---
title: Intervals query
description: Returns documents based on the order and proximity of matching terms. The intervals query uses matching rules, constructed from a small set of definitions...
url: https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3028/reference/query-languages/query-dsl/query-dsl-intervals-query
products:
  - Elasticsearch
---

# Intervals query
Returns documents based on the order and proximity of matching terms.
The `intervals` query uses **matching rules**, constructed from a small set of definitions. These rules are then applied to terms from a specified `field`.
The definitions produce sequences of minimal intervals that span terms in a body of text. These intervals can be further combined and filtered by parent sources.

## Example request

The following `intervals` search returns documents containing `my favorite food` without any gap, followed by `hot water` or `cold porridge` in the `my_text` field.
This search would match a `my_text` value of `my favorite food is cold porridge` but not `when it's cold my favorite food is porridge`.
```json

{
  "query": {
    "intervals" : {
      "my_text" : {
        "all_of" : {
          "ordered" : true,
          "intervals" : [
            {
              "match" : {
                "query" : "my favorite food",
                "max_gaps" : 0,
                "ordered" : true
              }
            },
            {
              "any_of" : {
                "intervals" : [
                  { "match" : { "query" : "hot water" } },
                  { "match" : { "query" : "cold porridge" } }
                ]
              }
            }
          ]
        }
      }
    }
  }
}
```


## Top-level parameters for `intervals`


<definitions>
  <definition term="<field>">
    (Required, rule object) Field you wish to search.
  </definition>
</definitions>

The value of this parameter is a rule object used to match documents based on matching terms, order, and proximity.
Valid rules include:
- [`match`](#intervals-match)
- [`prefix`](#intervals-prefix)
- [`wildcard`](#intervals-wildcard)
- [`regexp`](#intervals-regexp)
- [`fuzzy`](#intervals-fuzzy)
- [`range`](#intervals-range)
- [`all_of`](#intervals-all_of)
- [`any_of`](#intervals-any_of)


## `match` rule parameters

The `match` rule matches analyzed text.
<definitions>
  <definition term="query">
    (Required, string) Text you wish to find in the provided `<field>`.
  </definition>
  <definition term="max_gaps">
    (Optional, integer) Maximum number of positions between the matching terms. Terms further apart than this are not considered matches. Defaults to `-1`.
  </definition>
</definitions>

If unspecified or set to `-1`, there is no width restriction on the match. If set to `0`, the terms must appear next to each other.
<definitions>
  <definition term="ordered">
    (Optional, Boolean) If `true`, matching terms must appear in their specified order. Defaults to `false`.
  </definition>
  <definition term="analyzer">
    (Optional, string) [analyzer](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3028/manage-data/data-store/text-analysis) used to analyze terms in the `query`. Defaults to the top-level `<field>`'s analyzer.
  </definition>
  <definition term="filter">
    (Optional, [interval filter](#interval_filter) rule object) An optional interval filter.
  </definition>
  <definition term="use_field">
    (Optional, string) If specified, then match intervals from this field rather than the top-level `<field>`. Terms are analyzed using the search analyzer from this field. This allows you to search across multiple fields as if they were all the same field; for example, you could index the same text into stemmed and unstemmed fields, and search for stemmed tokens near unstemmed ones.
  </definition>
</definitions>


## `prefix` rule parameters

The `prefix` rule matches terms that start with a specified set of characters. This prefix can expand to match at most `indices.query.bool.max_clause_count` [search setting](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3028/reference/elasticsearch/configuration-reference/search-settings) terms. If the prefix matches more terms, Elasticsearch returns an error. You can use the [`index-prefixes`](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3028/reference/elasticsearch/mapping-reference/index-prefixes) option in the field mapping to avoid this limit.
<definitions>
  <definition term="prefix">
    (Required, string) Beginning characters of terms you wish to find in the top-level `<field>`.
  </definition>
  <definition term="analyzer">
    (Optional, string) [analyzer](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3028/manage-data/data-store/text-analysis) used to normalize the `prefix`. Defaults to the top-level `<field>`'s analyzer.
  </definition>
  <definition term="use_field">
    (Optional, string) If specified, then match intervals from this field rather than the top-level `<field>`.
  </definition>
</definitions>

The `prefix` is normalized using the search analyzer from this field, unless a separate `analyzer` is specified.

## `wildcard` rule parameters

The `wildcard` rule matches terms using a wildcard pattern. This pattern can expand to match at most  `indices.query.bool.max_clause_count` [search setting](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3028/reference/elasticsearch/configuration-reference/search-settings) terms. If the pattern matches more terms, Elasticsearch returns an error.
<definitions>
  <definition term="pattern">
    (Required, string) Wildcard pattern used to find matching terms.
    This parameter supports two wildcard operators:
    - `?`, which matches any single character
    - `*`, which can match zero or more characters, including an empty one
    <warning>
      Avoid beginning patterns with `*` or `?`. This can increase the iterations needed to find matching terms and slow search performance.
    </warning>
  </definition>
  <definition term="analyzer">
    (Optional, string) [analyzer](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3028/manage-data/data-store/text-analysis) used to normalize the `pattern`. Defaults to the top-level `<field>`'s analyzer.
  </definition>
  <definition term="use_field">
    (Optional, string) If specified, match intervals from this field rather than the top-level `<field>`.
  </definition>
</definitions>

The `pattern` is normalized using the search analyzer from this field, unless `analyzer` is specified separately.

## `regexp` rule parameters

The `regexp` rule matches terms using a regular expression pattern. This pattern can expand to match at most  `indices.query.bool.max_clause_count` [search setting](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3028/reference/elasticsearch/configuration-reference/search-settings) terms. If the pattern matches more terms,Elasticsearch returns an error.
<definitions>
  <definition term="pattern">
    (Required, string) Regexp pattern used to find matching terms. For a list of operators supported by the `regexp` pattern, see [Regular expression syntax](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3028/reference/query-languages/query-dsl/regexp-syntax).
  </definition>
</definitions>

<warning>
  Avoid using wildcard patterns, such as `.*` or `.*?+``. This can increase the iterations needed to find matching terms and slow search performance.
</warning>

<definitions>
  <definition term="analyzer">
    (Optional, string) [analyzer](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3028/manage-data/data-store/text-analysis) used to normalize the `pattern`. Defaults to the top-level `<field>`'s analyzer.
  </definition>
  <definition term="use_field">
    (Optional, string) If specified, match intervals from this field rather than the top-level `<field>`.
  </definition>
</definitions>

The `pattern` is normalized using the search analyzer from this field, unless `analyzer` is specified separately.

## `fuzzy` rule parameters

The `fuzzy` rule matches terms that are similar to the provided term, within an edit distance defined by [Fuzziness](/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3028/reference/elasticsearch/rest-apis/common-options#fuzziness). If the fuzzy expansion matches more than `indices.query.bool.max_clause_count` [search setting](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3028/reference/elasticsearch/configuration-reference/search-settings) terms, Elasticsearch returns an error.
<definitions>
  <definition term="term">
    (Required, string) The term to match
  </definition>
  <definition term="prefix_length">
    (Optional, integer) Number of beginning characters left unchanged when creating expansions. Defaults to `0`.
  </definition>
  <definition term="transpositions">
    (Optional, Boolean) Indicates whether edits include transpositions of two adjacent characters (ab → ba). Defaults to `true`.
  </definition>
  <definition term="fuzziness">
    (Optional, string) Maximum edit distance allowed for matching. See [Fuzziness](/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3028/reference/elasticsearch/rest-apis/common-options#fuzziness) for valid values and more information. Defaults to `auto`.
  </definition>
  <definition term="analyzer">
    (Optional, string) [analyzer](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3028/manage-data/data-store/text-analysis) used to normalize the `term`. Defaults to the top-level `<field>` 's analyzer.
  </definition>
  <definition term="use_field">
    (Optional, string) If specified, match intervals from this field rather than the top-level `<field>`.
  </definition>
</definitions>

The `term` is normalized using the search analyzer from this field, unless `analyzer` is specified separately.

## `range` rule parameters

The `range` rule matches terms contained within a provided range. This range can expand to match at most  `indices.query.bool.max_clause_count` [search setting](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3028/reference/elasticsearch/configuration-reference/search-settings) terms. If the range matches more terms,Elasticsearch returns an error.
<definitions>
  <definition term="gt">
    (Optional, string) Greater than: match terms greater than the provided term.
  </definition>
  <definition term="gte">
    (Optional, string) Greater than or equal to: match terms greater than or equal to the provided term.
  </definition>
  <definition term="lt">
    (Optional, string) Less than: match terms less than the provided term.
  </definition>
  <definition term="lte">
    (Optional, string) Less than or equal to: match terms less than or equal to the provided term.
  </definition>
</definitions>

<note>
  It is required to provide one of `gt` or `gte` params. It is required to provide one of `lt` or `lte` params.
</note>

<definitions>
  <definition term="analyzer">
    (Optional, string) [analyzer](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3028/manage-data/data-store/text-analysis) used to normalize the `pattern`. Defaults to the top-level `<field>`'s analyzer.
  </definition>
  <definition term="use_field">
    (Optional, string) If specified, match intervals from this field rather than the top-level `<field>`.
  </definition>
</definitions>


## `all_of` rule parameters

The `all_of` rule returns matches that span a combination of other rules.
<definitions>
  <definition term="intervals">
    (Required, array of rule objects) An array of rules to combine. All rules must produce a match in a document for the overall source to match.
  </definition>
  <definition term="max_gaps">
    (Optional, integer) Maximum number of positions between the matching terms. Intervals produced by the rules further apart than this are not considered matches. Defaults to `-1`.
  </definition>
</definitions>

If unspecified or set to `-1`, there is no width restriction on the match. If set to `0`, the terms must appear next to each other.
Internal intervals can have their own `max_gaps` values. In this case we first find internal intervals with their `max_gaps` values, and then combine them to see if a gap between internal intervals match the value of `max_gaps` of the `all_of` rule.
For examples, how `max_gaps` works, see [max_gaps in `all_of` ordered and unordered rule](#interval-max_gaps-all-rule).
<definitions>
  <definition term="ordered">
    (Optional, Boolean) If `true`, intervals produced by the rules should appear in the order in which they are specified. Defaults to `false`.
  </definition>
</definitions>

If `ordered` is `false`, intervals can appear in any order, including overlapping with each other.
<definitions>
  <definition term="filter">
    (Optional, [interval filter](#interval_filter) rule object) Rule used to filter returned intervals.
  </definition>
</definitions>


## `any_of` rule parameters

The `any_of` rule returns intervals produced by any of its sub-rules.
<definitions>
  <definition term="intervals">
    (Required, array of rule objects) An array of rules to match.
  </definition>
  <definition term="filter">
    (Optional, [interval filter](#interval_filter) rule object) Rule used to filter returned intervals.
  </definition>
</definitions>


## `filter` rule parameters

The `filter` rule returns intervals based on a query. See [Filter example](#interval-filter-rule-ex) for an example.
<definitions>
  <definition term="after">
    (Optional, query object) Query used to return intervals that follow an interval from the `filter` rule.
  </definition>
  <definition term="before">
    (Optional, query object) Query used to return intervals that occur before an interval from the `filter` rule.
  </definition>
  <definition term="contained_by">
    (Optional, query object) Query used to return intervals contained by an interval from the `filter` rule.
  </definition>
  <definition term="containing">
    (Optional, query object) Query used to return intervals that contain an interval from the `filter` rule.
  </definition>
  <definition term="not_contained_by">
    (Optional, query object) Query used to return intervals that are **not** contained by an interval from the `filter` rule.
  </definition>
  <definition term="not_containing">
    (Optional, query object) Query used to return intervals that do **not** contain an interval from the `filter` rule.
  </definition>
  <definition term="not_overlapping">
    (Optional, query object) Query used to return intervals that do **not** overlap with an interval from the `filter` rule.
  </definition>
  <definition term="overlapping">
    (Optional, query object) Query used to return intervals that overlap with an interval from the `filter` rule.
  </definition>
  <definition term="script">
    (Optional, [script object](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3028/explore-analyze/scripting/modules-scripting-using)) Script used to return matching documents. This script must return a boolean value, `true` or `false`. See [Script filters](#interval-script-filter) for an example.
  </definition>
</definitions>


## Notes


### Filter example

The following search includes a `filter` rule. It returns documents that have the words `hot` and `porridge` within 10 positions of each other, without the word `salty` in between:
```json

{
  "query": {
    "intervals" : {
      "my_text" : {
        "match" : {
          "query" : "hot porridge",
          "max_gaps" : 10,
          "filter" : {
            "not_containing" : {
              "match" : {
                "query" : "salty"
              }
            }
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}
```


### Script filters

You can use a script to filter intervals based on their start position, end position, and internal gap count. The following `filter` script uses the `interval` variable with the `start`, `end`, and `gaps` methods:
```json

{
  "query": {
    "intervals" : {
      "my_text" : {
        "match" : {
          "query" : "hot porridge",
          "filter" : {
            "script" : {
              "source" : "interval.start > 10 && interval.end < 20 && interval.gaps == 0"
            }
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}
```


### Minimization

The intervals query always minimizes intervals, to ensure that queries can run in linear time. This can sometimes cause surprising results, particularly when using `max_gaps` restrictions or filters. For example, take the following query, searching for `salty` contained within the phrase `hot porridge`:
```json

{
  "query": {
    "intervals" : {
      "my_text" : {
        "match" : {
          "query" : "salty",
          "filter" : {
            "contained_by" : {
              "match" : {
                "query" : "hot porridge"
              }
            }
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}
```

This query does **not** match a document containing the phrase `hot porridge is salty porridge`, because the intervals returned by the match query for `hot porridge` only cover the initial two terms in this document, and these do not overlap the intervals covering `salty`.

### max_gaps in `all_of` ordered and unordered rule

The following `intervals` search returns documents containing `my favorite food` without any gap, followed by `cold porridge` that can have at most 4 tokens between "cold" and "porridge". These two inner intervals when combined in the outer `all_of` interval, must have at most 1 gap between each other.
Because the `all_of` rule has `ordered` set to `true`, the inner intervals are expected to be in the provided order. Thus, this search would match a `my_text` value of `my favorite food is cold porridge` but not `when it's cold my favorite food is porridge`.
```json

{
  "query": {
    "intervals" : {
      "my_text" : {
        "all_of" : {
          "ordered" : true,     <1>
          "max_gaps": 1,
          "intervals" : [
            {
              "match" : {
                "query" : "my favorite food",
                "max_gaps" : 0,
                "ordered" : true
              }
            },
            {
              "match" : {
                "query" : "cold porridge",
                "max_gaps" : 4,
                "ordered" : true
              }
            }
          ]
        }
      }
    }
  }
}
```

Below is the same query, but with `ordered` set to `false`. This means that intervals can appear in any order, even overlap with each other. Thus, this search would match a `my_text` value of `my favorite food is cold porridge`, as well as `when it's cold my favorite food is porridge`. In `when it's cold my favorite food is porridge`, `cold .... porridge` interval overlaps with `my favorite food` interval.
```json

{
  "query": {
    "intervals" : {
      "my_text" : {
        "all_of" : {
          "ordered" : false, <1>
          "max_gaps": 1,
          "intervals" : [
            {
              "match" : {
                "query" : "my favorite food",
                "max_gaps" : 0,
                "ordered" : true
              }
            },
            {
              "match" : {
                "query" : "cold porridge",
                "max_gaps" : 4,
                "ordered" : true
              }
            }
          ]
        }
      }
    }
  }
}
```