# Should combining bool queries does not works **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [April 19, 2016, 10:13am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/should-combining-bool-queries-does-not-works/47772 "2016-04-19T10:13:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Juan\_Diaz\_Gonzalez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ea5d25/32.png) [@Juan\_Diaz\_Gonzalez](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Juan_Diaz_Gonzalez)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2016, 10:13am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/should-combining-bool-queries-does-not-works/47772/1 "2016-04-19T10:13:47Z")
I have this query in Elasticsearch 1.4.4: ``` `GET my_jobs/type_job/_search { "fields": [ "id","user","state","start_time","end_time" ], "query": { "bool": { "must": [ {"term": {"user": {"value": "oid:user:id"}}}, {"term": {"id": {"value": "oid:job:301:7544:1"}}} ], "must_not": [ {"term": {"state": {"value": "queued"}}}, {"term": {"queue": {"value": "desktop.q"}}}], "should": [ {"bool": { "must": [ {"term": {"state": {"value": "finished"}}}, {"range": {"start_time": {"lt": 1460930400}}}, {"range": {"end_time": {"gt": 1459461600}}}] }}, {"bool": { "must": [ {"term": {"state": {"value": "started"}}}, {"range": {"start_time": {"lt": 1460930400}}}]}} ] } } } ``` But I am obtaining this: ``` { "took": 3, "timed_out": false, "_shards": { "total": 5, "successful": 5, "failed": 0 }, "hits": { "total": 1, "max_score": 8.948642, "hits": [ { "_index": "my_jobs", "_type": "type_job", "_id": "oid:job:301:7544:1", "_score": 8.948642, "fields": { "id": [ "oid:job:301:7544:1" ], "state": [ "finished" ], "start_time": [ 1460980655 ], "end_time": [ 1460982464 ], "user": [ "oid:user:id" ] } } ] } } ``` But in my opinion this is not working correctly because this condition does not true: ``` "should": [ {"bool": { "must": [ {"term": {"state": {"value": "finished"}}}, {"range": {"start_time": {"lt": 1460930400}}}, {"range": {"end_time": {"gt": 1459461600}}}] }}, ``` and "start\_time": [1460980655] \> 1460930400 and not "start\_time": [1460980655] \< 1460930400 how we specify in the query at the begining. ---
**Author:** ![cbuescher](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/cbuescher/32/60402_2.png) [@cbuescher](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/cbuescher)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 9:23am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/should-combining-bool-queries-does-not-works/47772/2 "2016-04-20T09:23:27Z")
Hi, Clauses you specify under `should` don't necessarily have to match a doc for it to return in the result. A should-clause that matches will increase that documents score, so it will be ranked higher in the results. If the condition you are describing in the `should` clause needs to be true for all documents that are returned, it somehow needs to go into the `must`clause. ---
**Author:** ![nik9000](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/nik9000/32/44947_2.png) [@nik9000](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/nik9000)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 10:38am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/should-combining-bool-queries-does-not-works/47772/3 "2016-04-20T10:38:07Z")
Look at minimum\_should\_match. The default is tricky, I believe it is 0 if there are must clauses and 1 if there aren't. ---
**Author:** ![Juan\_Diaz\_Gonzalez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ea5d25/32.png) [@Juan\_Diaz\_Gonzalez](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Juan_Diaz_Gonzalez)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 11:12am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/should-combining-bool-queries-does-not-works/47772/4 "2016-04-20T11:12:23Z")
At the end I changed my query, if before I have this: A and (not B) and (C or D) now with the new change I did: (C and (A and (not B)) or (D and (A and (not B)) and in this way aparently works correctly. Finally my query is written so: ``` "query": { "bool": { "must": [ {"term": {"user": {"value": "oid:user:id"}}}, {"term": {"id": {"value": "oid:job:301:7544:1"}}} ], "must_not": [ {"term": {"state": {"value": "queued"}}}, {"term": {"queue": {"value": "desktop.q"}}}], "should": [ {"bool": { "must": [ {"term": {"state": {"value": "finished"}}}, {"range": {"start_time": {"lt": 1460930400}}}, {"range": {"end_time": {"gt": 1459461600}}}], "must": [ {"term": {"user": {"value": "oid:user:id"}}}, {"term": {"id": {"value": "oid:job:301:7544:1"}}}], "must_not": [ {"term": {"state": {"value": "queued"}}}, {"term": {"queue": {"value": "desktop.q"}}}] }}, {"bool": { "must": [ {"term": {"state": {"value": "started"}}}, {"range": {"start_time": {"lt": 1460930400}}}]}}], "must": [ {"term": {"user": {"value": "oid:user:id"}}}, {"term": {"id": {"value": "oid:job:301:7544:1"}}}], "must_not": [ {"term": {"state": {"value": "queued"}}}, {"term": {"queue": {"value": "desktop.q"}}}] } } ``` ---
**Author:** ![cbuescher](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/cbuescher/32/60402_2.png) [@cbuescher](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/cbuescher)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 1:26pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/should-combining-bool-queries-does-not-works/47772/5 "2016-04-20T13:26:49Z")
Thanks for sharing your results. ---
**Author:** ![Juan\_Diaz\_Gonzalez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ea5d25/32.png) [@Juan\_Diaz\_Gonzalez](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Juan_Diaz_Gonzalez)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 2:22pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/should-combining-bool-queries-does-not-works/47772/6 "2016-04-20T14:22:53Z")
Thanks to you ---
**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, 10:57pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/should-combining-bool-queries-does-not-works/47772/7 "2017-07-05T22:57:41Z")