[[indices-create-index]]
== Create Index

The create index API allows to instantiate an index. ElasticSearch
provides support for multiple indices, including executing operations
across several indices. Each index created can have specific settings
associated with it.

[source,js]
--------------------------------------------------
$ curl -XPUT 'http://localhost:9200/twitter/'

$ curl -XPUT 'http://localhost:9200/twitter/' -d '
index :
    number_of_shards : 3
    number_of_replicas : 2
'
--------------------------------------------------

The above second curl example shows how an index called `twitter` can be
created with specific settings for it using http://www.yaml.org[YAML].
In this case, creating an index with 3 shards, each with 2 replicas. The
index settings can also be defined with http://www.json.org[JSON]:

[source,js]
--------------------------------------------------
$ curl -XPUT 'http://localhost:9200/twitter/' -d '{
    "settings" : {
        "index" : {
            "number_of_shards" : 3,
            "number_of_replicas" : 2
        }
    }
}'
--------------------------------------------------

or more simplified

[source,js]
--------------------------------------------------
$ curl -XPUT 'http://localhost:9200/twitter/' -d '{
    "settings" : {
        "number_of_shards" : 3,
        "number_of_replicas" : 2
    }
}'
--------------------------------------------------

_Note you do not have to explicitly specify `index` section inside
`settings` section._

[float]
[[mappings]]
=== Mappings

The create index API allows to provide a set of one or more mappings:

[source,js]
--------------------------------------------------
curl -XPOST localhost:9200/test -d '{
    "settings" : {
        "number_of_shards" : 1
    },
    "mappings" : {
        "type1" : {
            "_source" : { "enabled" : false },
            "properties" : {
                "field1" : { "type" : "string", "index" : "not_analyzed" }
            }
        }
    }
}'
--------------------------------------------------

[float]
[[create-index-settings]]
=== Index Settings

For more information regarding all the different index level settings
that can be set when creating an index, please check the
<<index-modules,index modules>> section.