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

[[query-dsl-term-query]]
=== Term Query

The `term` query finds documents that contain the *exact* term specified
in the inverted index.  For instance:

[source,js]
--------------------------------------------------
{
    "term" : { "user" : "Kimchy" } <1>
}
--------------------------------------------------
<1> Finds documents which contain the exact term `Kimchy` in the inverted index
    of the `user` field.

A `boost` parameter can be specified to give this `term` query a higher
relevance score than another query, for instance:

[source,js]
--------------------------------------------------
GET /_search
{
  "query": {
    "bool": {
      "should": [
        {
          "term": {
            "status": {
              "value": "urgent",
              "boost": 2.0 <1>
            }
          }
        },
        {
          "term": {
            "status": "normal" <2>
          }
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}
--------------------------------------------------

<1> The `urgent` query clause has a boost of `2.0`, meaning it is twice as important
    as the query clause for `normal`.
<2> The `normal` clause has the default neutral boost of `1.0`.

.Why doesn't the `term` query match my document?
**************************************************

String fields can be `analyzed` (treated as full text, like the body of an
email), or `not_analyzed` (treated as exact values, like an email address or a
zip code).  Exact values (like numbers, dates, and `not_analyzed` strings) have
the exact value specified in the field added to the inverted index in order
to make them searchable.

By default, however, `string` fields are `analyzed`. This means that their
values are first passed through an <<analysis,analyzer>> to produce a list of
terms, which are then added to the inverted index.

There are many ways to analyze text: the default
<<analysis-standard-analyzer,`standard` analyzer>> drops most punctuation,
breaks up text into individual words, and lower cases them.    For instance,
the `standard` analyzer would turn the string ``Quick Brown Fox!'' into the
terms [`quick`, `brown`, `fox`].

This analysis process makes it possible to search for individual words
within a big block of full text.

The `term` query looks for the *exact* term in the field's inverted index --
it doesn't know anything about the field's analyzer.  This makes it useful for
looking up values in `not_analyzed` string fields, or in numeric or date
fields.  When querying full text fields, use the
<<query-dsl-match-query,`match` query>> instead, which understands how the field
has been analyzed.


To demonstrate, try out the example below.  First, create an index, specifying the field mappings, and index a document:

[source,js]
--------------------------------------------------
PUT my_index
{
  "mappings": {
    "my_type": {
      "properties": {
        "full_text": {
          "type":  "string" <1>
        },
        "exact_value": {
          "type":  "string",
          "index": "not_analyzed" <2>
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

PUT my_index/my_type/1
{
  "full_text":   "Quick Foxes!", <3>
  "exact_value": "Quick Foxes!"  <4>
}
--------------------------------------------------
// AUTOSENSE

<1> The `full_text` field is `analyzed` by default.
<2> The `exact_value` field is set to be `not_analyzed`.
<3> The `full_text` inverted index will contain the terms: [`quick`, `foxes`].
<4> The `exact_value` inverted index will contain the exact term: [`Quick Foxes!`].

Now, compare the results for the `term` query and the `match` query:

[source,js]
--------------------------------------------------

GET my_index/my_type/_search
{
  "query": {
    "term": {
      "exact_value": "Quick Foxes!" <1>
    }
  }
}

GET my_index/my_type/_search
{
  "query": {
    "term": {
      "full_text": "Quick Foxes!" <2>
    }
  }
}

GET my_index/my_type/_search
{
  "query": {
    "term": {
      "exact_value": "foxes" <3>
    }
  }
}

GET my_index/my_type/_search
{
  "query": {
    "match": {
      "full_text": "Quick Foxes!" <4>
    }
  }
}
--------------------------------------------------
// AUTOSENSE

<1> This query matches because the `exact_value` field contains the exact
    term `Quick Foxes!`.
<2> This query does not match, because the `full_text` field only contains
    the terms `quick` and `foxes`. It does not contain the exact term
    `Quick Foxes!`.
<3> A `term` query for the term `foxes` matches the `full_text` field.
<4> This `match` query on the `full_text` field first analyzes the query string,
    then looks for documents containing `quick` or `foxes` or both.
**************************************************