Include document extracts in search results

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Last Updated: May 5, 2026
2 minute read

MarkLogic Server
Documentation

By default, /v1/search results do not include data from matching documents. Include this information by using the extract-document-data property in the query options of the application.

Matching document

Consider a matching document with this structure:

{ "envelope": {
    "entityType": "person",
    "id": 1001,
    "firstName": "Nerta",
    "lastName": "Hallwood",
    "title": "Marketing Manager"
  }
}

JSON query options

This example uses JSON query options and includes data from the /envelope path in the document for each result. The extract-path property takes an XPath expression that selects the document content to include in the results:

{
  "options": {
    "extract-document-data": {
      "selected": "include",
      "extract-path": "/envelope"
    }
  }
}

XML query options

XML can also be used to include document content using query options:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<options>
  <extract-document-data selected="include">
    <extract-path>/envelope</extract-path>
  </extract-document-data>
</options>

Search results

When query options are included, these search results are returned:

Note:

Notice that the extracted property contains matching document information.

       {
           "snippet-format": "snippet",
           "total": 1,
           "start": 1,
           "page-length": 10,
           "selected": "include",
           "results": [
               {
                   "index": 1,
                   "uri": "/person/1001.json",
                   "path": "fn:doc(\"/person/1001.json\")",
                   "score": 2816,
                   "confidence": 0.2636895,
                   "fitness": 0.2763854,
                   "href": "/v1/documents?uri=%2Fperson%2F1001.json",
                   "mimetype": "application/json",
                   "format": "json",
                   "matches": [
                       {
                           "path": "fn:doc(\"/person/1001.json\")/envelope/text(\"entityType\")",
                           "match-text": [
                               {
                                   "highlight": "person"
                               }
                           ]
                       }
                   ],
                   "extracted": {
                       "kind": "array",
                       "content": [
                           {
                               "envelope": {
                                   "entityType": "person",
                                   "id": 1001,
                                   "firstName": "Nerta",
                                   "lastName": "Hallwood",
                                   "title": "Marketing Manager",
                               }
                           }
                       ]
                   }
               }
           ],
           "qtext": "person",
           "metrics": {
               "query-resolution-time": "PT0.001205S",
               "snippet-resolution-time": "PT0.001033S",
               "extract-resolution-time": "PT0.000818S",
               "total-time": "PT0.22377S"
           }
       }

When document extract information is included in search results, the widgets displaying the results have access to document information. See extract-document-data for more details.

Note:

To include all of the matching documents in search results, include an extract-document-data property or element without the extract-path property or element. This can be useful when a JSON document does not have a single root property.

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