# Special character searchable or not

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/special-character-searchable-or-not/67729>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Created:** [December 1, 2016, 8:16am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/special-character-searchable-or-not/67729 "2016-12-01T08:16:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Chanh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Chanh](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Chanh)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 8:16am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/special-character-searchable-or-not/67729/1 "2016-12-01T08:16:00Z")

</div>

Hello,

I am using elastic search APIs v1.4.4 and have an issue with the name "1% Bonus Group". I am using wildcard type in our query and there is no result at all with \* 1% \* or 1% query.

{  
"query": {  
"bool": {  
"must": [  
{  
"wildcard": {  
"contacts.group\_name": "\* 1% \*"  
}  
}  
],  
"must\_not": [],  
"should": []  
}  
},  
"from": 0,  
"size": 10,  
"sort": [],  
"facets": { }  
}

But when we change to query\_string type with 1% words, the result is showing, but not showing with \* 1% \* words

{  
"query": {  
"bool": {  
"must": [  
{  
"query\_string": {  
"default\_field": "contacts.group\_name",  
"query": "\* 1% \*"  
}  
}  
],  
"must\_not": [],  
"should": []  
}  
},  
"from": 0,  
"size": 10,  
"sort": [],  
"facets": { }  
}

It is our issue because we want use \* \< searching words \> \* in our query. Could you please advise how to be able to search 1% in both types: query\_string and wildcard type?

Thanks,

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![xavierfacq](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/xavierfacq/32/8744_2.png) [@xavierfacq](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/xavierfacq)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2016, 5:57pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/special-character-searchable-or-not/67729/2 "2016-12-04T17:57:32Z")

</div>

Hi did you try to add a '' before the % ?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Chanh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Chanh](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Chanh)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2016, 10:10am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/special-character-searchable-or-not/67729/3 "2016-12-06T10:10:09Z")

</div>

yes, we tried with \ like \* 1% \* for query\_string or wildcard type and there is no result.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 10:10am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/special-character-searchable-or-not/67729/4 "2017-01-03T10:10:29Z")

</div>

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