elasticsearch/docs/reference/query-dsl/filters.asciidoc

[[query-dsl-filters]]
== Filters

As a general rule, filters should be used instead of queries:

* for binary yes/no searches
* for queries on exact values

[float]
[[caching]]
=== Filters and Caching

Filters can be a great candidate for caching. Caching the result of a
filter does not require a lot of memory, and will cause other queries
executing against the same filter (same parameters) to be blazingly
fast.

Some filters already produce a result that is easily cacheable, and the
difference between caching and not caching them is the act of placing
the result in the cache or not. These filters, which include the
<<query-dsl-term-filter,term>>,
<<query-dsl-terms-filter,terms>>,
<<query-dsl-prefix-filter,prefix>>, and
<<query-dsl-range-filter,range>> filters, are by
default cached and are recommended to use (compared to the equivalent
query version) when the same filter (same parameters) will be used
across multiple different queries (for example, a range filter with age
higher than 10).

Other filters, usually already working with the field data loaded into
memory, are not cached by default. Those filters are already very fast,
and the process of caching them requires extra processing in order to
allow the filter result to be used with different queries than the one
executed. These filters, including the geo,
and <<query-dsl-script-filter,script>> filters
are not cached by default.

The last type of filters are those working with other filters. The
<<query-dsl-and-filter,and>>,
<<query-dsl-not-filter,not>> and
<<query-dsl-or-filter,or>> filters are not
cached as they basically just manipulate the internal filters.

All filters allow to set `_cache` element on them to explicitly control
caching. They also allow to set `_cache_key` which will be used as the
caching key for that filter. This can be handy when using very large
filters (like a terms filter with many elements in it).

include::filters/and-filter.asciidoc[]

include::filters/bool-filter.asciidoc[]

include::filters/exists-filter.asciidoc[]

include::filters/geo-bounding-box-filter.asciidoc[]

include::filters/geo-distance-filter.asciidoc[]

include::filters/geo-distance-range-filter.asciidoc[]

include::filters/geo-polygon-filter.asciidoc[]

include::filters/geo-shape-filter.asciidoc[]

include::filters/geohash-cell-filter.asciidoc[]

include::filters/has-child-filter.asciidoc[]

include::filters/has-parent-filter.asciidoc[]

include::filters/ids-filter.asciidoc[]

include::filters/indices-filter.asciidoc[]

include::filters/limit-filter.asciidoc[]

include::filters/match-all-filter.asciidoc[]

include::filters/missing-filter.asciidoc[]

include::filters/nested-filter.asciidoc[]

include::filters/not-filter.asciidoc[]

include::filters/or-filter.asciidoc[]

include::filters/prefix-filter.asciidoc[]

include::filters/query-filter.asciidoc[]

include::filters/range-filter.asciidoc[]

include::filters/regexp-filter.asciidoc[]

include::filters/script-filter.asciidoc[]

include::filters/term-filter.asciidoc[]

include::filters/terms-filter.asciidoc[]

include::filters/type-filter.asciidoc[]