---
layout: default
title: Using a search pipeline
nav_order: 20
has_children: false
parent: Search pipelines
grand_parent: Search
---

# Using a search pipeline

You can use a search pipeline in the following ways:

- [Specify an existing pipeline](#specifying-an-existing-search-pipeline-for-a-request) for a request.
- [Use a temporary pipeline](#using-a-temporary-search-pipeline-for-a-request) for a request.
- Set a [default pipeline](#default-search-pipeline) for all requests in an index.

## Specifying an existing search pipeline for a request

After you [create a search pipeline]({{site.url}}{{site.baseurl}}/search-plugins/search-pipelines/index#creating-a-search-pipeline), you can use the pipeline with a query by specifying the pipeline name in the `search_pipeline` query parameter:

```json
GET /my_index/_search?search_pipeline=my_pipeline
```
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For a complete example of using a search pipeline with a `filter_query` processor, see [`filter_query` processor example]({{site.url}}{{site.baseurl}}/search-plugins/search-pipelines/filter-query-processor#example).

## Using a temporary search pipeline for a request

As an alternative to creating a search pipeline, you can define a temporary search pipeline to be used for only the current query:

```json
POST /my-index/_search
{
  "query" : {
    "match" : {
      "text_field" : "some search text"
    }
  },
  "pipeline" : {
    "request_processors": [
      {
        "filter_query" : {
          "tag" : "tag1",
          "description" : "This processor is going to restrict to publicly visible documents",
          "query" : {
            "term": {
              "visibility": "public"
            }
          }
        }
      }
    ],
    "response_processors": [
      {
        "rename_field": {
          "field": "message",
          "target_field": "notification"
        }
      }
    ]
  }
}
```
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With this syntax, the pipeline does not persist and is used only for the query for which it is specified.

## Default search pipeline

For convenience, you can set a default search pipeline for an index. Once your index has a default pipeline, you don't need to specify the `search_pipeline` query parameter in every search request.

### Setting a default search pipeline for an index

To set a default search pipeline for an index, specify the `index.search.default_pipeline` in the index's settings:

```json
PUT /my_index/_settings 
{
  "index.search.default_pipeline" : "my_pipeline"
}
```
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After setting the default pipeline for `my_index`, you can try the same search for all documents:

```json
GET /my_index/_search
```
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The response contains only the public document, indicating that the pipeline was applied by default:

<details open markdown="block">
  <summary>
    Response
  </summary>
  {: .text-delta}

```json
{
  "took" : 19,
  "timed_out" : false,
  "_shards" : {
    "total" : 1,
    "successful" : 1,
    "skipped" : 0,
    "failed" : 0
  },
  "hits" : {
    "total" : {
      "value" : 1,
      "relation" : "eq"
    },
    "max_score" : 0.0,
    "hits" : [
      {
        "_index" : "my_index",
        "_id" : "1",
        "_score" : 0.0,
        "_source" : {
          "message" : "This is a public message",
          "visibility" : "public"
        }
      }
    ]
  }
}
```
</details>

### Disabling the default pipeline for a request

If you want to run a search request without applying the default pipeline, you can set the `search_pipeline` query parameter to `_none`:

```json
GET /my_index/_search?search_pipeline=_none
```
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### Removing the default pipeline

To remove the default pipeline from an index, set it to `null` or `_none`:

```json
PUT /my_index/_settings 
{
  "index.search.default_pipeline" : null
}
```
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```json
PUT /my_index/_settings 
{
  "index.search.default_pipeline" : "_none"
}
```
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