Kibana Data Views
Summary: A Data View is Kibana's configuration layer that tells it how to read an Elasticsearch index — without one, Kibana can't explore or visualize that index.
At a glance​
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is it? | A config layer bridging a raw Elasticsearch index and Kibana's tools |
| Why does it matter? | No Data View means no Discover, dashboards, or visualizations for that index |
| When do I use it? | Whenever you want to explore or visualize a new index in Kibana |
How it works​
A Data View defines:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Index pattern | Which index/indices to read from (supports wildcards, e.g. logs-*) |
| Field mappings | What fields exist and their data types |
| Timestamp field | Which date field drives time-range filtering |
| Field formatting | How fields are displayed in the UI |
- One Data View can match multiple indices via a wildcard pattern.
- One index can also have multiple Data Views pointing at it.
Remember​
- A Data View is a lens onto an index, not a copy of the data.
- It's a hard prerequisite: without it, Kibana's tools can't touch the index.
Related notes​
- Elasticsearch And Kibana - what Elasticsearch and Kibana are
- Kibana Saved Searches - a saved Discover view built on top of a Data View