# Should I index log data with multifield mappings on string types?

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/should-i-index-log-data-with-multifield-mappings-on-string-types/67816>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Created:** [December 1, 2016, 11:59pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/should-i-index-log-data-with-multifield-mappings-on-string-types/67816 "2016-12-01T23:59:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Elastic999](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4491bb/32.png) [@Elastic999](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Elastic999)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 11:59pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/should-i-index-log-data-with-multifield-mappings-on-string-types/67816/1 "2016-12-01T23:59:23Z")

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Greetings--

I'm using Elasticsearch to store log data from various types of systems. When I first began configuring the ELK environment I noticed that in similar situations, Users online indexed string types with a multifield mapping; using {fieldnames}.raw to satisfy the need of having not\_analyzed strings in indices of log data. At the time, I figured doing it this way might be a good idea. I would have full text search (analyzed strings) if needed, but still be able to search/sort unanalyzed strings as well - so I implemented this logic into the cluster.

As time has gone on, I've found that having analyzed strings in log data hasn't really benefited me at all. I don't search analyzed fields in my day-to-day use of Elasticsearch. My question is this: is using multifield mappings, like I am now, considered best-practice in this situation? Or would I be OK setting all string types to not\_analyzed via index templates? Before I make the change I just wanted to inquire if I'd be in conflict with a best practice or missing something obvious.

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2016, 12:00am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/should-i-index-log-data-with-multifield-mappings-on-string-types/67816/2 "2016-12-30T00:00:00Z")

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Closed on December 30, 2016, 12:00am UTC

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