# Update field to null

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-field-to-null/92376>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Created:** [July 8, 2017, 9:42pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-field-to-null/92376 "2017-07-08T21:42:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![skodari](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/skodari/32/19875_2.png) [@skodari](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/skodari)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2017, 9:42pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-field-to-null/92376/1 "2017-07-08T21:42:19Z")

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I'm java client for elastic search.. I need to update my field(type:date) date to Null.  
For example  
exp\_date : "2017-01-01T18-15-12-345Z"  
to  
exp\_date:null  
???

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rjernst](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/rjernst/32/6363_2.png) [@rjernst](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/rjernst)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 6:33pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-field-to-null/92376/2 "2017-07-19T18:33:45Z")

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`null` is not something indexable in lucene. In elasticsearch, finding a `null` in the json of a document being indexed means "replace with the null\_value". `null_value` is essentially a default value you can specify in the mapping for a field. This is explained a bit better in the definitive guide: [https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/guide/current/\_dealing\_with\_null\_values.html](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/guide/current/_dealing_with_null_values.html)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![skodari](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/skodari/32/19875_2.png) [@skodari](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/skodari)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 2:29pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-field-to-null/92376/3 "2017-07-25T14:29:21Z")

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thanks Ryan

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<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:** [August 22, 2017, 2:29pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-field-to-null/92376/4 "2017-08-22T14:29:23Z")

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