# What's the expected behaviour when a document is updated and deleted in the same bulk request?

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/whats-the-expected-behaviour-when-a-document-is-updated-and-deleted-in-the-same-bulk-request/383566>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Created:** [November 20, 2025, 5:12pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/whats-the-expected-behaviour-when-a-document-is-updated-and-deleted-in-the-same-bulk-request/383566 "2025-11-20T17:12:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 3

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![stephenb](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/stephenb/32/40856_2.png) [@stephenb](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/stephenb)\
**Post date:** [November 21, 2025, 5:29pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/whats-the-expected-behaviour-when-a-document-is-updated-and-deleted-in-the-same-bulk-request/383566/3 "2025-11-21T17:29:26Z")

</div>

Hi @js_herbert

I think these are 2 good references as well

> [@Elastic search bulk request API - Is the 'order' of document writing guaranteed](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elastic-search-bulk-request-api-is-the-order-of-document-writing-guaranteed/208055/6):
>
> Thanks for the clarification.

And from the main Lucene Committer himself

> [@Order of \_bulk request operations](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/order-of--bulk-request-operations/98124/2):
>
> You can rely on the fact that operations on the same document (same \_index, \_type and \_id) will be in order. However you can't assume anything for documents that have different indices/types/ids.

A subtlely is that even for the gaurunteed order on the same (same \_index, \_type and \_id) if one early operation fails you still may not get the expected result.

---

_[View the full topic](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/whats-the-expected-behaviour-when-a-document-is-updated-and-deleted-in-the-same-bulk-request/383566)._