[[search-your-data]]
= Search your data

[[search-query]]
A _search query_, or _query_, is a request for information about data in 
{es} data streams or indices.

You can think of a query as a question, written in a way {es} understands.
Depending on your data, you can use a query to get answers to questions like:

* What processes on my server take longer than 500 milliseconds to respond?
* What users on my network ran `regsvr32.exe` within the last week?
* What pages on my website contain a specific word or phrase?

A _search_ consists of one or more queries that are combined and sent to {es}.
Documents that match a search's queries are returned in the _hits_, or
_search results_, of the response.

A search may also contain additional information used to better process its
queries. For example, a search may be limited to a specific index or only return
a specific number of results.

[discrete]
[[run-an-es-search]]
== Run a search

You can use the <<search-search,search API>> to search data stored in
{es} data streams or indices.

The API can run two types of searches, depending on how you provide
queries:

<<run-uri-search,URI searches>>::
  Queries are provided through a query parameter. URI searches tend to be
  simpler and best suited for testing.

<<run-request-body-search,Request body searches>>::
  Queries are provided through the JSON body of the API request. These queries
  are written in <<query-dsl,Query DSL>>. We recommend using request body
  searches in most production use cases.

[WARNING]
====
If you specify a query in both the URI and request body, the search API request
runs only the URI query.
====

[discrete]
[[run-uri-search]]
=== Run a URI search

You can use the search API's <<search-api-query-params-q,`q` query string
parameter>> to run a search in the request's URI. The `q` parameter only accepts
queries written in Lucene's <<query-string-syntax,query string syntax>>.

The following URI search matches documents with a `user.id` value of `kimchy`.

[source,console]
----
GET /my-index-000001/_search?q=user.id:kimchy
----
// TEST[setup:my_index]

The API returns the following response.

By default, the `hits.hits` property returns the top 10 documents matching the
query. To retrieve more documents, see <<paginate-search-results>>.

The response sorts documents in `hits.hits` by `_score`, a
<<relevance-scores,relevance score>> that measures how well each document
matches the query.

[source,console-result]
----
{
  "took": 5,
  "timed_out": false,
  "_shards": {
    "total": 1,
    "successful": 1,
    "skipped": 0,
    "failed": 0
  },
  "hits": {
    "total": {
      "value": 1,
      "relation": "eq"
    },
    "max_score": 1.3862942,
    "hits": [
      {
        "_index": "my-index-000001",
        "_type": "_doc",
        "_id": "kxWFcnMByiguvud1Z8vC",
        "_score": 1.3862942,
        "_source": {
          "@timestamp": "2099-11-15T14:12:12",
          "http": {
            "request": {
              "method": "get"
            },
            "response": {
              "bytes": 1070000,
              "status_code": 200
            },
            "version": "1.1"
          },
          "message": "GET /search HTTP/1.1 200 1070000",
          "source": {
            "ip": "127.0.0.1"
          },
          "user": {
            "id": "kimchy"
          }
        }
      }
    ]
  }
}
----
// TESTRESPONSE[s/"took": 5/"took": "$body.took"/]
// TESTRESPONSE[s/"_id": "kxWFcnMByiguvud1Z8vC"/"_id": "$body.hits.hits.0._id"/]

[discrete]
[[run-request-body-search]]
=== Run a request body search

You can use the search API's <<request-body-search-query,`query` request
body parameter>> to provide a query as a JSON object, written in
<<query-dsl,Query DSL>>.

The following request body search uses the <<query-dsl-match-query,`match`>>
query to match documents with a `user.id` value of `kimchy`.

[source,console]
----
GET /my-index-000001/_search
{
  "query": {
    "match": {
      "user.id": "kimchy"
    }
  }
}
----
// TEST[setup:my_index]

[discrete]
[[search-multiple-indices]]
=== Search multiple data streams and indices

To search multiple data streams and indices, add them as comma-separated values
in the search API request path.

The following request searches the `my-index-000001` and `my-index-000002`
indices.

[source,console]
----
GET /my-index-000001,my-index-000002/_search
{
  "query": {
    "match": {
      "user.id": "kimchy"
    }
  }
}
----
// TEST[setup:my_index]
// TEST[s/^/PUT my-index-000002\n/]

You can also search multiple data streams and indices using a wildcard (`*`)
pattern.

The following request targets the wildcard pattern `my-index-*`. The request
searches any data streams or indices in the cluster that start with `my-index-`.

[source,console]
----
GET /my-index-*/_search
{
  "query": {
    "match": {
      "user.id": "kimchy"
    }
  }
}
----
// TEST[setup:my_index]

To search all data streams and indices in a cluster, omit the target from the
request path. Alternatively, you can use `_all` or `*`.

The following requests are equivalent and search all data streams and indices in the cluster.

[source,console]
----
GET /_search
{
  "query": {
    "match": {
      "user.id": "kimchy"
    }
  }
}

GET /_all/_search
{
  "query": {
    "match": {
      "user.id": "kimchy"
    }
  }
}

GET /*/_search
{
  "query": {
    "match": {
      "user.id": "kimchy"
    }
  }
}
----
// TEST[setup:my_index]

include::search-fields.asciidoc[]
include::request/collapse.asciidoc[]
include::request/highlighting.asciidoc[]
include::paginate-search-results.asciidoc[]
include::request/sort.asciidoc[]
include::{es-repo-dir}/async-search.asciidoc[]
include::{es-repo-dir}/modules/cross-cluster-search.asciidoc[]
include::{es-repo-dir}/search/near-real-time.asciidoc[]