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Meta

The _meta mapping parameter allows you to attach metadata to your mapping definition. This metadata is stored alongside your mapping and is returned when the mapping is retrieved, serving solely as informational context without influencing indexing or search operations.

You can use the _meta mapping parameter to provide important details, such as version information, descriptions, or authorship. Metadata can also be updated by submitting a mapping update that overrides the existing metadata.

Enabling meta on a mapping

The following request creates an index named products with a _meta mapping parameter containing version and description information:

PUT /products
{
  "mappings": {
    "_meta": {
      "version": "1.0",
      "description": "Mapping for the products index."
    },
    "properties": {
      "name": {
        "type": "text"
      },
      "price": {
        "type": "float"
      }
    }
  }
}

Updating metadata on an index

Use the following request to update the _meta mapping parameter on an index:

PUT /products/_mapping
{
  "_meta": {
    "version": "1.1",
    "description": "Updated mapping for the products index.",
    "author": "Team B"
  }
}

Indexing a document

After the index is created, you can index documents as usual. The _meta information remains with the mapping and does not affect the document indexing process:

PUT /products/_doc/1
{
  "name": "Widget",
  "price": 19.99
}

Retrieve the meta information

To verify that your _meta information is stored, you can retrieve the mapping for the index:

GET /products/_mapping