Create or update an index template Generally available

POST /_index_template/{name}
Api key auth

All methods and paths for this operation:

PUT /_index_template/{name}

POST /_index_template/{name}

Index templates define settings, mappings, and aliases that can be applied automatically to new indices.

Elasticsearch applies templates to new indices based on an wildcard pattern that matches the index name. Index templates are applied during data stream or index creation. For data streams, these settings and mappings are applied when the stream's backing indices are created. Settings and mappings specified in a create index API request override any settings or mappings specified in an index template. Changes to index templates do not affect existing indices, including the existing backing indices of a data stream.

You can use C-style /* *\/ block comments in index templates. You can include comments anywhere in the request body, except before the opening curly bracket.

Multiple matching templates

If multiple index templates match the name of a new index or data stream, the template with the highest priority is used.

Multiple templates with overlapping index patterns at the same priority are not allowed and an error will be thrown when attempting to create a template matching an existing index template at identical priorities.

Composing aliases, mappings, and settings

When multiple component templates are specified in the composed_of field for an index template, they are merged in the order specified, meaning that later component templates override earlier component templates. Any mappings, settings, or aliases from the parent index template are merged in next. Finally, any configuration on the index request itself is merged. Mapping definitions are merged recursively, which means that later mapping components can introduce new field mappings and update the mapping configuration. If a field mapping is already contained in an earlier component, its definition will be completely overwritten by the later one. This recursive merging strategy applies not only to field mappings, but also root options like dynamic_templates and meta. If an earlier component contains a dynamic_templates block, then by default new dynamic_templates entries are appended onto the end. If an entry already exists with the same key, then it is overwritten by the new definition.

Required authorization

  • Cluster privileges: manage_index_templates

Path parameters

  • name string Required

    Index or template name

Query parameters

  • create boolean

    If true, this request cannot replace or update existing index templates.

  • master_timeout string

    Period to wait for a connection to the master node. If no response is received before the timeout expires, the request fails and returns an error.

    Values are -1 or 0.

  • cause string

    User defined reason for creating/updating the index template

application/json

Body Required

  • index_patterns string | array[string]

    Name of the index template to create.

  • composed_of array[string]

    An ordered list of component template names. Component templates are merged in the order specified, meaning that the last component template specified has the highest precedence.

  • template object

    Template to be applied. It may optionally include an aliases, mappings, or settings configuration.

    Hide template attributes Show template attributes object
    • aliases object

      Aliases to add. If the index template includes a data_stream object, these are data stream aliases. Otherwise, these are index aliases. Data stream aliases ignore the index_routing, routing, and search_routing options.

      Hide aliases attribute Show aliases attribute object
      • * object Additional properties
        Hide * attributes Show * attributes object
        • filter object

          Query used to limit documents the alias can access.

          External documentation
        • index_routing string

          Value used to route indexing operations to a specific shard. If specified, this overwrites the routing value for indexing operations.

        • is_hidden boolean

          If true, the alias is hidden. All indices for the alias must have the same is_hidden value.

          Default value is false.

        • is_write_index boolean

          If true, the index is the write index for the alias.

          Default value is false.

        • routing string

          Value used to route indexing and search operations to a specific shard.

        • search_routing string

          Value used to route search operations to a specific shard. If specified, this overwrites the routing value for search operations.

    • mappings object

      Mapping for fields in the index. If specified, this mapping can include field names, field data types, and mapping parameters.

      Hide mappings attributes Show mappings attributes object
      • all_field object
        Hide all_field attributes Show all_field attributes object
        • analyzer string Required
        • enabled boolean Required
        • omit_norms boolean Required
        • search_analyzer string Required
        • similarity string Required
        • store boolean Required
        • store_term_vector_offsets boolean Required
        • store_term_vector_payloads boolean Required
        • store_term_vector_positions boolean Required
        • store_term_vectors boolean Required
      • date_detection boolean
      • dynamic string

        Values are strict, runtime, true, or false.

      • dynamic_date_formats array[string]
      • dynamic_templates array[object]
      • _field_names object
        Hide _field_names attribute Show _field_names attribute object
        • enabled boolean Required
      • index_field object
        Hide index_field attribute Show index_field attribute object
        • enabled boolean Required
      • _meta object
        Hide _meta attribute Show _meta attribute object
        • * object Additional properties
      • numeric_detection boolean
      • properties object
      • _routing object
        Hide _routing attribute Show _routing attribute object
        • required boolean Required
      • _size object
        Hide _size attribute Show _size attribute object
        • enabled boolean Required
      • _source object
        Hide _source attributes Show _source attributes object
        • compress boolean
        • compress_threshold string
        • enabled boolean
        • excludes array[string]
        • includes array[string]
      • runtime object
        Hide runtime attribute Show runtime attribute object
        • * object Additional properties
          Hide * attributes Show * attributes object
          • fields object

            For type composite

          • fetch_fields array[object]

            For type lookup

          • format string

            A custom format for date type runtime fields.

      • enabled boolean
      • subobjects string

        Values are true or false.

      • _data_stream_timestamp object
        Hide _data_stream_timestamp attribute Show _data_stream_timestamp attribute object
        • enabled boolean Required
    • settings object Additional properties

      Configuration options for the index.

      Index settings
    • lifecycle object

      Data stream lifecycle denotes that a data stream is managed by the data stream lifecycle and contains the configuration.

      Hide lifecycle attributes Show lifecycle attributes object
      • data_retention string

        If defined, every document added to this data stream will be stored at least for this time frame. Any time after this duration the document could be deleted. When empty, every document in this data stream will be stored indefinitely.

      • downsampling object

        The downsampling configuration to execute for the managed backing index after rollover.

        Hide downsampling attribute Show downsampling attribute object
        • rounds array[object] Required

          The list of downsampling rounds to execute as part of this downsampling configuration

      • enabled boolean

        If defined, it turns data stream lifecycle on/off (true/false) for this data stream. A data stream lifecycle that's disabled (enabled: false) will have no effect on the data stream.

        Default value is true.

  • data_stream object

    If this object is included, the template is used to create data streams and their backing indices. Supports an empty object. Data streams require a matching index template with a data_stream object.

    Hide data_stream attributes Show data_stream attributes object
    • hidden boolean
    • allow_custom_routing boolean
  • priority number

    Priority to determine index template precedence when a new data stream or index is created. The index template with the highest priority is chosen. If no priority is specified the template is treated as though it is of priority 0 (lowest priority). This number is not automatically generated by Elasticsearch.

  • version number

    Version number used to manage index templates externally. This number is not automatically generated by Elasticsearch. External systems can use these version numbers to simplify template management. To unset a version, replace the template without specifying one.

  • _meta object

    Optional user metadata about the index template. It may have any contents. It is not automatically generated or used by Elasticsearch. This user-defined object is stored in the cluster state, so keeping it short is preferable To unset the metadata, replace the template without specifying it.

    Hide _meta attribute Show _meta attribute object
    • * object Additional properties
  • allow_auto_create boolean

    This setting overrides the value of the action.auto_create_index cluster setting. If set to true in a template, then indices can be automatically created using that template even if auto-creation of indices is disabled via actions.auto_create_index. If set to false, then indices or data streams matching the template must always be explicitly created, and may never be automatically created.

  • ignore_missing_component_templates array[string]

    The configuration option ignore_missing_component_templates can be used when an index template references a component template that might not exist

  • deprecated boolean

    Marks this index template as deprecated. When creating or updating a non-deprecated index template that uses deprecated components, Elasticsearch will emit a deprecation warning.

Responses

  • 200 application/json
    Hide response attribute Show response attribute object
    • acknowledged boolean Required

      For a successful response, this value is always true. On failure, an exception is returned instead.
POST /_index_template/{name} 
PUT /_index_template/template_1
{
  "index_patterns" : ["template*"],
  "priority" : 1,
  "template": {
    "settings" : {
      "number_of_shards" : 2
    }
  }
}
resp = client.indices.put_index_template(
    name="template_1",
    index_patterns=[
        "template*"
    ],
    priority=1,
    template={
        "settings": {
            "number_of_shards": 2
        }
    },
)
const response = await client.indices.putIndexTemplate({
  name: "template_1",
  index_patterns: ["template*"],
  priority: 1,
  template: {
    settings: {
      number_of_shards: 2,
    },
  },
});
response = client.indices.put_index_template(
  name: "template_1",
  body: {
    "index_patterns": [
      "template*"
    ],
    "priority": 1,
    "template": {
      "settings": {
        "number_of_shards": 2
      }
    }
  }
)
$resp = $client->indices()->putIndexTemplate([
    "name" => "template_1",
    "body" => [
        "index_patterns" => array(
            "template*",
        ),
        "priority" => 1,
        "template" => [
            "settings" => [
                "number_of_shards" => 2,
            ],
        ],
    ],
]);
curl -X PUT -H "Authorization: ApiKey $ELASTIC_API_KEY" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"index_patterns":["template*"],"priority":1,"template":{"settings":{"number_of_shards":2}}}' "$ELASTICSEARCH_URL/_index_template/template_1"
client.indices().putIndexTemplate(p -> p
    .indexPatterns("template*")
    .name("template_1")
    .priority(1L)
    .template(t -> t
        .settings(s -> s
            .numberOfShards("2")
        )
    )
);
Request examples 
{
  "index_patterns" : ["template*"],
  "priority" : 1,
  "template": {
    "settings" : {
      "number_of_shards" : 2
    }
  }
}
You can include index aliases in an index template. During index creation, the `{index}` placeholder in the alias name will be replaced with the actual index name that the template gets applied to. 
{
  "index_patterns": [
    "template*"
  ],
  "template": {
    "settings": {
      "number_of_shards": 1
    },
    "aliases": {
      "alias1": {},
      "alias2": {
        "filter": {
          "term": {
            "user.id": "kimchy"
          }
        },
        "routing": "shard-1"
      },
      "{index}-alias": {}
    }
  }
}