Elastic 8.2 introduces a beta version of the Elasticsearch Search API for App Search, providing enhanced flexibility and power by allowing users to execute free-form Elasticsearch queries directly on App Search document indices. This new API facilitates various advanced query functionalities such as counting documents without retrieving the full search results payload, grouping document counts by specified fields, searching for documents similar to a particular one, and applying custom functions to calculate document scores. Additionally, the API enables the retrieval of document subsets without scoring and supports exact match searches through workarounds like runtime fields and script queries. Although runtime fields are less performant compared to indexed fields, they offer a temporary solution for certain search requirements. The update also includes the Search Explain API, which reveals the Elasticsearch queries generated by App Search, allowing users to understand and customize their search logic further. These tools aim to enhance the search experience by providing more granular control and insights into query processing, encouraging users to experiment with Elastic Cloud's free trial and share feedback.