---
title: Compare condition
description: Use the compare condition to perform a simple comparison against a value in the watch payload. You can use the compare condition without enabling dynamic...
url: https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/explore-analyze/alerting/watcher/condition-compare
products:
  - Elasticsearch
applies_to:
  - Elastic Stack: Generally available
---

# Compare condition
Use the `compare` condition to perform a simple comparison against a value in the watch payload. You can use the `compare` condition without enabling dynamic scripting.

## Compare condition operators


| Name     | Description                                                                                                                                 |
|----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| `eq`     | Returns `true` when the resolved value equals the given one (applies              to numeric, string, list, object and values)              |
| `not_eq` | Returns `true` when the resolved value does not equal the given one              (applies to numeric, string, list, object and null values) |
| `gt`     | Returns `true` when the resolved value is greater than the given              one (applies to numeric and string values)                    |
| `gte`    | Returns `true` when the resolved value is greater/equal than/to the              given one (applies to numeric and string values)           |
| `lt`     | Returns `true` when the resolved value is less than the given one              (applies to numeric and string values)                       |
| `lte`    | Returns `true` when the resolved value is less/equal than/to the              given one (applies to numeric and string values)              |


## Using a compare condition

To use the `compare` condition, you specify the value in the execution context that you want to evaluate, a [comparison operator](#condition-compare-operators), and the value you want to compare against. For example, the following `compare` condition returns `true` if the number of the total hits in the [search result](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/explore-analyze/alerting/watcher/input-search) is greater than or equal to 5:
```js
{
  "condition" : {
    "compare" : {
      "ctx.payload.hits.total" : { 
        "gte" : 5 
      }
    }
  }
}
```

You can also compare two values in the execution context by specifying the compared value as a path of the form of `{{path}}`. For example, the following condition compares the `ctx.payload.aggregations.status.buckets.error.doc_count` to the `ctx.payload.aggregations.handled.buckets.true.doc_count`:
```js
{
  "condition" : {
    "compare" : {
      "ctx.payload.aggregations.status.buckets.error.doc_count" : {
        "not_eq" : "{{ctx.payload.aggregations.handled.buckets.true.doc_count}}"
      }
    }
  }
}
```


## Using date math in a compare condition

When comparing dates and times, you can use date math expressions of the form `<{{expression}}>`. For example, the following expression returns `true` if the watch was executed within the last five minutes:
```js
{
  "condition" : {
    "compare" : {
      "ctx.execution_time" : {
        "gte" : "<{now-5m}>"
      }
    }
  }
}
```


## Accessing values in the execution context

You use "dot-notation" to access values in the execution context. Values loaded into the execution context by the input are prefixed by `ctx.payload`.
You can reference entries in arrays using their zero-based array indices. For example, to access the third element of the `ctx.payload.hits.hits` array, use `ctx.payload.hits.hits.2`.

| Name                         | Description                                       |
|------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------|
| `ctx.watch_id`               | The id of the watch that is currently executing.  |
| `ctx.execution_time`         | The time execution of this watch started.         |
| `ctx.trigger.triggered_time` | The time this watch was triggered.                |
| `ctx.trigger.scheduled_time` | The time this watch was supposed to be triggered. |
| `ctx.metadata.*`             | Any metadata associated with the watch.           |
| `ctx.payload.*`              | The payload data loaded by the watch’s input.     |