# Sorting by \_uid
**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/sorting-by--uid/12956
**Category:** Elasticsearch
**Created:** [July 26, 2013, 3:09pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/sorting-by--uid/12956 "2013-07-26T15:09:08Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Roy\_Russo](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Roy_Russo)
#### Post date: [July 26, 2013, 3:09pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/sorting-by--uid/12956/1 "2013-07-26T15:09:08Z")
Hello all,
When sorting by ES's internal ID (\_uid), I've noticed that the uid field is
not treated/sorted as numeric, even though ES assigns it a numeric value.
Is this by design?
Example: (Note that "2" comes after "144")
{"query":{"filtered":{"query":{"query\_string":{"query":"captain"}}}},"from":
0,"size":50,"sort":{"\_uid":{"order":"asc"}}}:
output:
## 5: { \_index: "comicbook" \_type: "superhero" \_id: "144" \_score: null \_source: { name: "Bart Allen" }- sort: [1] 0: "superhero#144"
## }- 6: { \_index: "comicbook" \_type: "superhero" \_id: "2" \_score: null \_source: { name: "Spider-Man" }- sort: [1] 0: "superhero#2"
}-
7: {
\_index: "comicbook"
\_type: "superhero"
\_id: "20"
\_score: null
\_source: {
name: "Captain Marvel"
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### Author:  [@Ivan](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Ivan)
#### Post date: [July 26, 2013, 9:34pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/sorting-by--uid/12956/2 "2013-07-26T21:34:37Z")
I am not positive, but I don't believe the \_uid is indexed by default (\_id
is not) and therefore you will not be able to sort on it.
--
Ivan
On Fri, Jul 26, 2013 at 8:09 AM, Roy Russo [royrusso@gmail.com](mailto:royrusso@gmail.com) wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> When sorting by ES's internal ID (\_uid), I've noticed that the uid field
> is not treated/sorted as numeric, even though ES assigns it a numeric
> value. Is this by design?
>
> Example: (Note that "2" comes after "144")
>
> {"query":{"filtered":{"query":{"query\_string":{"query":"captain"}}}},
> "from":0,"size":50,"sort":{"\_uid":{"order":"asc"}}}:
>
> output:
>
> ## 5: { \_index: "comicbook" \_type: "superhero" \_id: "144" \_score: null \_source: { name: "Bart Allen" }- sort: [1] 0: "superhero#144"
>
> ## }- 6: { \_index: "comicbook" \_type: "superhero" \_id: "2" \_score: null \_source: { name: "Spider-Man" }- sort: [1] 0: "superhero#2"
>
> }-
> 7: {
> \_index: "comicbook"
> \_type: "superhero"
> \_id: "20"
> \_score: null
> \_source: {
> name: "Captain Marvel"
>
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### Author:  [@javanna](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/javanna)
#### Post date: [July 27, 2013, 10:22am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/sorting-by--uid/12956/3 "2013-07-27T10:22:04Z")
The \_uid field[http://www.elasticsearch.org/guide/reference/mapping/uid-field/](http://www.elasticsearch.org/guide/reference/mapping/uid-field/)is indexed by default, while the \_id
field [http://www.elasticsearch.org/guide/reference/mapping/id-field/](http://www.elasticsearch.org/guide/reference/mapping/id-field/)isn't.
The \_uid field contains both the \_type and the \_id field. Since both of
those fields aren't necessarily numeric, \_uid is not numeric either. That's
why numbers are not sorted properly. Also, if you sort on the \_uid field
when querying multiple types, then all the documents that belong to one of
the types will be listed, then the other type...and so on.
I would define a specific field for sorting, with proper mapping so that
it's indexed and treated as a number.
Cheers
Luca
On Friday, July 26, 2013 11:34:37 PM UTC+2, Ivan Brusic wrote:
> I am not positive, but I don't believe the \_uid is indexed by default (\_id
> is not) and therefore you will not be able to sort on it.
>
> --
> Ivan
>
> On Fri, Jul 26, 2013 at 8:09 AM, Roy Russo \<[royr...@gmail.com](mailto:royr...@gmail.com)\
>
> > wrote:
>
> > Hello all,
> >
> > When sorting by ES's internal ID (\_uid), I've noticed that the uid field
> > is not treated/sorted as numeric, even though ES assigns it a numeric
> > value. Is this by design?
> >
> > Example: (Note that "2" comes after "144")
> >
> > {"query":{"filtered":{"query":{"query\_string":{"query":"captain"}}}},
> > "from":0,"size":50,"sort":{"\_uid":{"order":"asc"}}}:
> >
> > output:
> >
> > ## 5: { \_index: "comicbook" \_type: "superhero" \_id: "144" \_score: null \_source: { name: "Bart Allen" }- sort: [1] 0: "superhero#144"
> >
> > ## }- 6: { \_index: "comicbook" \_type: "superhero" \_id: "2" \_score: null \_source: { name: "Spider-Man" }- sort: [1] 0: "superhero#2"
> >
> > }-
> > 7: {
> > \_index: "comicbook"
> > \_type: "superhero"
> > \_id: "20"
> > \_score: null
> > \_source: {
> > name: "Captain Marvel"
> >
> > --
> > 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
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### Author:  [@Roy\_Russo](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Roy_Russo)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2013, 2:52pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/sorting-by--uid/12956/4 "2013-07-29T14:52:06Z")
Thanks Luca! This jives with what I read in another post... the \_type + \_id
= \_uid
On Saturday, July 27, 2013 6:22:04 AM UTC-4, Luca Cavanna wrote:
> The \_uid field[http://www.elasticsearch.org/guide/reference/mapping/uid-field/](http://www.elasticsearch.org/guide/reference/mapping/uid-field/)is indexed by default, while the \_id
> field [http://www.elasticsearch.org/guide/reference/mapping/id-field/](http://www.elasticsearch.org/guide/reference/mapping/id-field/)isn't.
>
> The \_uid field contains both the \_type and the \_id field. Since both of
> those fields aren't necessarily numeric, \_uid is not numeric either. That's
> why numbers are not sorted properly. Also, if you sort on the \_uid field
> when querying multiple types, then all the documents that belong to one of
> the types will be listed, then the other type...and so on.
>
> I would define a specific field for sorting, with proper mapping so that
> it's indexed and treated as a number.
>
> Cheers
> Luca
>
> On Friday, July 26, 2013 11:34:37 PM UTC+2, Ivan Brusic wrote:
>
> > I am not positive, but I don't believe the \_uid is indexed by default
> > (\_id is not) and therefore you will not be able to sort on it.
> >
> > --
> > Ivan
> >
> > On Fri, Jul 26, 2013 at 8:09 AM, Roy Russo [royr...@gmail.com](mailto:royr...@gmail.com) wrote:
> >
> > > Hello all,
> > >
> > > When sorting by ES's internal ID (\_uid), I've noticed that the uid field
> > > is not treated/sorted as numeric, even though ES assigns it a numeric
> > > value. Is this by design?
> > >
> > > Example: (Note that "2" comes after "144")
> > >
> > > {"query":{"filtered":{"query":{"query\_string":{"query":"captain"}}}},
> > > "from":0,"size":50,"sort":{"\_uid":{"order":"asc"}}}:
> > >
> > > output:
> > >
> > > ## 5: { \_index: "comicbook" \_type: "superhero" \_id: "144" \_score: null \_source: { name: "Bart Allen" }- sort: [1] 0: "superhero#144"
> > >
> > > ## }- 6: { \_index: "comicbook" \_type: "superhero" \_id: "2" \_score: null \_source: { name: "Spider-Man" }- sort: [1] 0: "superhero#2"
> > >
> > > }-
> > > 7: {
> > > \_index: "comicbook"
> > > \_type: "superhero"
> > > \_id: "20"
> > > \_score: null
> > > \_source: {
> > > name: "Captain Marvel"
> > >
> > > --
> > > 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 [elasticsearc...@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearc...@googlegroups.com).
> > > For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/groups/opt\_out](https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out).
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### Author:  [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [July 6, 2017, 2:23am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/sorting-by--uid/12956/5 "2017-07-06T02:23:59Z")