# Why can't the mapping field be deleted
**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/why-cant-the-mapping-field-be-deleted/243685
**Category:** Elasticsearch
**Created:** [August 4, 2020, 9:52am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/why-cant-the-mapping-field-be-deleted/243685 "2020-08-04T09:52:44Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@RunAsOnehhb](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/RunAsOnehhb)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2020, 9:52am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/why-cant-the-mapping-field-be-deleted/243685/1 "2020-08-04T09:52:44Z")
Why can't the mapping field be deleted？
---
### Author:  [@Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Christian_Dahlqvist)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2020, 10:14am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/why-cant-the-mapping-field-be-deleted/243685/2 "2020-08-04T10:14:52Z")
Elasticsearch allows fields to be added and some mappings to be changed but deleting fields from a mapping is not allowed. This restriction has as far as I know always been in place, so you will need to reindex to remove the field from the mapping.
---
### Author:  [@RunAsOnehhb](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/RunAsOnehhb)
#### Post date: [August 5, 2020, 2:19am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/why-cant-the-mapping-field-be-deleted/243685/3 "2020-08-05T02:19:56Z")
If I reindex, is the index after reindex consistent with the original one?
---
### Author:  [@Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Christian_Dahlqvist)
#### Post date: [August 5, 2020, 7:54am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/why-cant-the-mapping-field-be-deleted/243685/4 "2020-08-05T07:54:25Z")
Reindex is based on a snapshot of the data when the reindex operation starts so if you continue to index or update the source index while you reindex those documents will not be covered.
---
### Author:  [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2020, 7:54am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/why-cant-the-mapping-field-be-deleted/243685/5 "2020-09-02T07:54:35Z")
This topic was automatically closed 28 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.