Where Did Elasticsearch Docs Move? A Quick Guide to the New 9.x URLs

1. Elasticsearch documentation URL has changed

In the 8.x series the docs lived under elastic.co/guide (e.g.,

https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/8.19/

). Starting with 9.x everything moved to elastic.co/docs (e.g., https://www.elastic.co/docs/9.x).

Older versions (8.19 and earlier) remain on the guide path.

All 9.x versions must use the docs site.

Update your personal Elastic bookmarks accordingly.

2. Version‑specific documentation is no longer separate

Previously each minor version (8.0, 8.1, 8.2…) had its own set of docs. In 9.x a single documentation set covers all 9.0, 9.1, 9.2, etc., with “availability badges” indicating which features were added in which sub‑version.

3. Documentation organization logic changed

Old structure was product‑centric (Elasticsearch Guide, Kibana Guide, Logstash Guide). The new structure is use‑case centric: choose the guide that matches what you want to do (search, observability, security, data management, etc.).

Example for 8.x:

https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/8.19/index.html

Example for 9.x: https://www.elastic.co/docs/ (navigate by scenario).

4. Release notes are now independent

In 8.x release notes were hidden inside the Installation and Upgrade Guide. In 9.x they have their own location at https://www.elastic.co/docs/release-notes/, consolidating notes for Elasticsearch, Kibana, Security, and Observability.

5. API documentation paths now include the major version

Old API URLs: elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/xxx. New URLs add a /v9/ segment, e.g.,

https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/v9/operation/operation-get

, allowing multiple major versions to coexist.

6. New additions in 9.x

Dedicated entry points for client libraries (Java, Python, .NET) and query languages (ES|QL, KQL).

A “Versioning and availability” guide explains feature availability per version:

https://www.elastic.co/docs/get-started/versioning-availability

.

7. Practical recommendations

Immediately update your bookmarks from elastic.co/guide to elastic.co/docs.

Adopt the new “search/observability/security” mindset when looking for docs.

Pay attention to the inline version badges to verify feature availability.

If you still run an 8.x project, the old docs remain but plan an upgrade.

By following these steps you can navigate the new Elasticsearch 9.x documentation efficiently and avoid confusion.