙂 So, you have to denormalize one way or another. Pushing the company data into each file seems to be the cleaner approach. Best Regards, Paul On Thursday, March 28, 2013 9:31:14 PM UTC-6, Brian Jones wrote: > I am storing information about companies in an ES index. Right now I have > a `company` type and a `file` type. Each file doc has a parent document > that is a `company` type. I would like to be able to search companies by > both the data within the `company` docs and within the child `file` docs. > I have been unable to figure out how to do this and am considering storing > the `files` as nested objects inside the `company` docs. My concern is > that this will create massive `company` docs that will cause some > unforeseen problems, as a company can have thousands of `files` associated > with it. > > Company docs have a lot of information that I need to search by: > geolocation data, certifications, descriptions, titles, etc. > > File docs also have a lot of information like title, description, > keywords, etc... as well as the content of the actual file ( pdf, word, ppt > ). > > Searching for top children won't take company doc data into account. > > Filtering by a query on the children won't allow me to add a weighting > based on file results. > > What should I do? Will including thousands of `file` docs ( with file > attachments ) as nested objects inside the parent doc cause problems? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "elasticsearch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com). For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/groups/opt\_out](https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out). ---
**Author:** ![q42jaap](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/q42jaap/32/2241_2.png) [@q42jaap](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/q42jaap)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 9:20am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/searching-complex-parent-and-child-docs-in-the-same-query/11373/3 "2013-03-29T09:20:56Z")
You can issue the query on the file type and use the has\_parent query or filter to query on properties of the company. Elasticsearch will hold the list of \_id's of these parents in memory, it will use this as a filter for the file docs. Jaap Taal [Q42 BV | tel 070 44523 42 | direct 070 44523 65 | [http://q42.nl](http://q42.nl) | Waldorpstraat 17F, Den Haag | Vijzelstraat 72 unit 4.23, Amsterdam | KvK 30164662 ] On Fri, Mar 29, 2013 at 7:31 AM, ppearcy [ppearcy@gmail.com](mailto:ppearcy@gmail.com) wrote: > Would it be possible to push the company info into each file doc? This > would be painful, though, if the company data changes. > > I think your only other option is nested documents. This means that when > the file or company data changes that company/files doc will get entirely > re-indexed. Will this work at your scale? I have no clue 🙂 > > So, you have to denormalize one way or another. Pushing the company data > into each file seems to be the cleaner approach. > > Best Regards, > Paul > > On Thursday, March 28, 2013 9:31:14 PM UTC-6, Brian Jones wrote: > > > I am storing information about companies in an ES index. Right now I > > have a `company` type and a `file` type. Each file doc has a parent > > document that is a `company` type. I would like to be able to search > > companies by both the data within the `company` docs and within the child > > `file` docs. I have been unable to figure out how to do this and am > > considering storing the `files` as nested objects inside the `company` > > docs. My concern is that this will create massive `company` docs that will > > cause some unforeseen problems, as a company can have thousands of `files` > > associated with it. > > > > Company docs have a lot of information that I need to search by: > > geolocation data, certifications, descriptions, titles, etc. > > > > File docs also have a lot of information like title, description, > > keywords, etc... as well as the content of the actual file ( pdf, word, ppt > > ). > > > > Searching for top children won't take company doc data into account. > > > > Filtering by a query on the children won't allow me to add a weighting > > based on file results. > > > > What should I do? Will including thousands of `file` docs ( with file > > attachments ) as nested objects inside the parent doc cause problems? > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "elasticsearch" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com). > For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/groups/opt\_out](https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out). -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "elasticsearch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com). For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/groups/opt\_out](https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out). ---
**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, 2:43am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/searching-complex-parent-and-child-docs-in-the-same-query/11373/4 "2017-07-06T02:43:42Z")