# Terminology: Fields that only contain other fields in the mappings

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/terminology-fields-that-only-contain-other-fields-in-the-mappings/306248>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Created:** [June 2, 2022, 3:02pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/terminology-fields-that-only-contain-other-fields-in-the-mappings/306248 "2022-06-02T15:02:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Doc\_Kaos](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/doc_kaos/32/53671_2.png) [@Doc\_Kaos](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Doc_Kaos)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2022, 3:02pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/terminology-fields-that-only-contain-other-fields-in-the-mappings/306248/1 "2022-06-02T15:02:08Z")

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What is is correct term for fields like `author` in the below:

```auto
PUT /publications
{
  "mappings": {
    "properties": {
      "id": { "type": "text" },
      "title": { "type": "text" },
      "abstract": { "type": "text" },
      "author": {
        "properties": {
          "id": { "type": "text" },
          "name": { "type": "text" }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![warkolm](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/warkolm/32/39224_2.png) [@warkolm](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/warkolm)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2022, 11:12pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/terminology-fields-that-only-contain-other-fields-in-the-mappings/306248/2 "2022-06-02T23:12:32Z")

</div>

You mean `author.id`? That'd be a nested field.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Doc\_Kaos](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/doc_kaos/32/53671_2.png) [@Doc\_Kaos](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Doc_Kaos)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2022, 1:16pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/terminology-fields-that-only-contain-other-fields-in-the-mappings/306248/3 "2022-06-03T13:16:50Z")

</div>

But what would you call `author`? A placeholder? field header? folder? 😃

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![warkolm](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/warkolm/32/39224_2.png) [@warkolm](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/warkolm)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2022, 12:59am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/terminology-fields-that-only-contain-other-fields-in-the-mappings/306248/4 "2022-06-06T00:59:33Z")

</div>

Just a field.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/christian_dahlqvist/32/4617_2.png) [@Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Christian_Dahlqvist)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2022, 5:39am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/terminology-fields-that-only-contain-other-fields-in-the-mappings/306248/5 "2022-06-06T05:39:20Z")

</div>

It is a [field mapped as an object](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/8.2/object.html) as it contains other fields.

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<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:** [July 4, 2022, 5:39am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/terminology-fields-that-only-contain-other-fields-in-the-mappings/306248/6 "2022-07-04T05:39:21Z")

</div>

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