# Updating a document in an aliased index collection **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [November 15, 2012, 12:07pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/updating-a-document-in-an-aliased-index-collection/9725 "2012-11-15T12:07:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Karussell\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/54ee81/32.png) [@Karussell\_2](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Karussell_2)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 12:07pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/updating-a-document-in-an-aliased-index-collection/9725/1 "2012-11-15T12:07:07Z")
Hi, the task is to update a document which lays in one of serveral indices (all of them with the same alias). I cannot feed when using the alias (pointing to multiple indices) - this makes sense, but why is the update API not working? Couldn't ElasticSearch get the concrete index as well as the document when searching and then use that to do the update? The problem behind this task is that one index gets bigger and we want to split it in the near future to improve feeding time. But when we would feed into only one index then ElasticSearch will create a new document even if it exists in another index. Regards, Peter. -- ---
**Author:** ![Igor\_Motov](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/igor_motov/32/45193_2.png) [@Igor\_Motov](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Igor_Motov)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 8:17pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/updating-a-document-in-an-aliased-index-collection/9725/2 "2012-11-15T20:17:43Z")
During update elasticsearch doesn't search for a document, it "gets" the document instead. That's why it needs to know exactly where document is located. What you are describing sounds like a special use case of Update by Query [https://github.com/elasticsearch/elasticsearch/issues/1607](https://github.com/elasticsearch/elasticsearch/issues/1607) request. On Thursday, November 15, 2012 7:07:07 AM UTC-5, Karussell wrote: > Hi, > > the task is to update a document which lays in one of serveral indices > (all of them with the same alias). > > I cannot feed when using the alias (pointing to multiple indices) - this > makes sense, but why is the update API not working? Couldn't Elasticsearch > get the concrete index as well as the document when searching and then use > that to do the update? > > The problem behind this task is that one index gets bigger and we want to > split it in the near future to improve feeding time. But when we would feed > into only one index then Elasticsearch will create a new document even if > it exists in another index. > > Regards, > Peter. -- ---
**Author:** ![karmi](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/karmi/32/44951_2.png) [@karmi](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/karmi)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2012, 2:31pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/updating-a-document-in-an-aliased-index-collection/9725/3 "2012-11-19T14:31:09Z")
> I cannot feed when using the alias (pointing to multiple indices) - this > makes sense, but why is the update API not working? Couldn't Elasticsearch > get the concrete index as well as the document when searching and then use > that to do the update? Until the "update by query" API is available, couldn't you just _search_ for the document you want to update, using the alias, the type, and an ID, and then just use the regular AP? Because ES returns the "original", non-aliased index name in the response. Karel -- ---
**Author:** ![Karussell\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/54ee81/32.png) [@Karussell\_2](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Karussell_2)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 12:24pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/updating-a-document-in-an-aliased-index-collection/9725/4 "2012-11-20T12:24:59Z")
Hey, thank you both. Yes, searching is an option. I hoped to avoid somehow the fetching to the client. Peter. On Monday, November 19, 2012 3:31:09 PM UTC+1, Karel Minařík wrote: > I cannot feed when using the alias (pointing to multiple indices) - this > > > makes sense, but why is the update API not working? Couldn't Elasticsearch > > get the concrete index as well as the document when searching and then use > > that to do the update? > > Until the "update by query" API is available, couldn't you just _search_ > for the document you want to update, using the alias, the type, and an ID, > and then just use the regular AP? Because ES returns the "original", > non-aliased index name in the response. > > Karel -- ---
**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, 3:03am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/updating-a-document-in-an-aliased-index-collection/9725/5 "2017-07-06T03:03:34Z")