# \_update\_by\_query with substring

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-by-query-with-substring/288777>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Tags:** painless\
**Created:** [November 9, 2021, 3:02pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-by-query-with-substring/288777 "2021-11-09T15:02:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Petr.Simik](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/petr.simik/32/38082_2.png) [@Petr.Simik](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Petr.Simik)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2021, 3:02pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-by-query-with-substring/288777/1 "2021-11-09T15:02:41Z")

</div>

Hi  
I wand to update specific fields with its substring value  
MSISDN: "444123456"  
replace with  
MSISDN: "123456"

is there a way how to write update query ?  
What is the best way to do such thing.

thank you  
P

```auto
POST test_index/_update_by_query
{
  "script": {
    "source":"""
        ctx._source.MSISDN = substring(ctx._source.MSISDN,4,12);
        """,
    "lang": "painless"
  },
  "query": {
    "prefix": {"MSISDN": {"value": "444"}}
  }
}

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![aaron-nimocks](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/aaron-nimocks/32/73965_2.png) [@aaron-nimocks](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/aaron-nimocks)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2021, 3:32pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-by-query-with-substring/288777/2 "2021-11-09T15:32:14Z")

</div>

Think you are looking for this.

`ctx._source.MSISDN = ctx._source.MSISDN.substring(3, 9);`

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Petr.Simik](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/petr.simik/32/38082_2.png) [@Petr.Simik](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Petr.Simik)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2021, 6:40pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-by-query-with-substring/288777/3 "2021-11-09T18:40:40Z")

</div>

> [@aaron-nimocks](#):
>
> ctx.\_source.MSISDN = ctx.\_source.MSISDN.substring(3, 9);

Great this is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you such a fast response.

Do you have any tip where to start with coding more complex scripts in painless?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![aaron-nimocks](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/aaron-nimocks/32/73965_2.png) [@aaron-nimocks](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/aaron-nimocks)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2021, 6:45pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-by-query-with-substring/288777/4 "2021-11-09T18:45:12Z")

</div>

I learn best by watching video tutorials. Painless is Java (for the most part).

A free course on Java on YouTube is where I would go to start.

---

<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:** [December 7, 2021, 6:45pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-by-query-with-substring/288777/5 "2021-12-07T18:45:19Z")

</div>

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