elastic/elasticsearch

ES|QL: Push down mv_contains as a lucene query

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#134529 opened on Sep 11, 2025

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 (3 comments) (0 reactions) (1 assignee)Java (76,700 stars) (25,882 forks)batch import
:Analytics/ES|QL>enhancementTeam:Analyticsgood first issue

Description

In some cases we can push down mv_contains as a lucene query.

We could use for example, the terms_set query. As an example:

from job-candidates
| WHERE mv_contains(programming_languages, ["java", "jruby"])

can be pushed down as:

{
  "query": {
    "terms_set": {
      "programming_languages": {
        "terms": [ "java", "jruby" ],
        "minimum_should_match": 2  
      }
    }
  }
}

Contributor guide

Tech stack
java
Domain
backenddatabaseperformance
Issue type
feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
3-5 days
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
blocked
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
Understanding of ES|QL query languageKnowledge of Lucene queriesFamiliarity with Elasticsearch internal query translation
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
30
Research direction
The issue suggests using the terms set Lucene query to push down mv contains. The implementation would require modifying the ES|QL to Lucene query translation layer in Elasticsearch. Relevant files likely include query builders for ES|QL and the Lucene query generation code. The assignee may have started work, so checking the linked branch or any existing PRs (none visible) would be necessary. The task involves understanding the mv contains function and mapping it to a terms set query with minimum should match set to the number of terms.