---
title: Span multi-term query
description: The span_multi query allows you to wrap a multi term query (one of wildcard, fuzzy, prefix, range or regexp query) as a span query, so it can be nested...
url: https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/reference/query-languages/query-dsl/query-dsl-span-multi-term-query
products:
  - Elasticsearch
---

# Span multi-term query
The `span_multi` query allows you to wrap a `multi term query` (one of wildcard, fuzzy, prefix, range or regexp query) as a `span query`, so it can be nested. Example:
```json

{
  "query": {
    "span_multi": {
      "match": {
        "prefix": { "user.id": { "value": "ki" } }
      }
    }
  }
}
```

A boost can also be associated with the query:
```json

{
  "query": {
    "span_multi": {
      "match": {
        "prefix": { "user.id": { "value": "ki", "boost": 1.08 } }
      }
    }
  }
}
```

<warning>
  `span_multi` queries will hit too many clauses failure if the number of terms that match the query exceeds the `indices.query.bool.max_clause_count` [search setting](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/reference/elasticsearch/configuration-reference/search-settings). To avoid an unbounded expansion you can set the [rewrite method](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/reference/query-languages/query-dsl/query-dsl-multi-term-rewrite) of the multi term query to `top_terms_*` rewrite. Or, if you use `span_multi` on `prefix` query only, you can activate the [`index_prefixes`](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/reference/elasticsearch/mapping-reference/index-prefixes) field option of the `text` field instead. This will rewrite any prefix query on the field to a single term query that matches the indexed prefix.
</warning>