---
title: ES|QL MV_SLICE function
description: 
url: https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3601/reference/query-languages/esql/functions-operators/mv-functions/mv_slice
products:
  - Elasticsearch
---

# ES|QL MV_SLICE function
Returns a subset of a multi-value field using start and end indexes.

## Syntax

![Embedded](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3601/reference/query-languages/esql/images/generated/x-pack-esql/functions/mv_slice.svg)


## Parameters

<definitions>
  <definition term="field">
    Expression that can be null, a single value, or multiple values. If `null`, the function returns `null`.
  </definition>
  <definition term="start">
    Start position. If `null`, the function returns `null`. The start argument can be negative. An index of -1 is used to specify the last value in the list.
  </definition>
  <definition term="end">
    End position(included). Optional; if omitted, the position at `start` is returned. The end argument can be negative. An index of -1 is used to specify the last value in the list.
  </definition>
</definitions>


## Description

Returns a subset of the multivalued field using the start and end index values. Indexes are 0-based. This is most useful when reading from a function that emits multivalued columns in a known order like [`SPLIT`](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3601/reference/query-languages/esql/functions-operators/string-functions/split) or [`MV_SORT`](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3601/reference/query-languages/esql/functions-operators/mv-functions/mv_sort).
The order that [multivalued fields](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3601/reference/query-languages/esql/esql-multivalued-fields) are read from
underlying storage is not guaranteed. It is **frequently** ascending, but don’t
rely on that.

## Supported types


| field                                                     | start   | end     | result          |
|-----------------------------------------------------------|---------|---------|-----------------|
| boolean                                                   | integer | integer | boolean         |
| cartesian_point                                           | integer | integer | cartesian_point |
| cartesian_shape                                           | integer | integer | cartesian_shape |
| date                                                      | integer | integer | date            |
| date_nanos                                                | integer | integer | date_nanos      |
| double                                                    | integer | integer | double          |
| flattened <applies-to>Elastic Stack: Planned</applies-to> | integer | integer | flattened       |
| geo_point                                                 | integer | integer | geo_point       |
| geo_shape                                                 | integer | integer | geo_shape       |
| geohash                                                   | integer | integer | geohash         |
| geohex                                                    | integer | integer | geohex          |
| geotile                                                   | integer | integer | geotile         |
| integer                                                   | integer | integer | integer         |
| ip                                                        | integer | integer | ip              |
| keyword                                                   | integer | integer | keyword         |
| long                                                      | integer | integer | long            |
| text                                                      | integer | integer | keyword         |
| unsigned_long                                             | integer | integer | unsigned_long   |
| version                                                   | integer | integer | version         |


## Examples

```esql
row a = [1, 2, 2, 3]
| eval a1 = mv_slice(a, 1), a2 = mv_slice(a, 2, 3)
```


| a:integer    | a1:integer | a2:integer |
|--------------|------------|------------|
| [1, 2, 2, 3] | 2          | [2, 3]     |

```esql
row a = [1, 2, 2, 3]
| eval a1 = mv_slice(a, -2), a2 = mv_slice(a, -3, -1)
```


| a:integer    | a1:integer | a2:integer |
|--------------|------------|------------|
| [1, 2, 2, 3] | 2          | [2, 2, 3]  |