Remove processor

The remove processor is used to remove a field from a document.

Syntax

The following is the syntax for the remove processor:

  1. {
  2.     "remove": {
  3.         "field": "field_name"
  4.     }
  5. }

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Configuration parameters

The following table lists the required and optional parameters for the remove processor.

ParameterRequired/OptionalDescription
fieldOptionalThe field name containing the data to be removed. Supports template snippets. The metadata fields _index, _version, _version_type, and _id cannot be removed. If version is specified, _id cannot be removed from the ingested document.
exclude_fieldOptionalThe field name to be retained. All other fields, except metadata fields, will be removed. The exclude_field and field options are mutually exclusive. Supports template snippets.
descriptionOptionalA brief description of the processor.
ifOptionalA condition for running the processor.
ignore_failureOptionalSpecifies whether the processor continues execution even if it encounters errors. If set to true, failures are ignored. Default is false.
on_failureOptionalA list of processors to run if the processor fails.
tagOptionalAn identifier tag for the processor. Useful for debugging in order to distinguish between processors of the same type.

Using the processor

Follow these steps to use the processor in a pipeline.

Step 1: Create a pipeline

The following query creates a pipeline, named remove_ip, that removes the ip_address field from a document:

  1. PUT /_ingest/pipeline/remove_ip
  2. {
  3.   "description": "Pipeline that excludes the ip_address field.",
  4.   "processors": [
  5.     {
  6.       "remove": {
  7.         "field": "ip_address"
  8.       }
  9.     }
  10.   ]
  11. }

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Step 2 (Optional): Test the pipeline

It is recommended that you test your pipeline before you ingest documents.

To test the pipeline, run the following query:

  1. POST _ingest/pipeline/remove_ip/_simulate
  2. {
  3.   "docs": [
  4.     {
  5.       "_index": "testindex1",
  6.       "_id": "1",
  7.       "_source":{
  8.          "ip_address": "203.0.113.1",
  9.          "name": "John Doe"
  10.       }
  11.     }
  12.   ]
  13. }

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Response

The following example response confirms that the pipeline is working as expected:

  1. {
  2.   "docs": [
  3.     {
  4.       "doc": {
  5.         "_index": "testindex1",
  6.         "_id": "1",
  7.         "_source": {
  8.           "name": "John Doe"
  9.         },
  10.         "_ingest": {
  11.           "timestamp": "2023-08-24T18:02:13.218986756Z"
  12.         }
  13.       }
  14.     }
  15.   ]
  16. }

Step 3: Ingest a document

The following query ingests a document into an index named testindex1:

  1. PUT testindex1/_doc/1?pipeline=remove_ip
  2. {
  3.   "ip_address": "203.0.113.1",
  4.   "name": "John Doe"
  5. }

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Step 4 (Optional): Retrieve the document

To retrieve the document, run the following query:

  1. GET testindex1/_doc/1

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