[discrete]
[[esql-from]]
=== `FROM`

The `FROM` source command returns a table with data from a data stream, index,
or alias.

**Syntax**

[source,esql]
----
FROM index_pattern [METADATA fields]
----

*Parameters*

`index_pattern`::
A list of indices, data streams or aliases. Supports wildcards and date math.

`fields`::
A comma-separated list of <<esql-metadata-fields,metadata fields>> to retrieve.

*Description*

The `FROM` source command returns a table with data from a data stream, index,
or alias. Each row in the resulting table represents a document. Each column
corresponds to a field, and can be accessed by the name of that field.

[NOTE]
====
By default, an {esql} query without an explicit <<esql-limit>> uses an implicit
limit of 1000. This applies to `FROM` too. A `FROM` command without `LIMIT`:

[source,esql]
----
FROM employees
----

is executed as:

[source,esql]
----
FROM employees
| LIMIT 1000
----
====

*Examples*

[source,esql]
----
FROM employees
----

You can use <<api-date-math-index-names,date math>> to refer to indices, aliases
and data streams. This can be useful for time series data, for example to access
today's index:

[source,esql]
----
FROM <logs-{now/d}>
----

Use comma-separated lists or wildcards to <<esql-multi-index, query multiple data streams, indices,
or aliases>>:

[source,esql]
----
FROM employees-00001,other-employees-*
----

Use the format `<remote_cluster_name>:<target>` to <<esql-cross-clusters, query data streams and indices
on remote clusters>>:

[source,esql]
----
FROM cluster_one:employees-00001,cluster_two:other-employees-*
----

Use the optional `METADATA` directive to enable <<esql-metadata-fields,metadata fields>>:

[source,esql]
----
FROM employees METADATA _id
----

Use enclosing double quotes (`"`) or three enclosing double quotes (`"""`) to escape index names
that contain special characters:

[source,esql]
----
FROM "this=that", """this[that"""
----