# Value does not exist
**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/value-does-not-exist/274833
**Category:** Elasticsearch
**Created:** [June 3, 2021, 8:23am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/value-does-not-exist/274833 "2021-06-03T08:23:29Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@kehers](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/kehers)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2021, 8:23am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/value-does-not-exist/274833/1 "2021-06-03T08:23:29Z")
I am familiar with checking if a field exists using the exists query. I am wondering if there is a way to check if a value does not exist instead; something like this:
```auto
GET /_search
{
"query": {
"bool": {
"must_not": {
"exists": {
"field": "user",
"value": "id"
}
}
}
}
}
```
---
### Author:  [@warkolm](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/warkolm)
#### Post date: [June 7, 2021, 5:55am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/value-does-not-exist/274833/2 "2021-06-07T05:55:43Z")
Welcome to our community! 😃
Do you mean you want to return documents that don't have that value?
---
### Author:  [@kehers](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/kehers)
#### Post date: [June 7, 2021, 2:04pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/value-does-not-exist/274833/3 "2021-06-07T14:04:05Z")
Thanks @warkolm
I think another way to explain it is I want to see if the occurrence of the value is 0. I know one way to do this is to use a count query. But it is a compound query and that won't work.
---
### Author:  [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2021, 2:04pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/value-does-not-exist/274833/4 "2021-07-05T14:04:29Z")
This topic was automatically closed 28 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.