---
title: ES|QL ST_DIFFERENCE function
description:
url: https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3562/reference/query-languages/esql/functions-operators/spatial-functions/st_difference
products:
- Elasticsearch
---
# ES|QL ST_DIFFERENCE function
- Elastic Cloud Serverless: Preview
- Elastic Stack: Planned
Returns the part of `geomA` that does not intersect with `geomB`.
## Syntax
## Parameters
Expression of type `geo_point`, `geo_shape`, `cartesian_point` or `cartesian_shape`. If `null`, the function returns `null`.
Expression of type `geo_point`, `geo_shape`, `cartesian_point` or `cartesian_shape`. Must share the same coordinate reference system as the first parameter. If `null`, the function returns `null`.
## Description
Returns the part of `geomA` that does not intersect with `geomB`. This is equivalent to subtracting `geomB` from `geomA`. Both geometries must share the same coordinate reference system.
## Supported types
| geomA | geomB | result |
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
| cartesian_point | cartesian_point | cartesian_shape |
| cartesian_point | cartesian_shape | cartesian_shape |
| cartesian_shape | cartesian_point | cartesian_shape |
| cartesian_shape | cartesian_shape | cartesian_shape |
| geo_point | geo_point | geo_shape |
| geo_point | geo_shape | geo_shape |
| geo_shape | geo_point | geo_shape |
| geo_shape | geo_shape | geo_shape |
## Example
```esql
ROW a = TO_GEOSHAPE("POLYGON ((0 0, 3 0, 3 3, 0 3, 0 0))"),
b = TO_GEOSHAPE("POLYGON ((1 1, 4 1, 4 4, 1 4, 1 1))")
| EVAL diff = ST_DIFFERENCE(a, b)
| KEEP diff
```
| diff:geo_shape |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| POLYGON ((3.0 1.0, 3.0 0.0, 0.0 0.0, 0.0 3.0, 1.0 3.0, 1.0 1.0, 3.0 1.0)) |
### Diagrams
**Difference of two overlapping polygons**
The difference is the part of the first polygon that does not overlap with the second.
