# \_update\_by\_query with ES 2.1
**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-by-query-with-es-2-1/157574
**Category:** Elasticsearch
**Created:** [November 20, 2018, 2:55pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-by-query-with-es-2-1/157574 "2018-11-20T14:55:33Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@boeledi01](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/boeledi01)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2018, 2:55pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-by-query-with-es-2-1/157574/1 "2018-11-20T14:55:33Z")
I need to apply a fix to the content of various documents in ES 2.1 (bug in the code we urgently need to fix).
We have ~400 M documents in ES 2.1
The following request works perfectly in ES 6:
POST messages/\_update\_by\_query
{
"script": {
"source": "ctx.\_source.item.amountEuro=(Math.round(100.0\*ctx.\_source.item.amountNational/ctx.\_source.item.conversionRate))/100.0",
"lang": "painless"
},
"query": {
"term": {
"country": "HR"
}
}
}
In ES 2.1, I have a type: "sdr"
Therefore, I tried running the very same request, simply adding the type as follows:
POST messages/ **sdr** /\_udpate\_by\_query
...
but this does not work (at least nothing is performed at the level of the documents).
What am I doing wrong?
Many thanks for your help.
---
### Author:  [@byronvoorbach](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/byronvoorbach)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2018, 2:58pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-by-query-with-es-2-1/157574/2 "2018-11-20T14:58:51Z")
Painless was not supported till ES 5.0
Reference: [link](https://www.elastic.co/blog/painless-a-new-scripting-language)
You will have to rewrite your current script to a Groovy script. As explained [here](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/2.1/modules-scripting.html)
Good luck with fixing your issue!
---
### Author:  [@byronvoorbach](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/byronvoorbach)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2018, 3:01pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-by-query-with-es-2-1/157574/3 "2018-11-20T15:01:46Z")
Ohh now that I think of it, `update_by_query` api was not implemented until version 2.3..
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### Author:  [@boeledi01](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/boeledi01)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2018, 3:04pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-by-query-with-es-2-1/157574/4 "2018-11-20T15:04:50Z")
Don't tell me that ☹
Therefore I need to make a dedicated development to solve this... oh no...
Thanks for your answer.
---
### Author:  [@byronvoorbach](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/byronvoorbach)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2018, 3:08pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-by-query-with-es-2-1/157574/5 "2018-11-20T15:08:45Z")
Sorry man 😢 wish I could be of more help
---
### Author:  [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2018, 3:10pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-by-query-with-es-2-1/157574/6 "2018-12-18T15:10:50Z")
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