# Sorting on timestamps from multiple fields **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [June 12, 2014, 1:29pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/sorting-on-timestamps-from-multiple-fields/18069 "2014-06-12T13:29:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jurian\_Sluiman](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/jurian_sluiman/32/1128_2.png) [@Jurian\_Sluiman](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Jurian_Sluiman)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2014, 1:29pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/sorting-on-timestamps-from-multiple-fields/18069/1 "2014-06-12T13:29:04Z")
In Elasticsearch I'd like to index items of multiple types. Examples are "blog posts" and "deals". All types in the index should be sorted according to their publish date, with a single exception: deals are valid in a certain time span. The sorting of deals within the complete list should NOT be based on publish time but on the "valid until" timestamp. So the question is, how can I sort on the publish date of the blog post and the "valid until" date of the deals, in a single query? _Raw example data_ 12/06: Blog post 8 11/06: Blog post 7 09/06: Blog post 6 09/06: Deal 2 06/06: Blog post 5 03/06: Blog post 4 29/05: Blog post 3 27/05: Blog post 2 26/05: Deal 1 26/05: Blog post 1 The deal #2 is available from 09/06 - 23/06, deal #1 was available from 26/05 - 09/06 and so on (every x weeks n new deals valid for a T period of time, possible overlap). _Expected result_ This should be the result of the search: 09/06: Deal 2 // Valid until 23/06, so this should be on top 12/06: Blog post 8 11/06: Blog post 7 09/06: Blog post 6 26/05: Deal 1 // It was valid until 09/06, so place this just before the blog post from 09/06 06/06: Blog post 5 03/06: Blog post 4 29/05: Blog post 3 27/05: Blog post 2 26/05: Blog post 1 To make things more difficult, I have to consider these things as well: 1. Pagination should work no matter of the paging size (shouln't be a big issue I guess) 2. More types could be added in the future (shouln't be a big issue as well) 3. Other types (say, events) could have a same system, where another time span ("promotional period") will be used 4. All items can be tagged / categorized and it should be able to filter on these tags and use faceted search, all having the same sorting constraints It's the first time I dive into ES, so I am not sure if it clear to it's just a matter of RTFM, but please give me a nudge in the right direction 🙂 -- Jurian -- 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). To view this discussion on the web visit [https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/56737978-9303-408d-b7a6-cd515b2e40f2%40googlegroups.com](https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/56737978-9303-408d-b7a6-cd515b2e40f2%40googlegroups.com). For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/d/optout](https://groups.google.com/d/optout). ---
**Author:** ![jprante](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/jprante/32/44941_2.png) [@jprante](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/jprante)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2014, 3:28pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/sorting-on-timestamps-from-multiple-fields/18069/2 "2014-06-12T15:28:43Z")
If you have two (or more) date fields to sort on, look at "copy\_to" mapping feature to copy them over to a third field e.g. "sort\_date". So you have a single field you can happily to sort on, without having to change fields in the source. Same method works for tag/category fields in different indexes that are meant for facets that can span more than one index. Jörg On Thu, Jun 12, 2014 at 3:29 PM, Jurian Sluiman [jurian@soflomo.com](mailto:jurian@soflomo.com) wrote: > In Elasticsearch I'd like to index items of multiple types. Examples are "blog posts" and "deals". All types in the index should be sorted according to their publish date, with a single exception: deals are valid in a certain time span. The sorting of deals within the complete list should NOT be based on publish time but on the "valid until" timestamp. So the question is, how can I sort on the publish date of the blog post and the "valid until" date of the deals, in a single query? > _Raw example data_ > > 12/06: Blog post 8 > 11/06: Blog post 7 > 09/06: Blog post 6 > 09/06: Deal 2 > 06/06: Blog post 5 > 03/06: Blog post 4 > 29/05: Blog post 3 > 27/05: Blog post 2 > 26/05: Deal 1 > 26/05: Blog post 1 > > The deal #2 is available from 09/06 - 23/06, deal #1 was available from 26/05 - 09/06 and so on (every x weeks n new deals valid for a T period of time, possible overlap). > _Expected result_ > > This should be the result of the search: > > 09/06: Deal 2 // Valid until 23/06, so this should be on top > 12/06: Blog post 8 > 11/06: Blog post 7 > 09/06: Blog post 6 > 26/05: Deal 1 // It was valid until 09/06, so place this just before the blog post from 09/06 > 06/06: Blog post 5 > 03/06: Blog post 4 > 29/05: Blog post 3 > 27/05: Blog post 2 > 26/05: Blog post 1 > > To make things more difficult, I have to consider these things as well: > > 1. Pagination should work no matter of the paging size (shouln't be a big issue I guess) > 2. More types could be added in the future (shouln't be a big issue as well) > 3. Other types (say, events) could have a same system, where another time span ("promotional period") will be used > 4. All items can be tagged / categorized and it should be able to filter on these tags and use faceted search, all having the same sorting constraints > > It's the first time I dive into ES, so I am not sure if it clear to it's just a matter of RTFM, but please give me a nudge in the right direction 🙂 > > -- > > Jurian > > -- > 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). > To view this discussion on the web visit > [https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/56737978-9303-408d-b7a6-cd515b2e40f2%40googlegroups.com](https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/56737978-9303-408d-b7a6-cd515b2e40f2%40googlegroups.com) > [https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/56737978-9303-408d-b7a6-cd515b2e40f2%40googlegroups.com?utm\_medium=email&utm\_source=footer](https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/56737978-9303-408d-b7a6-cd515b2e40f2%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer) > . > For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/d/optout](https://groups.google.com/d/optout). -- 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). To view this discussion on the web visit [https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/CAKdsXoEy0LxMsiABW6up8jWsVYBXqUjHs8zTLHOWe68q8tAiXA%40mail.gmail.com](https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/CAKdsXoEy0LxMsiABW6up8jWsVYBXqUjHs8zTLHOWe68q8tAiXA%40mail.gmail.com). For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/d/optout](https://groups.google.com/d/optout). ---
**Author:** ![Jurian\_Sluiman](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/jurian_sluiman/32/1128_2.png) [@Jurian\_Sluiman](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Jurian_Sluiman)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2014, 8:52am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/sorting-on-timestamps-from-multiple-fields/18069/3 "2014-06-17T08:52:46Z")
Thanks for the response 🙂 ## I was now testing it out with the \_timestamp field which I need to set manually for each item, but copy\_to seems even better. Thanks for the insights! Jurian On Thursday, June 12, 2014 5:28:49 PM UTC+2, Jörg Prante wrote: > If you have two (or more) date fields to sort on, look at "copy\_to" > mapping feature to copy them over to a third field e.g. "sort\_date". So you > have a single field you can happily to sort on, without having to change > fields in the source. > > Same method works for tag/category fields in different indexes that are > meant for facets that can span more than one index. > > Jörg -- 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). To view this discussion on the web visit [https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/755c9765-581d-425c-8bde-86a463d9f5d8%40googlegroups.com](https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/755c9765-581d-425c-8bde-86a463d9f5d8%40googlegroups.com). For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/d/optout](https://groups.google.com/d/optout). ---
**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, 1:21am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/sorting-on-timestamps-from-multiple-fields/18069/4 "2017-07-06T01:21:53Z")