---
title: Decode CSV fields
description: The decode_csv_fields processor decodes fields containing records in comma-separated format (CSV). It will output the values as an array of strings. This...
url: https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3028/reference/beats/filebeat/decode-csv-fields
products:
  - Beats
  - Filebeat
applies_to:
  - Elastic Cloud Serverless: Preview
  - Elastic Stack: Preview
---

# Decode CSV fields
<warning>
  This functionality is in technical preview and may be changed or removed in a future release. Elastic will work to fix any issues, but features in technical preview are not subject to the support SLA of official GA features.
</warning>

The `decode_csv_fields` processor decodes fields containing records in comma-separated format (CSV). It will output the values as an array of strings. This processor is available for Filebeat.
```yaml
processors:
  - decode_csv_fields:
      fields:
        message: decoded.csv
      separator: ","
      ignore_missing: false
      overwrite_keys: true
      trim_leading_space: false
      fail_on_error: true
```

The `decode_csv_fields` has the following settings:
<definitions>
  <definition term="fields">
    This is a mapping from the source field containing the CSV data to the destination field to which the decoded array will be written.
  </definition>
  <definition term="separator">
    (Optional) Character to be used as a column separator. The default is the comma character. For using a TAB character you must set it to "\t".
  </definition>
  <definition term="ignore_missing">
    (Optional) Whether to ignore events which lack the source field. The default is `false`, which will fail processing of an event if a field is missing.
  </definition>
  <definition term="overwrite_keys">
    Whether the target field is overwritten if it already exists. The default is false, which will fail processing of an event when `target` already exists.
  </definition>
  <definition term="trim_leading_space">
    Whether extra space after the separator is trimmed from values. This works even if the separator is also a space. The default is `false`.
  </definition>
  <definition term="fail_on_error">
    (Optional) If set to true, in case of an error the changes to the event are reverted, and the original event is returned. If set to `false`, processing continues also if an error happens. Default is `true`.
  </definition>
</definitions>