--- layout: default title: k-NN search with nested fields nav_order: 21 parent: k-NN search grand_parent: Search methods has_children: false has_math: true --- # k-NN search with nested fields Using [nested fields]({{site.url}}{{site.baseurl}}/field-types/nested/) in a k-nearest neighbors (k-NN) index, you can store multiple vectors in a single document. For example, if your document consists of various components, you can generate a vector value for each component and store each vector in a nested field. A k-NN document search operates at the field level. For a document with nested fields, OpenSearch examines only the vector nearest to the query vector to decide whether to include the document in the results. For example, consider an index containing documents `A` and `B`. Document `A` is represented by vectors `A1` and `A2`, and document `B` is represented by vector `B1`. Further, the similarity order for a query Q is `A1`, `A2`, `B1`. If you search using query Q with a k value of 2, the search will return both documents `A` and `B` instead of only document `A`. Note that in the case of an approximate search, the results are approximations and not exact matches. k-NN search with nested fields is supported by the HNSW algorithm for the Lucene and Faiss engines. ## Indexing and searching nested fields To use k-NN search with nested fields, you must create a k-NN index by setting `index.knn` to `true`. Create a nested field by setting its `type` to `nested` and specify one or more fields of the `knn_vector` data type within the nested field. In this example, the `knn_vector` field `my_vector` is nested inside the `nested_field` field: ```json PUT my-knn-index-1 { "settings": { "index": { "knn": true } }, "mappings": { "properties": { "nested_field": { "type": "nested", "properties": { "my_vector": { "type": "knn_vector", "dimension": 3, "method": { "name": "hnsw", "space_type": "l2", "engine": "lucene", "parameters": { "ef_construction": 100, "m": 16 } } } } } } } } ``` {% include copy-curl.html %} After you create the index, add some data to it: ```json PUT _bulk?refresh=true { "index": { "_index": "my-knn-index-1", "_id": "1" } } {"nested_field":[{"my_vector":[1,1,1]},{"my_vector":[2,2,2]},{"my_vector":[3,3,3]}]} { "index": { "_index": "my-knn-index-1", "_id": "2" } } {"nested_field":[{"my_vector":[10,10,10]},{"my_vector":[20,20,20]},{"my_vector":[30,30,30]}]} ``` {% include copy-curl.html %} Then run a k-NN search on the data by using the `knn` query type: ```json GET my-knn-index-1/_search { "query": { "nested": { "path": "nested_field", "query": { "knn": { "nested_field.my_vector": { "vector": [1,1,1], "k": 2 } } } } } } ``` {% include copy-curl.html %} Even though all three vectors nearest to the query vector are in document 1, the query returns both documents 1 and 2 because k is set to 2: ```json { "took": 23, "timed_out": false, "_shards": { "total": 1, "successful": 1, "skipped": 0, "failed": 0 }, "hits": { "total": { "value": 2, "relation": "eq" }, "max_score": 1, "hits": [ { "_index": "my-knn-index-1", "_id": "1", "_score": 1, "_source": { "nested_field": [ { "my_vector": [ 1, 1, 1 ] }, { "my_vector": [ 2, 2, 2 ] }, { "my_vector": [ 3, 3, 3 ] } ] } }, { "_index": "my-knn-index-1", "_id": "2", "_score": 0.0040983604, "_source": { "nested_field": [ { "my_vector": [ 10, 10, 10 ] }, { "my_vector": [ 20, 20, 20 ] }, { "my_vector": [ 30, 30, 30 ] } ] } } ] } } ``` ## k-NN search with filtering on nested fields You can apply a filter to a k-NN search with nested fields. A filter can be applied to either a top-level field or a field inside a nested field. The following example applies a filter to a top-level field. First, create a k-NN index with a nested field: ```json PUT my-knn-index-1 { "settings": { "index": { "knn": true } }, "mappings": { "properties": { "nested_field": { "type": "nested", "properties": { "my_vector": { "type": "knn_vector", "dimension": 3, "method": { "name": "hnsw", "space_type": "l2", "engine": "lucene", "parameters": { "ef_construction": 100, "m": 16 } } } } } } } } ``` {% include copy-curl.html %} After you create the index, add some data to it: ```json PUT _bulk?refresh=true { "index": { "_index": "my-knn-index-1", "_id": "1" } } {"parking": false, "nested_field":[{"my_vector":[1,1,1]},{"my_vector":[2,2,2]},{"my_vector":[3,3,3]}]} { "index": { "_index": "my-knn-index-1", "_id": "2" } } {"parking": true, "nested_field":[{"my_vector":[10,10,10]},{"my_vector":[20,20,20]},{"my_vector":[30,30,30]}]} { "index": { "_index": "my-knn-index-1", "_id": "3" } } {"parking": true, "nested_field":[{"my_vector":[100,100,100]},{"my_vector":[200,200,200]},{"my_vector":[300,300,300]}]} ``` {% include copy-curl.html %} Then run a k-NN search on the data using the `knn` query type with a filter. The following query returns documents whose `parking` field is set to `true`: ```json GET my-knn-index-1/_search { "query": { "nested": { "path": "nested_field", "query": { "knn": { "nested_field.my_vector": { "vector": [ 1, 1, 1 ], "k": 3, "filter": { "term": { "parking": true } } } } } } } } ``` {% include copy-curl.html %} Even though all three vectors nearest to the query vector are in document 1, the query returns documents 2 and 3 because document 1 is filtered out: ```json { "took": 10, "timed_out": false, "_shards": { "total": 1, "successful": 1, "skipped": 0, "failed": 0 }, "hits": { "total": { "value": 2, "relation": "eq" }, "max_score": 0.0040983604, "hits": [ { "_index": "my-knn-index-1", "_id": "2", "_score": 0.0040983604, "_source": { "parking": true, "nested_field": [ { "my_vector": [ 10, 10, 10 ] }, { "my_vector": [ 20, 20, 20 ] }, { "my_vector": [ 30, 30, 30 ] } ] } }, { "_index": "my-knn-index-1", "_id": "3", "_score": 3.400898E-5, "_source": { "parking": true, "nested_field": [ { "my_vector": [ 100, 100, 100 ] }, { "my_vector": [ 200, 200, 200 ] }, { "my_vector": [ 300, 300, 300 ] } ] } } ] } } ```