# Understanding index template behavior **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [August 19, 2019, 5:24am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/understanding-index-template-behavior/195673 "2019-08-19T05:24:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![s2dent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@s2dent](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/s2dent)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2019, 5:24am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/understanding-index-template-behavior/195673/1 "2019-08-19T05:24:59Z")
Hi I would like to define a define an index template to cast an array (e.g. [-86.832375, 35.913284]) as geo\_point. Defining a template and posting a record via Kibana dev tool works beautifully. However, doing the same steps but posting through HTTP route leads to parse\_exception error. Here is a reproducible example: **Step 1** Define the template within Kibana dev tool: ``` PUT _template/meetup_template { "settings": { "number_of_shards": "1", "number_of_replicas": "1" }, "index_patterns": "meetup*", "aliases": {}, "mappings": { "properties": { "group_coordinate": { "type": "geo_point" }, "venue_coordinate": { "type": "geo_point" } } } } ``` **Step 2** within Kibana dev tool add the first record and create and index ``` POST /meetupprocessedindex01/_doc {"timestamp":"2019-08-18T19:54:59.953-07:00","rsvp_id":"1802216455","member_id":"281884161","member_name":"Jon Palmer","photo":"https://secure.meetupstatic.com/photos/member/4/9/f/6/thumb_288618934.jpeg","response":"no","mtime":"51600-05-16T05:36:27.000-07:00","lat":35.913284,"lon":-86.832375,"venue_id":"24413059","venue_name":"Outer Limits","guests":0,"group_city":"Nashville","group_country":"us","group_id":"25471951","group_lat":36.17,"group_lon":-86.72,"group_name":"Tennessee PFS and SFS","group_topics":[{"topic_name":"Roleplaying Games (RPGs)","urlkey":"roleplaying-games-rpgs"},{"topic_name":"Tabletop Role Playing and Board Games","urlkey":"tabletop-role-playing-and-board-games"},{"topic_name":"Pathfinder Roleplaying Game","urlkey":"pathfinder-roleplaying-game"},{"topic_name":"Pathfinder Society","urlkey":"pathfinder-society"},{"topic_name":"Starfinder Society","urlkey":"starfinder-society"},{"topic_name":"Pathfinder 2 Society","urlkey":"pathfinder-2-society"}],"group_urlname":"TN-PFS-SFS","group_coordinate":[-86.72,36.17],"venue_coordinate":[-86.832375,35.913284]} ``` All works well here! **Step 3** within Kibana dev tool delete the newly created index `DELETE meetupprocessedindex01` **Step 4** open terminal and try to post the same record `curl -H "Content-Type: application/json" -X POST "http://localhost:9200/meetupprocessedindex01/default/" -d '{"timestamp":"2019-08-18T19:54:59.953-07:00","rsvp_id":"1802216455","member_id":"281884161","member_name":"Jon Palmer","photo":"https://secure.meetupstatic.com/photos/member/4/9/f/6/thumb_288618934.jpeg","response":"no","mtime":"51600-05-16T05:36:27.000-07:00","lat":35.913284,"lon":-86.832375,"venue_id":"24413059","venue_name":"Outer Limits","guests":0,"group_city":"Nashville","group_country":"us","group_id":"25471951","group_lat":36.17,"group_lon":-86.72,"group_name":"Tennessee PFS and SFS","group_topics":[{"topic_name":"Roleplaying Games (RPGs)","urlkey":"roleplaying-games-rpgs"},{"topic_name":"Tabletop Role Playing and Board Games","urlkey":"tabletop-role-playing-and-board-games"},{"topic_name":"Pathfinder Roleplaying Game","urlkey":"pathfinder-roleplaying-game"},{"topic_name":"Pathfinder Society","urlkey":"pathfinder-society"},{"topic_name":"Starfinder Society","urlkey":"starfinder-society"},{"topic_name":"Pathfinder 2 Society","urlkey":"pathfinder-2-society"}],"group_urlname":"TN-PFS-SFS","group_coordinate":[-86.72,36.17],"venue_coordinate":[-86.832375,35.913284]}'` Get the error `{"error":{"root_cause":[{"type":"parse_exception","reason":"geo_point expected"}],"type":"mapper_parsing_exception","reason":"failed to parse field [group_coordinate] of type [geo_point]","caused_by":{"type":"parse_exception","reason":"geo_point expected"}},"status":400}` Question: why steps 3 and 4 lead to error while 1 and 2 work? How should I be posting using the http rout? Any help will be much appreciated! Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![abdon](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/abdon/32/9195_2.png) [@abdon](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/abdon)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2019, 12:38pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/understanding-index-template-behavior/195673/2 "2019-08-19T12:38:43Z")
I think the error you're getting is a red herring. In your step 4, you are using the `default` document type. You should use the `_doc` endpoint. ---
**Author:** ![s2dent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@s2dent](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/s2dent)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2019, 2:03pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/understanding-index-template-behavior/195673/3 "2019-08-19T14:03:53Z")
Thank you very much for the response! I will replace "default" with " \_doc" and report back. ---
**Author:** ![s2dent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@s2dent](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/s2dent)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2019, 6:42am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/understanding-index-template-behavior/195673/4 "2019-08-20T06:42:36Z")
That was it!!! Thank you very much Abdon!! ---
**Author:** ![s2dent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@s2dent](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/s2dent)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2019, 6:47am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/understanding-index-template-behavior/195673/5 "2019-08-20T06:47:54Z")
For context, I am using Apache nifi 1.9.2. and puthttpelasticsearchrecord processor. In the topic field I had chosen `default` which was working fine unless I had defined the array of [lat,lon] as geo\_point. In that case, it was giving an error. I first tried to reproduce the http post (above) which recreated the same error I was seeing in nifi logs. The solution that Abdon suggested for the http post via curl worked beautifully with nifi too. Specifically, I changed the topic to `_doc` and then ingestion after applying the index template still worked well. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 6:56am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/understanding-index-template-behavior/195673/6 "2019-09-17T06:56:21Z")
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