Elasticsearch is a powerful search and analytics engine that allows you to store, search, and analyze large volumes of data. However, there may be times when you need to delete data from your Elasticsearch cluster. In this tutorial, we will cover the different ways to delete data from Elasticsearch, including deleting entire indexes, types, and individual documents.
Deleting an Entire Index
To delete an entire index in Elasticsearch, you can use the DELETE HTTP verb with the index name as the URL path. For example:
curl -X DELETE 'http://localhost:9200/myindex'
This will delete the entire myindex index, including all its types and documents.
Deleting Multiple Indexes
If you want to delete multiple indexes that follow a certain naming convention, you can use a wildcard (*) in the URL path. For example:
curl -X DELETE 'http://localhost:9200/myindex*'
This will delete all indexes whose names start with myindex.
Deleting All Indexes
To delete all indexes in your Elasticsearch cluster, you can use the _all keyword as the index name. For example:
curl -X DELETE 'http://localhost:9200/_all'
Note that this will delete all data in your cluster, including any x-pack access credentials and Kibana dashboard and visualizations.
Deleting a Type
To delete a type within an index, you can use the DELETE HTTP verb with the index name and type name as the URL path. For example:
curl -X DELETE 'http://localhost:9200/myindex/mytype'
This will delete all documents of type mytype in the myindex index.
Deleting a Single Document
To delete a single document, you can use the DELETE HTTP verb with the index name, type name, and document ID as the URL path. For example:
curl -X DELETE 'http://localhost:9200/myindex/mytype/1'
This will delete the document with ID 1 of type mytype in the myindex index.
Using Visual Tools
In addition to using curl commands, you can also use visual tools such as Cerebro (formerly KOPF) or Kibana to manage your Elasticsearch cluster and delete data. These tools provide a user-friendly interface for building queries and deleting data.
Best Practices
When deleting data from Elasticsearch, it’s essential to exercise caution and follow best practices:
- Make sure you have the correct index name and type name when deleting data.
- Use the
_allkeyword with caution, as it will delete all data in your cluster. - Consider setting
action.destructive_requires_name: truein yourelasticsearch.ymlfile to prevent accidental mass-deletions.
By following these guidelines and using the correct commands or visual tools, you can effectively manage your Elasticsearch data and ensure that your cluster remains healthy and efficient.