# Update Document **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [April 15, 2010, 8:28pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-document/2911 "2010-04-15T20:28:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![alexandre\_gerlic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a87d85/32.png) [@alexandre\_gerlic](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/alexandre_gerlic)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 8:28pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-document/2911/1 "2010-04-15T20:28:12Z")
Hi, I would like to know if it is possible to update a document, for example replace or add a field ? I found optype = create but it seems to be the only solution. Thanks -- Alexandre Gerlic ---
**Author:** ![Berkay\_Mollamustafao](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Berkay\_Mollamustafao](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Berkay_Mollamustafao)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 8:31pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-document/2911/2 "2010-04-15T20:31:26Z")
The default index command updates the document if it exists. optype create just says don't check whether it exists to improve performance. So if you want to update the doc, I think you just index it again. Regards, Berkay Mollamustafaoglu mberkay on yahoo, google and skype On Thu, Apr 15, 2010 at 4:28 PM, alexandre gerlic \< [alexandre.gerlic@gmail.com](mailto:alexandre.gerlic@gmail.com)\> wrote: > Hi, > > I would like to know if it is possible to update a document, for > example replace or add a field ? > I found optype = create but it seems to be the only solution. > > Thanks > > -- > Alexandre Gerlic ---
**Author:** ![alexandre\_gerlic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a87d85/32.png) [@alexandre\_gerlic](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/alexandre_gerlic)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 8:38pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-document/2911/3 "2010-04-15T20:38:33Z")
2010/4/15 Berkay Mollamustafaoglu [mberkay@gmail.com](mailto:mberkay@gmail.com): > The default index command updates the document if it exists. optype create > just says don't check whether it exists to improve performance. So if you > want to update the doc, I think you just index it again. > Regards, > Berkay Mollamustafaoglu Thanks, I found also this in put mapping section : "When an existing mapping already exists under the given type, the two mapping definitions, the one already defined, and the new ones are merged." > mberkay on yahoo, google and skype > > On Thu, Apr 15, 2010 at 4:28 PM, alexandre gerlic > [alexandre.gerlic@gmail.com](mailto:alexandre.gerlic@gmail.com) wrote: > > > Hi, > > > > I would like to know if it is possible to update a document, for > > example replace or add a field ? > > I found optype = create but it seems to be the only solution. > > > > Thanks > > > > -- > > Alexandre Gerlic -- Alexandre Gerlic ---
**Author:** ![Clinton\_Gormley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@Clinton\_Gormley](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Clinton_Gormley)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 9:29pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-document/2911/4 "2010-04-15T21:29:47Z")
> Thanks, I found also this in put mapping section : > "When an existing mapping already exists under the given type, the two > mapping definitions, the one already defined, and the new ones are > merged." ...if they can be If you have a field defined as 'string', then you want to change it to 'date', you can't do that. You would need to create a new mapping and reindex all the existing documents. I have it working as follows: - my app uses index 'xyz' - 'xyz' is an alias for 'xyz\_1234' if I want to change the mapping: - I create 'xyz\_1235' - read all docs from 'xyz\_1234' -\> index to 'xyz\_1235' - update alias 'xyz' to point to 'xyz\_1235' - delete index 'xyz\_1234' -- Web Announcements Limited is a company registered in England and Wales, with company number 05608868, with registered address at 10 Arvon Road, London, N5 1PR. ---
**Author:** ![kimchy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/kimchy/32/44952_2.png) [@kimchy](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/kimchy)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 10:05am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-document/2911/5 "2010-04-16T10:05:37Z")
Note that this are two different things, updating the mapping and updating a document instance. cheer, shay.banon On Fri, Apr 16, 2010 at 12:29 AM, Clinton Gormley [clinton@iannounce.co.uk](mailto:clinton@iannounce.co.uk)wrote: > > Thanks, I found also this in put mapping section : > > "When an existing mapping already exists under the given type, the two > > mapping definitions, the one already defined, and the new ones are > > merged." > > ...if they can be > > If you have a field defined as 'string', then you want to change it to > 'date', you can't do that. You would need to create a new mapping and > reindex all the existing documents. > > I have it working as follows: > > - my app uses index 'xyz' > - 'xyz' is an alias for 'xyz\_1234' > > if I want to change the mapping: > > - I create 'xyz\_1235' > - read all docs from 'xyz\_1234' -\> index to 'xyz\_1235' > - update alias 'xyz' to point to 'xyz\_1235' > - delete index 'xyz\_1234' > > -- > Web Announcements Limited is a company registered in England and Wales, > with company number 05608868, with registered address at 10 Arvon Road, > London, N5 1PR. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 4:24am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-document/2911/6 "2017-07-06T04:24:37Z")