elasticsearch/docs/reference/api-conventions.asciidoc

[[api-conventions]]
== API conventions

The {es} REST APIs are exposed over HTTP.
Except where noted, the following conventions apply across all APIs.

[discrete]
=== Content-type requirements

The type of the content sent in a request body must be specified using
the `Content-Type` header. The value of this header must map to one of
the supported formats that the API supports. Most APIs support JSON,
YAML, CBOR, and SMILE. The bulk and multi-search APIs support NDJSON,
JSON, and SMILE; other types will result in an error response.

When using the `source` query string parameter, the content type must be
specified using the `source_content_type` query string parameter.

{es} only supports UTF-8-encoded JSON. {es} ignores any other encoding headings
sent with a request. Responses are also UTF-8 encoded.

[discrete]
[[get-requests]]
=== GET and POST requests

A number of {es} GET APIs--most notably the search API--support a request body.
While the GET action makes sense in the context of retrieving information,
GET requests with a body are not supported by all HTTP libraries.
All {es} GET APIs that require a body can also be submitted as POST requests.
Alternatively, you can pass the request body as the
<<api-request-body-query-string, `source` query string parameter>>
when using GET.

include::rest-api/cron-expressions.asciidoc[]

[discrete]
[[api-date-math-index-names]]
=== Date math support in index and index alias names

Date math name resolution lets you to search a range of time series indices or
index aliases rather than searching all of your indices and filtering the
results. Limiting the number of searched indices reduces cluster load and
improves search performance. For example, if you are searching for errors in
your daily logs, you can use a date math name template to restrict the search to
the past two days.

Most APIs that accept an index or index alias argument support date math. A date
math name takes the following form:

[source,txt]
----------------------------------------------------------------------
<static_name{date_math_expr{date_format|time_zone}}>
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Where:

[horizontal]
`static_name`:: Static text
`date_math_expr`:: Dynamic date math expression that computes the date dynamically
`date_format`:: Optional format in which the computed date should be rendered. Defaults to `yyyy.MM.dd`. Format should be compatible with java-time https://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/docs/api/java/time/format/DateTimeFormatter.html
`time_zone`:: Optional time zone. Defaults to `UTC`.

NOTE: Pay attention to the usage of small vs capital letters used in the `date_format`. For example:
`mm` denotes minute of hour, while `MM` denotes month of year. Similarly `hh` denotes the hour in the
`1-12` range in combination with `AM/PM`, while `HH` denotes the hour in the `0-23` 24-hour range.

Date math expressions are resolved locale-independent. Consequently, it is not possible to use any other
calendars than the Gregorian calendar.

You must enclose date math names in angle brackets. If you use the name in a
request path, special characters must be URI encoded. For example:

[source,console]
----
# PUT /<my-index-{now/d}>
PUT /%3Cmy-index-%7Bnow%2Fd%7D%3E
----

[NOTE]
.Percent encoding of date math characters
======================================================
The special characters used for date rounding must be URI encoded as follows:

[horizontal]
`<`:: `%3C`
`>`:: `%3E`
`/`:: `%2F`
`{`:: `%7B`
`}`:: `%7D`
`|`:: `%7C`
`+`:: `%2B`
`:`:: `%3A`
`,`:: `%2C`
======================================================

The following example shows different forms of date math names and the final names
they resolve to given the current time is 22nd March 2024 noon UTC.

[options="header"]
|======
| Expression                                |Resolves to
| `<logstash-{now/d}>`                      | `logstash-2024.03.22`
| `<logstash-{now/M}>`                      | `logstash-2024.03.01`
| `<logstash-{now/M{yyyy.MM}}>`             | `logstash-2024.03`
| `<logstash-{now/M-1M{yyyy.MM}}>`          | `logstash-2024.02`
| `<logstash-{now/d{yyyy.MM.dd\|+12:00}}>`  | `logstash-2024.03.23`
|======

To use the characters `{` and `}` in the static part of a name template, escape them
with a backslash `\`, for example:

 * `<elastic\\{ON\\}-{now/M}>` resolves to `elastic{ON}-2024.03.01`

The following example shows a search request that searches the Logstash indices for the past
three days, assuming the indices use the default Logstash index name format,
`logstash-YYYY.MM.dd`.

[source,console]
----------------------------------------------------------------------
# GET /<logstash-{now/d-2d}>,<logstash-{now/d-1d}>,<logstash-{now/d}>/_search
GET /%3Clogstash-%7Bnow%2Fd-2d%7D%3E%2C%3Clogstash-%7Bnow%2Fd-1d%7D%3E%2C%3Clogstash-%7Bnow%2Fd%7D%3E/_search
{
  "query" : {
    "match": {
      "test": "data"
    }
  }
}
----------------------------------------------------------------------
// TEST[s/^/PUT logstash-2016.09.20\nPUT logstash-2016.09.19\nPUT logstash-2016.09.18\n/]
// TEST[s/now/2016.09.20%7C%7C/]

[discrete]
[[api-multi-index]]
=== Multi-target syntax

Most APIs that accept a `<data-stream>`, `<index>`, or `<target>` request path
parameter also support _multi-target syntax_.

In multi-target syntax, you can use a comma-separated list to run a request on
multiple resources, such as data streams, indices, or aliases:
`test1,test2,test3`. You can also use {wikipedia}/Glob_(programming)[glob-like]
wildcard (`*`) expressions to target resources that match a pattern: `test*` or
`*test` or `te*t` or `*test*`.

You can exclude targets using the `-` character: `test*,-test3`.

IMPORTANT: Aliases are resolved after wildcard expressions. This can result in a
request that targets an excluded alias. For example, if `test3` is an index
alias, the pattern `test*,-test3` still targets the indices for `test3`. To
avoid this, exclude the concrete indices for the alias instead.

Multi-target APIs that can target indices support the following query
string parameters:

include::{es-repo-dir}/rest-api/common-parms.asciidoc[tag=index-ignore-unavailable]

include::{es-repo-dir}/rest-api/common-parms.asciidoc[tag=allow-no-indices]

include::{es-repo-dir}/rest-api/common-parms.asciidoc[tag=expand-wildcards]

The defaults settings for the above parameters depend on the API being used.

Some multi-target APIs that can target indices also support the following query
string parameter:

include::{es-repo-dir}/rest-api/common-parms.asciidoc[tag=ignore_throttled]

NOTE: APIs with a single target, such as the <<docs-get,get document API>>, do
not support multi-target syntax.

[discrete]
[[multi-hidden]]
==== Hidden data streams and indices

For most APIs, wildcard expressions do not match hidden data streams and indices
by default. To match hidden data streams and indices using a wildcard
expression, you must specify the `expand_wildcards` query parameter.

Alternatively, querying an index pattern starting with a dot, such as
`.watcher_hist*`, will match hidden indices by default. This is intended to
mirror Unix file-globbing behavior and provide a smoother transition path to
hidden indices.

You can create hidden data streams by setting `data_stream.hidden` to `true` in
the stream's matching <<indices-put-template,index template>>. You can hide
indices using the <<index-hidden,`index.hidden`>> index setting.

The backing indices for data streams are hidden automatically. Some features,
such as {ml}, store information in hidden indices.

Global index templates that match all indices are not applied to hidden indices.

[discrete]
[[system-indices]]
==== System indices

{es} modules and plugins can store configuration and state information in internal _system indices_.
You should not directly access or modify system indices
as they contain data essential to the operation of the system.

IMPORTANT: Direct access to system indices is deprecated and
will no longer be allowed in the next major version.

[discrete]
[[api-conventions-parameters]]
=== Parameters

Rest parameters (when using HTTP, map to HTTP URL parameters) follow the
convention of using underscore casing.

[discrete]
[[api-request-body-query-string]]
=== Request body in query string

For libraries that don't accept a request body for non-POST requests,
you can pass the request body as the `source` query string parameter
instead. When using this method, the `source_content_type` parameter
should also be passed with a media type value that indicates the format
of the source, such as `application/json`.

[discrete]
[[api-compatibility]]
=== REST API version compatibility

Major version upgrades often include a number of breaking changes
that impact how you interact with {es}.
While we recommend that you monitor the deprecation logs and
update applications before upgrading {es},
having to coordinate the necessary changes can be an impediment to upgrading.

You can enable an existing application to function without modification after
an upgrade by including API compatibility headers, which tell {es} you are still
using the previous version of the REST API. Using these headers allows the
structure of requests and responses to remain the same; it does not guarantee
the same behavior.


You set version compatibility on a per-request basis in the `Content-Type` and `Accept` headers.
Setting `compatible-with` to the same major version as
the version you're running has no impact,
but ensures that the request will still work after {es} is upgraded.

To tell {es} 8.0 you are using the 7.x request and response format,
set `compatible-with=7`:

[source,sh]
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Content-Type: application/vnd.elasticsearch+json; compatible-with=7
Accept: application/vnd.elasticsearch+json; compatible-with=7
----------------------------------------------------------------------

[discrete]
[[api-url-access-control]]
=== URL-based access control

Many users use a proxy with URL-based access control to secure access to
{es} data streams and indices. For <<search-multi-search,multi-search>>,
<<docs-multi-get,multi-get>>, and <<docs-bulk,bulk>> requests, the user has
the choice of specifying a data stream or  index in the URL and on each individual request
within the request body. This can make URL-based access control challenging.

To prevent the user from overriding the data stream or index specified in the
URL, set `rest.action.multi.allow_explicit_index` to `false` in `elasticsearch.yml`.


This causes  {es} to
reject requests that explicitly specify a data stream or index in the request body.

[discrete]
=== Boolean Values

All REST API parameters (both request parameters and JSON body) support
providing boolean "false" as the value `false` and boolean "true" as the
value `true`. All other values will raise an error.

[discrete]
=== Number Values

All REST APIs support providing numbered parameters as `string` on top
of supporting the native JSON number types.

[[byte-units]]
[discrete]
=== Byte size units

Whenever the byte size of data needs to be specified, e.g. when setting a buffer size
parameter, the value must specify the unit, like `10kb` for 10 kilobytes. Note that
these units use powers of 1024, so `1kb` means 1024 bytes. The supported units are:

[horizontal]
`b`::   Bytes
`kb`::  Kilobytes
`mb`::  Megabytes
`gb`::  Gigabytes
`tb`::  Terabytes
`pb`::  Petabytes

[[distance-units]]
[discrete]
=== Distance Units

Wherever distances need to be specified, such as the `distance` parameter in
the <<query-dsl-geo-distance-query>>), the default unit is meters if none is specified.
Distances can be specified in other units, such as `"1km"` or
`"2mi"` (2 miles).

The full list of units is listed below:

[horizontal]
Mile::          `mi` or `miles`
Yard::          `yd` or `yards`
Feet::          `ft` or `feet`
Inch::          `in` or `inch`
Kilometer::     `km` or `kilometers`
Meter::         `m` or `meters`
Centimeter::    `cm` or `centimeters`
Millimeter::    `mm` or `millimeters`
Nautical mile:: `NM`, `nmi`, or `nauticalmiles`

[discrete]
[[time-units]]
=== Time units

Whenever durations need to be specified, e.g. for a `timeout` parameter, the duration must specify
the unit, like `2d` for 2 days. The supported units are:

[horizontal]
`d`::       Days
`h`::       Hours
`m`::       Minutes
`s`::       Seconds
`ms`::      Milliseconds
`micros`::  Microseconds
`nanos`::   Nanoseconds

[[size-units]]
[discrete]
=== Unit-less quantities

Unit-less quantities means that they don't have a "unit" like "bytes" or "Hertz" or "meter" or "long tonne".

If one of these quantities is large we'll print it out like 10m for 10,000,000 or 7k for 7,000. We'll still print 87
when we mean 87 though. These are the supported multipliers:

[horizontal]
`k`::  Kilo
`m`::  Mega
`g`::  Giga
`t`::  Tera
`p`::  Peta