druid/docs/content/querying/multi-value-dimensions.md

---
layout: doc_page
---
# Multi-value dimensions

Druid supports "multi-value" string dimensions. These are generated when an input field contains an array of values
instead of a single value (e.e. JSON arrays, or a TSV field containing one or more `listDelimiter` characters).

This document describes the behavior of groupBy (topN has similar behavior) queries on multi-value dimensions when they
are used as a dimension being grouped by. See the section on multi-value columns in
[segments](../design/segments.html#multi-value-columns) for internal representation details.

## Querying multi-value dimensions

Suppose, you have a dataSource with a segment that contains the following rows, with a multi-value dimension
called `tags`.

```
{"timestamp": "2011-01-12T00:00:00.000Z", "tags": ["t1","t2","t3"]}  #row1
{"timestamp": "2011-01-13T00:00:00.000Z", "tags": ["t3","t4","t5"]}  #row2
{"timestamp": "2011-01-14T00:00:00.000Z", "tags": ["t5","t6","t7"]}  #row3
```

All query types can filter on multi-value dimensions. Filters operate independently on each value of a multi-value
dimension. For example, a `"t1" OR "t3"` filter would match row1 and row2 but not row3. A `"t1" AND "t3"` filter
would only match row1.

topN and groupBy queries can group on multi-value dimensions. When grouping on a multi-value dimension, _all_ values
from matching rows will be used to generate one group per value. It's possible for a query to return more groups than
there are rows. For example, a topN on the dimension `tags` with filter `"t1" OR "t3"` would match only row1, and
generate a result with three groups: `t1`, `t2`, and `t3`. If you only need to include values that match
your filter, you can use a [filtered dimensionSpec](dimensionspecs.html#filtered-dimensionspecs). This can also
improve performance.

### Example: GroupBy query with no filtering

See [GroupBy querying](groupbyquery.html) for details.

```json
{
  "queryType": "groupBy",
  "dataSource": "test",
  "intervals": [
    "1970-01-01T00:00:00.000Z/3000-01-01T00:00:00.000Z"
  ],
  "granularity": {
    "type": "all"
  },
  "dimensions": [
    {
      "type": "default",
      "dimension": "tags",
      "outputName": "tags"
    }
  ],
  "aggregations": [
    {
      "type": "count",
      "name": "count"
    }
  ]
}
```

returns following result.

```json
[
  {
    "timestamp": "1970-01-01T00:00:00.000Z",
    "event": {
      "count": 1,
      "tags": "t1"
    }
  },
  {
    "timestamp": "1970-01-01T00:00:00.000Z",
    "event": {
      "count": 1,
      "tags": "t2"
    }
  },
  {
    "timestamp": "1970-01-01T00:00:00.000Z",
    "event": {
      "count": 2,
      "tags": "t3"
    }
  },
  {
    "timestamp": "1970-01-01T00:00:00.000Z",
    "event": {
      "count": 1,
      "tags": "t4"
    }
  },
  {
    "timestamp": "1970-01-01T00:00:00.000Z",
    "event": {
      "count": 2,
      "tags": "t5"
    }
  },
  {
    "timestamp": "1970-01-01T00:00:00.000Z",
    "event": {
      "count": 1,
      "tags": "t6"
    }
  },
  {
    "timestamp": "1970-01-01T00:00:00.000Z",
    "event": {
      "count": 1,
      "tags": "t7"
    }
  }
]
```

notice how original rows are "exploded" into multiple rows and merged.

### Example: GroupBy query with a selector query filter

See [query filters](filters.html) for details of selector query filter.

```json
{
  "queryType": "groupBy",
  "dataSource": "test",
  "intervals": [
    "1970-01-01T00:00:00.000Z/3000-01-01T00:00:00.000Z"
  ],
  "filter": {
    "type": "selector",
    "dimension": "tags",
    "value": "t3"
  },
  "granularity": {
    "type": "all"
  },
  "dimensions": [
    {
      "type": "default",
      "dimension": "tags",
      "outputName": "tags"
    }
  ],
  "aggregations": [
    {
      "type": "count",
      "name": "count"
    }
  ]
}
```

returns following result.

```json
[
  {
    "timestamp": "1970-01-01T00:00:00.000Z",
    "event": {
      "count": 1,
      "tags": "t1"
    }
  },
  {
    "timestamp": "1970-01-01T00:00:00.000Z",
    "event": {
      "count": 1,
      "tags": "t2"
    }
  },
  {
    "timestamp": "1970-01-01T00:00:00.000Z",
    "event": {
      "count": 2,
      "tags": "t3"
    }
  },
  {
    "timestamp": "1970-01-01T00:00:00.000Z",
    "event": {
      "count": 1,
      "tags": "t4"
    }
  },
  {
    "timestamp": "1970-01-01T00:00:00.000Z",
    "event": {
      "count": 1,
      "tags": "t5"
    }
  }
]
```

You might be surprised to see inclusion of "t1", "t2", "t4" and "t5" in the results. It happens because query filter is applied on the row before explosion. For multi-value dimensions, selector filter for "t3" would match row1 and row2, after which exploding is done. For multi-value dimensions, query filter matches a row if any individual value inside the multiple values matches the query filter.

### Example: GroupBy query with a selector query filter and additional filter in "dimensions" attributes

To solve the problem above and to get only rows for "t3" returned, you would have to use a "filtered dimension spec" as in the query below.

See section on filtered dimensionSpecs in [dimensionSpecs](dimensionspecs.html#filtered-dimensionspecs) for details.

```json
{
  "queryType": "groupBy",
  "dataSource": "test",
  "intervals": [
    "1970-01-01T00:00:00.000Z/3000-01-01T00:00:00.000Z"
  ],
  "filter": {
    "type": "selector",
    "dimension": "tags",
    "value": "t3"
  },
  "granularity": {
    "type": "all"
  },
  "dimensions": [
    {
      "type": "listFiltered",
      "delegate": {
        "type": "default",
        "dimension": "tags",
        "outputName": "tags"
      },
      "values": ["t3"]
    }
  ],
  "aggregations": [
    {
      "type": "count",
      "name": "count"
    }
  ]
}
```

returns the following result.

```json
[
  {
    "timestamp": "1970-01-01T00:00:00.000Z",
    "event": {
      "count": 2,
      "tags": "t3"
    }
  }
]
```

Note that, for groupBy queries, you could get similar result with a [having spec](having.html) but using a filtered dimensionSpec is much more efficient because that gets applied at the lowest level in the query processing pipeline. Having specs are applied at the outermost level of groupBy query processing.