diff --git a/modules/library/src/main/scala/zio/elasticsearch/ElasticRequest.scala b/modules/library/src/main/scala/zio/elasticsearch/ElasticRequest.scala
index 88f7b62e7..327b66f7d 100644
--- a/modules/library/src/main/scala/zio/elasticsearch/ElasticRequest.scala
+++ b/modules/library/src/main/scala/zio/elasticsearch/ElasticRequest.scala
@@ -12,13 +12,14 @@ sealed trait ElasticRequest[+A] { self =>
 
   final def map[B](f: A => B): ElasticRequest[B] = ElasticRequest.Map(self, f)
 
+  // todo: Error for Routing.make Left
   final def routing(value: String): ElasticRequest[A] =
     self match {
       case Map(request, mapper) => Map(request.routing(value), mapper)
-      case r: Create            => r.copy(routing = Some(Routing(value))).asInstanceOf[ElasticRequest[A]]
-      case r: CreateOrUpdate    => r.copy(routing = Some(Routing(value))).asInstanceOf[ElasticRequest[A]]
-      case r: Exists            => r.copy(routing = Some(Routing(value))).asInstanceOf[ElasticRequest[A]]
-      case r: GetById           => r.copy(routing = Some(Routing(value))).asInstanceOf[ElasticRequest[A]]
+      case r: Create            => r.copy(routing = Routing.make(value).toOption).asInstanceOf[ElasticRequest[A]]
+      case r: CreateOrUpdate    => r.copy(routing = Routing.make(value).toOption).asInstanceOf[ElasticRequest[A]]
+      case r: Exists            => r.copy(routing = Routing.make(value).toOption).asInstanceOf[ElasticRequest[A]]
+      case r: GetById           => r.copy(routing = Routing.make(value).toOption).asInstanceOf[ElasticRequest[A]]
       case _                    => self
     }
 }
diff --git a/modules/library/src/main/scala/zio/elasticsearch/package.scala b/modules/library/src/main/scala/zio/elasticsearch/package.scala
index 7557bbcec..3b2d56e9a 100644
--- a/modules/library/src/main/scala/zio/elasticsearch/package.scala
+++ b/modules/library/src/main/scala/zio/elasticsearch/package.scala
@@ -1,20 +1,48 @@
 package zio
 
 import zio.prelude.Assertion._
-import zio.prelude.{Newtype, Subtype}
+import zio.prelude.{AssertionError, Newtype}
+import zio.prelude.QuotedAssertion
 
 package object elasticsearch {
-  object Routing extends Subtype[String] {
-    override def assertion = assert {
+  object Routing extends Newtype[String] {
+    override def assertion: QuotedAssertion[String] = assert {
       !isEmptyString
     }
   }
   type Routing = Routing.Type
 
-  object DocumentId extends Newtype[String]
+  object DocumentId extends Newtype[String] {}
   type DocumentId = DocumentId.Type
 
-  object IndexName extends Newtype[String]
+  object IndexName extends Newtype[String] {
+    override def assertion: QuotedAssertion[String] = assertCustom { (x: String) =>
+      if (x.toLowerCase != x) Left(AssertionError.Failure("IndexName must be lower case only."))
+      else if (x.startsWith("-") || x.startsWith("+") || x.startsWith("_"))
+        Left(AssertionError.Failure("IndexName cannot start with -, _, +."))
+      else if (x.exists(char => raw"""\/*?"<>|,#""".contains(char)) || x.contains(' '))
+        Left(
+          AssertionError.Failure(
+            "IndexName cannot include \\, /, *, ?, \", <, >, |, ` ` (space character), ,(comma), #"
+          )
+        )
+      else if (x.contains(':'))
+        Left(AssertionError.Failure("""IndexName cannot include ":"(since 7.0)."""))
+      else if (x == "." || x == "..")
+        Left(AssertionError.Failure("""IndexName cannot be . or .."""))
+      else if (x.getBytes().length > 255)
+        Left(
+          AssertionError.Failure(
+            """IndexName cannot be longer than 255 bytes (note it is bytes, so multi-byte characters will count towards the 255 limit faster)"""
+          )
+        )
+      else if (x.startsWith(".")) {
+        // todo: Warning should be that IndexNames starting with . are deprecated?
+        Right(())
+      } else
+        Right(())
+    }
+  }
   type IndexName = IndexName.Type
 
 }