---
layout: default
title: Using Dashboards Query Language
parent: Exploring data
nav_order: 40
redirect_from:
- /dashboards/dql/
---
# Using Dashboards Query Language
Dashboards Query Language (DQL) is a simple text-based query language for filtering data in OpenSearch Dashboards. Similar to [Query DSL]({{site.url}}{{site.baseurl}}/opensearch/query-dsl/index), DQL uses an HTTP request body. For example, to display your site visitor data for a host in the United States, you would enter `geo.dest:US` in the search field, as shown in the following image.
Before you can search data in Dashboards, you must index it. In OpenSearch, the basic unit of data is a JSON document. Within an index, OpenSearch identifies each document using a unique ID. To learn more about indexing in OpenSearch, see [Index data]({{site.url}}{{site.baseurl}}/opensearch/index-data).
{: .note purple}
## Searching with terms queries
The most basic query specifies the search term, for example:
```
host:www.example.com
```
To access an object's nested field, list the complete path to the field separated by periods. For example, use the following path to retrieve the `lat` field in the `coordinates` object:
```
coordinates.lat:43.7102
```
DQL supports leading and trailing wildcards, so you can search for any terms that match your pattern, for example:
```
host.keyword:*.example.com/*
```
To check whether a field exists or has any data, use a wildcard to see whether Dashboards returns any results,for example:
```
host.keyword:*
```
## Searching with Boolean queries
To mix and match or combine multiple queries for more refined results, you can use the Boolean operators `and`, `or`, and `not`. DQL is not case sensitive, so `AND` and `and` are the same, for example:
```
host.keyword:www.example.com and response.keyword:200
```
You also can use multiple Boolean operators in one query, for example:
```
geo.dest:US or response.keyword:200 and host.keyword:www.example.com
```
Remember that Boolean operators follow the logical precedence order of `not`, `and`, and `or`, so if you have an expression like the one in the preceding example, `response.keyword:200 and host.keyword:www.example.com` is evaluated first.
To avoid confusion, use parentheses to dictate the order in which you want to evaluate operands. If you want to evaluate `geo.dest:US or response.keyword:200` first, you can use an expression like the following:
```
(geo.dest:US or response.keyword:200) and host.keyword:www.example.com
```
## Querying dates and ranges
DQL supports numeric inequalities, for example, `bytes >= 15 and memory < 15`.
You can use the same method to find a date before or after the date specified in the query. `>` indicates a search for a date after the specified date, and `<` returns dates before the specified date, for example, `@timestamp > "2020-12-14T09:35:33`.
## Querying nested fields
Searching a document with [nested fields]({{site.url}}{{site.baseurl}}/opensearch/supported-field-types/nested/) requires you to specify the full path of the field to be retrieved. In the following example document, the `superheroes` field has nested objects:
```json
{
"superheroes":[
{
"hero-name": "Superman",
"real-identity": "Clark Kent",
"age": 28
},
{
"hero-name": "Batman",
"real-identity": "Bruce Wayne",
"age": 26
},
{
"hero-name": "Flash",
"real-identity": "Barry Allen",
"age": 28
},
{
"hero-name": "Robin",
"real-identity": "Dick Grayson",
"age": 15
}
]
}
```
{% include copy.html %}
To retrieve documents that match a specific field using DQL, specify the field, for example:
```
superheroes: {hero-name: Superman}
```
{% include copy.html %}
To retrieve documents that match multiple fields, specify all the fields, for example:
```
superheroes: {hero-name: Superman} and superheroes: {hero-name: Batman}
```
{% include copy.html %}
You can combine multiple Boolean and range queries to create a more refined query, for example:
```
superheroes: {hero-name: Superman and age < 50}
```
{% include copy.html %}
## Querying doubly nested objects
If a document has doubly nested objects (objects nested inside other objects), retrieve a field value by specifying the full path to the field. In the following example document, the `superheroes` object is nested inside the `justice-league` object:
```json
{
"justice-league": [
{
"superheroes":[
{
"hero-name": "Superman",
"real-identity": "Clark Kent",
"age": 28
},
{
"hero-name": "Batman",
"real-identity": "Bruce Wayne",
"age": 26
},
{
"hero-name": "Flash",
"real-identity": "Barry Allen",
"age": 28
},
{
"hero-name": "Robin",
"real-identity": "Dick Grayson",
"age": 15
}
]
}
]
}
```
{% include copy.html %}
The following image shows the query result using the example notation `justice-league.superheroes: {hero-name:Superman}`.
