Refresh an index

POST also GET /{index}/_refresh
POST also GET /_refresh

Auth

A refresh makes recent operations performed on one or more indices available for search. For data streams, the API runs the refresh operation on the stream’s backing indices.

By default, Elasticsearch periodically refreshes indices every second, but only on indices that have received one search request or more in the last 30 seconds. You can change this default interval with the index.refresh_interval setting.

In Elastic Cloud Serverless, the default refresh interval is 5 seconds across all indices.

Refresh requests are synchronous and do not return a response until the refresh operation completes.

Refreshes are resource-intensive. To ensure good cluster performance, it's recommended to wait for Elasticsearch's periodic refresh rather than performing an explicit refresh when possible.

If your application workflow indexes documents and then runs a search to retrieve the indexed document, it's recommended to use the index API's refresh=wait_for query parameter option. This option ensures the indexing operation waits for a periodic refresh before running the search.

Required authorization

Index privileges maintenance

Path parameters

index union string | string[] optional

Comma-separated list of data streams, indices, and aliases used to limit the request. Supports wildcards (*). To target all data streams and indices, omit this parameter or use * or _all.

Leave it out to use /_refresh.

Query parameters

allow_no_indices boolean · default: true

If false, the request returns an error if any wildcard expression, index alias, or _all value targets only missing or closed indices. This behavior applies even if the request targets other open indices.

expand_wildcards union oneOf · default: open

Type of index that wildcard patterns can match. If the request can target data streams, this argument determines whether wildcard expressions match hidden data streams. Supports comma-separated values, such as open,hidden.

Supported values include:

all: Match any data stream or index, including hidden ones.
open: Match open, non-hidden indices. Also matches any non-hidden data stream.
closed: Match closed, non-hidden indices. Also matches any non-hidden data stream. Data streams cannot be closed.
hidden: Match hidden data streams and hidden indices. Must be combined with open, closed, or both.
none: Wildcard expressions are not accepted.

Values: all open closed hidden none

ignore_unavailable boolean · default: false

If false, the request returns an error if it targets a missing or closed index.

Response

application/json

_shards object