[[indices-alias-exists]]
=== Alias exists API
++++
<titleabbrev>Alias exists</titleabbrev>
++++

Checks if an <<aliases,alias>> exists.

[source,console]
----
HEAD _alias/my-alias
----
// TEST[setup:my_data_stream]
// TEST[s/^/PUT my-data-stream\/_alias\/my-alias\n/]
// TEST[teardown:data_stream_cleanup]

[[alias-exists-api-request]]
==== {api-request-title}

`HEAD _alias/<alias>`

`HEAD <target>/_alias/<alias>`

[[alias-exists-api-prereqs]]
==== {api-prereq-title}

* If the {es} {security-features} are enabled, you must have the
`view_index_metadata` or `manage` <<privileges-list-indices,index privilege>>
for the alias. If you specify a target, you must also have the
`view_index_metadata` or `manage` index privilege for the target.

[[alias-exists-api-path-params]]
==== {api-path-parms-title}

`<alias>`::
(Optional, string) Comma-separated list of aliases to check. Supports wildcards
(`*`).

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

[[alias-exists-api-query-params]]
==== {api-query-parms-title}

include::{es-ref-dir}/rest-api/common-parms.asciidoc[tag=expand-wildcards]
+
Defaults to `all`.

`ignore_unavailable`::
(Optional, Boolean) If `false`, requests that include a missing data stream or
index in the `<target>` return an error. Defaults to `false`.

include::{es-ref-dir}/rest-api/common-parms.asciidoc[tag=local]

[[alias-exists-api-response-codes]]
==== {api-response-codes-title}

`200`::
All specified aliases exist.

`404`::
One or more of the specified aliases don't exist.