[[indices-exists]]
=== Indices exists API
++++
<titleabbrev>Indices exists</titleabbrev>
++++

Checks if an index exists.
The returned HTTP status code indicates if the index exists or not.
A `404` means it does not exist, and `200` means it does.

[source,console]
--------------------------------------------------
HEAD /twitter
--------------------------------------------------
// TEST[setup:twitter]


[[indices-exists-api-request]]
==== {api-request-title}

`HEAD /<index>`


[[indices-exists-api-path-params]]
==== {api-path-parms-title}

include::{docdir}/rest-api/common-parms.asciidoc[tag=index]
+
IMPORTANT: This parameter does not distinguish between an index name and <<indices-aliases,alias>>,
i.e. status code `200` is also returned if an alias exists with that name.


[[indices-exists-api-query-params]]
==== {api-query-parms-title}

include::{docdir}/rest-api/common-parms.asciidoc[tag=allow-no-indices]

include::{docdir}/rest-api/common-parms.asciidoc[tag=expand-wildcards]
+
Defaults to `open`.

include::{docdir}/rest-api/common-parms.asciidoc[tag=flat-settings]

include::{docdir}/rest-api/common-parms.asciidoc[tag=include-defaults]

include::{docdir}/rest-api/common-parms.asciidoc[tag=index-ignore-unavailable]

include::{docdir}/rest-api/common-parms.asciidoc[tag=local]


[[indices-exists-api-response-codes]]
==== {api-response-codes-title}

`200`::
Indicates all specified indices or index aliases exist.

 `404`::
Indicates one or more specified indices or index aliases **do not** exist.