[[query-dsl-exists-query]]
=== Exists Query

Returns documents that contain a value other than `null` or `[]` in a provided
field.

[[exists-query-ex-request]]
==== Example request

[source,js]
----
GET /_search
{
    "query": {
        "exists": {
            "field": "user"
        }
    }
}
----
// CONSOLE

[[exists-query-top-level-params]]
==== Top-level parameters for `exists`
`field`::
Name of the field you wish to search.
+
To return a document, this field must exist and contain a value other
than `null` or `[]`. These values can include:
+
* Empty strings, such as `""` or `"-"`
* Arrays containing `null` and another value, such as `[null, "foo"]`
* A custom <<null-value, `null-value`>>, defined in field mapping

[[exists-query-notes]]
==== Notes

[[find-docs-null-values]]
===== Find documents with null values
To find documents that contain only `null` values or `[]` in a provided field,
use the `must_not` <<query-dsl-bool-query, boolean query>> with the `exists`
query.

The following search returns documents that contain only `null` values or `[]`
in the `user` field.

[source,js]
----
GET /_search
{
    "query": {
        "bool": {
            "must_not": {
                "exists": {
                    "field": "user"
                }
            }
        }
    }
}
----
// CONSOLE