[[esql-async-query-api]]
=== {esql} async query API
++++
<titleabbrev>{esql} async query API</titleabbrev>
++++

Runs an async <<esql,{esql} query>>.

The async query API lets you asynchronously execute a query request,
monitor its progress, and retrieve results when they become available.

The API accepts the same parameters and request body as the synchronous
<<esql-query-api,query API>>, along with additional async related
properties as outlined below.

[source,console]
----
POST /_query/async
{
  "query": """
    FROM library
    | EVAL year = DATE_TRUNC(1 YEARS, release_date)
    | STATS MAX(page_count) BY year
    | SORT year
    | LIMIT 5
  """,
  "wait_for_completion_timeout": "2s"
}
----
// TEST[setup:library]
// TEST[skip:awaitsfix https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/104013]

If the results are not available within the given timeout period, 2 seconds
in this case, no results are returned but rather a response that
includes:

 * A query ID
 * An `is_running` value of _true_, indicating the query is ongoing

The query continues to run in the background without blocking other
requests.

[source,console-result]
----
{
  "id": "FmNJRUZ1YWZCU3dHY1BIOUhaenVSRkEaaXFlZ3h4c1RTWFNocDdnY2FSaERnUTozNDE=",
  "is_running": true
}
----
// TEST[skip: no access to query ID - may return response values]

Otherwise, if the response's `is_running` value is `false`, the async
query has finished and the results are returned.

[source,console-result]
----
{
  "is_running": false,
  "columns": ...
}
----
// TEST[skip: no access to query ID - may return response values]

[[esql-async-query-api-request]]
==== {api-request-title}

`POST /_query/async`

[[esql-async-query-api-prereqs]]
==== {api-prereq-title}

* If the {es} {security-features} are enabled, you must have the `read`
<<privileges-list-indices,index privilege>> for the data stream, index,
or alias you query.

[[esql-async-query-api-path-params]]
==== {api-path-parms-title}

The API accepts the same parameters as the synchronous
<<esql-query-api-query-params,query API>>.

[[esql-async-query-api-request-body]]
==== {api-request-body-title}

The API accepts the same request body as the synchronous
<<esql-query-api-request-body,query API>>, along with the following
parameters:

[[esql-async-query-api-wait-for-completion-timeout]]
`wait_for_completion_timeout`::
+
--
(Optional, <<time-units,time value>>)
Timeout duration to wait for the request to finish. Defaults to a 1 second,
meaning the request waits for 1 second for the query results.

If the query completes during this period then results will be
returned. Otherwise, a query `id` is returned that can later be used to
retrieve the results.

If the request does not complete during this period, a query
<<esql-async-query-api-response-body-query-id,id>> is returned.
--

[[esql-async-query-api-keep-on-completion]]
`keep_on_completion`::
+
--
(Optional, Boolean)
If `true`, the query and its results are stored in the cluster.

If `false`, the query and its results are stored in the cluster only if the
request does not complete during the period set by the
<<esql-async-query-api-wait-for-completion-timeout,`wait_for_completion_timeout`>>
parameter. Defaults to `false`.
--

`keep_alive`::
+
--
(Optional, <<time-units,time value>>)
Period for which the query and its results are stored in the cluster. Defaults
to `5d` (five days).

When this period expires, the query and its results are deleted, even if the
query is still ongoing.

If the <<esql-async-query-api-keep-on-completion,`keep_on_completion`>> parameter
is `false`, {es} only stores async queries that do not complete within the period
set by the <<esql-async-query-api-wait-for-completion-timeout,`wait_for_completion_timeout`>>
parameter, regardless of this value.
--

[[esql-async-query-api-response-body]]
==== {api-response-body-title}

The API returns the same response body as the synchronous
<<esql-query-api-response-body,query API>>, along with the following
properties:

[[esql-async-query-api-response-body-query-id]]
`id`::
+
--
(string)
Identifier for the query.

This query ID is only provided if one of the following conditions is met:

* A query request does not return complete results during the
<<esql-async-query-api-wait-for-completion-timeout,`wait_for_completion_timeout`>>
parameter's timeout period.

* The query request's <<esql-async-query-api-keep-on-completion,`keep_on_completion`>>
parameter is `true`.

You can use this ID with the <<esql-async-query-get-api,{esql} async query get
API>> to get the current status and available results for the query.
--

`is_running`::
+
--
(Boolean)
If `true`, the query request is still executing.
--