---
title: Truncate token filter
description: Truncates tokens that exceed a specified character limit. This limit defaults to 10 but can be customized using the length parameter. For example, you...
url: https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/reference/text-analysis/analysis-truncate-tokenfilter
products:
  - Elasticsearch
---

# Truncate token filter
Truncates tokens that exceed a specified character limit. This limit defaults to `10` but can be customized using the `length` parameter.
For example, you can use the `truncate` filter to shorten all tokens to `3` characters or fewer, changing `jumping fox` to `jum fox`.
This filter uses Lucene’s [TruncateTokenFilter](https://lucene.apache.org/core/10_0_0/analysis/common/org/apache/lucene/analysis/miscellaneous/TruncateTokenFilter.md).

## Example

The following [analyze API](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-indices-analyze) request uses the `truncate` filter to shorten tokens that exceed 10 characters in `the quinquennial extravaganza carried on`:
```json

{
  "tokenizer" : "whitespace",
  "filter" : ["truncate"],
  "text" : "the quinquennial extravaganza carried on"
}
```

The filter produces the following tokens:
```text
[ the, quinquenni, extravagan, carried, on ]
```


## Add to an analyzer

The following [create index API](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-indices-create) request uses the `truncate` filter to configure a new [custom analyzer](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/manage-data/data-store/text-analysis/create-custom-analyzer).
```json

{
  "settings" : {
    "analysis" : {
      "analyzer" : {
        "standard_truncate" : {
        "tokenizer" : "standard",
        "filter" : ["truncate"]
        }
      }
    }
  }
}
```


## Configurable parameters

<definitions>
  <definition term="length">
    (Optional, integer) Character limit for each token. Tokens exceeding this limit are truncated. Defaults to `10`.
  </definition>
</definitions>


## Customize

To customize the `truncate` filter, duplicate it to create the basis for a new custom token filter. You can modify the filter using its configurable parameters.
For example, the following request creates a custom `truncate` filter, `5_char_trunc`, that shortens tokens to a `length` of `5` or fewer characters:
```json

{
  "settings": {
    "analysis": {
      "analyzer": {
        "lowercase_5_char": {
          "tokenizer": "lowercase",
          "filter": [ "5_char_trunc" ]
        }
      },
      "filter": {
        "5_char_trunc": {
          "type": "truncate",
          "length": 5
        }
      }
    }
  }
}
```