How to Use Kibana Query Language for Effective Searches

Use Kibana Query Language (KQL) to write simple, readable queries for filtering data in Kibana. KQL supports field names, operators like : for matching, and logical operators like AND, OR, and NOT to combine conditions.

Syntax

Kibana Query Language uses a simple syntax to filter data. You write queries using field names, operators, and values. Logical operators help combine multiple conditions.

• field:value — matches documents where the field equals the value.
• AND, OR, NOT — combine or exclude conditions.
• "quoted phrase" — searches exact phrases.
• * — wildcard for partial matches.

kql

status:active AND age > 30 OR city:"New York"

Example

This example filters documents where the status is active and the age is greater than 30, or where the city is exactly "New York".

kql

status:active AND age > 30 OR city:"New York"

Output

Returns all records with status 'active' and age over 30, plus all records where city is exactly 'New York'.

Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes include:

• Using lowercase logical operators like and instead of uppercase AND.
• Forgetting to quote phrases with spaces, e.g., city:"New York" instead of city:New York.
• Using unsupported operators or syntax from other query languages.

kql

city:New York
-- wrong
city:"New York"
-- correct

Quick Reference

Operator	Description	Example
field:value	Match field exactly	status:active
AND	Logical AND	status:active AND age > 30
OR	Logical OR	status:active OR status:pending
NOT	Exclude condition	NOT status:inactive
"quoted phrase"	Exact phrase match	city:"New York"
*	Wildcard	name:Jo*

Key Takeaways

Use field:value pairs to filter specific fields in Kibana.

Combine conditions with uppercase AND, OR, and NOT for clarity.

Quote phrases with spaces to search exact matches.

Avoid lowercase logical operators and unsupported syntax.

Use wildcards (*) for partial matches in text fields.