# Update\_by\_query with proceed does not return failure
**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-by-query-with-proceed-does-not-return-failure/309338
**Category:** Elasticsearch
**Created:** [July 11, 2022, 3:48pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-by-query-with-proceed-does-not-return-failure/309338 "2022-07-11T15:48:19Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Paul\_Le\_Tilly](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Paul_Le_Tilly)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2022, 3:48pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-by-query-with-proceed-does-not-return-failure/309338/1 "2022-07-11T15:48:19Z")
HI all,
So I was reading a bit about the documentation for the api [update\_by\_query](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/docs-update-by-query.html).
From my understanding of the `conflict`, parameter.
You can have 2 behaviours
1. `Abort`, that will stop at the first issue and report on the failures within a batch
2. `Proceed`, if the issue is version conflict do not stop.
But none of those behaviour say the failures array is going to be empty.
When I am doing some tests (purposefully creating version errors).
- `Abort` does fill the `failures` array with doc's info
- `Proceed` does not.
I am not sure this is a bug / feature.
But my question is, how would you go with the following use case.
I need to update some documents and get version conflit from time to time. I would still like those documents updated. What is the best way to recover from those situations ?
1. Using `Abort` means some docs that could have been updated were not and I don't know which one
2. Using `Proceed` means some docs have not been updated, I don't know which ones.
What do you think ?
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### Author:  [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2022, 3:49pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-by-query-with-proceed-does-not-return-failure/309338/2 "2022-08-08T15:49:14Z")
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