Create or update a watch

POST also PUT /_watcher/watch/{id}

When a watch is registered, a new document that represents the watch is added to the .watches index and its trigger is immediately registered with the relevant trigger engine. Typically for the schedule trigger, the scheduler is the trigger engine.

IMPORTANT: You must use Kibana or this API to create a watch. Do not add a watch directly to the .watches index by using the Elasticsearch index API. If Elasticsearch security features are enabled, do not give users write privileges on the .watches index.

When you add a watch you can also define its initial active state by setting the active parameter.

When Elasticsearch security features are enabled, your watch can index or search only on indices for which the user that stored the watch has privileges. If the user is able to read index a, but not index b, the same will apply when the watch runs.

Required authorization

Cluster privileges: manage_watcher

Path Parameters

id string Id required: The identifier for the watch.

Query Parameters

Request

Response

application/json

Examples

Run POST _watcher/watch/my-watch add a watch. The watch schedule triggers every minute. The watch search input looks for any 404 HTTP responses that occurred in the last five minutes. The watch condition checks if any search hits where found. When found, the watch action sends an email to an administrator.

Request Console 1 / 7 languages

Console Kibana Dev Tools

POST _watcher/watch/my-watch
{
  "trigger" : {
    "schedule" : { "cron" : "0 0/1 * * * ?" }
  },
  "input" : {
    "search" : {
      "request" : {
        "indices" : [
          "logstash*"
        ],
        "body" : {
          "query" : {
            "bool" : {
              "must" : {
                "match": {
                  "response": 404
                }
              },
              "filter" : {
                "range": {
                  "@timestamp": {
                    "from": "{{ctx.trigger.scheduled_time}}||-5m",
                    "to": "{{ctx.trigger.triggered_time}}"
                  }
                }
              }
            }
          }
        }
      }
    }
  },
  "condition" : {
    "compare" : { "ctx.payload.hits.total" : { "gt" : 0 }}
  },
  "actions" : {
    "email_admin" : {
      "email" : {
        "to" : "admin@domain.host.com",
        "subject" : "404 recently encountered"
      }
    }
  }
}

JavaScript Elasticsearch JavaScript Client

const response = await client.watcher.putWatch({
  id: "my-watch",
  trigger: {
    schedule: {
      cron: "0 0/1 * * * ?",
    },
  },
  input: {
    search: {
      request: {
        indices: ["logstash*"],
        body: {
          query: {
            bool: {
              must: {
                match: {
                  response: 404,
                },
              },
              filter: {
                range: {
                  "@timestamp": {
                    from: "{{ctx.trigger.scheduled_time}}||-5m",
                    to: "{{ctx.trigger.triggered_time}}",
                  },
                },
              },
            },
          },
        },
      },
    },
  },
  condition: {
    compare: {
      "ctx.payload.hits.total": {
        gt: 0,
      },
    },
  },
  actions: {
    email_admin: {
      email: {
        to: "admin@domain.host.com",
        subject: "404 recently encountered",
      },
    },
  },
});

Python Elasticsearch Python Client

resp = client.watcher.put_watch(
    id="my-watch",
    trigger={
        "schedule": {
            "cron": "0 0/1 * * * ?"
        }
    },
    input={
        "search": {
            "request": {
                "indices": [
                    "logstash*"
                ],
                "body": {
                    "query": {
                        "bool": {
                            "must": {
                                "match": {
                                    "response": 404
                                }
                            },
                            "filter": {
                                "range": {
                                    "@timestamp": {
                                        "from": "{{ctx.trigger.scheduled_time}}||-5m",
                                        "to": "{{ctx.trigger.triggered_time}}"
                                    }
                                }
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    },
    condition={
        "compare": {
            "ctx.payload.hits.total": {
                "gt": 0
            }
        }
    },
    actions={
        "email_admin": {
            "email": {
                "to": "admin@domain.host.com",
                "subject": "404 recently encountered"
            }
        }
    },
)

curl Shell

curl -X POST "$ELASTICSEARCH_URL/_watcher/watch/my-watch" \
  -H "Authorization: ApiKey $ELASTIC_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "trigger": {
      "schedule": {
        "cron": "0 0/1 * * * ?"
      }
    },
    "input": {
      "search": {
        "request": {
          "indices": [
            "logstash*"
          ],
          "body": {
            "query": {
              "bool": {
                "must": {
                  "match": {
                    "response": 404
                  }
                },
                "filter": {
                  "range": {
                    "@timestamp": {
                      "from": "{{ctx.trigger.scheduled_time}}||-5m",
                      "to": "{{ctx.trigger.triggered_time}}"
                    }
                  }
                }
              }
            }
          }
        }
      }
    },
    "condition": {
      "compare": {
        "ctx.payload.hits.total": {
          "gt": 0
        }
      }
    },
    "actions": {
      "email_admin": {
        "email": {
          "to": "admin@domain.host.com",
          "subject": "404 recently encountered"
        }
      }
    }
  }'

Java Elasticsearch Java Client

client.watcher().putWatch(p -> p
    .actions("email_admin", a -> a
        .email(e -> e
            .subject("404 recently encountered")
            .to("admin@domain.host.com")
        )
    )
    .condition(c -> c
        .compare(NamedValue.of("ctx.payload.hits.total",Pair.of(ConditionOp.Gt,FieldValue.of(0))))
    )
    .id("my-watch")
    .input(i -> i
        .search(s -> s
            .request(r -> r
                .body(b -> b
                    .query(q -> q
                        .bool(bo -> bo
                            .filter(f -> f
                                .range(ra -> ra
                                    .untyped(u -> u
                                        .field("@timestamp")
                                    )
                                )
                            )
                            .must(m -> m
                                .match(ma -> ma
                                    .field("response")
                                    .query(FieldValue.of(404))
                                )
                            )
                        )
                    )
                )
                .indices("logstash*")
            )
        )
    )
    .trigger(t -> t
        .schedule(sc -> sc
            .cron("0 0/1 * * * ?")
        )
    )
);

PHP Elasticsearch PHP Client

$resp = $client->watcher()->putWatch([
    "id" => "my-watch",
    "body" => [
        "trigger" => [
            "schedule" => [
                "cron" => "0 0/1 * * * ?",
            ],
        ],
        "input" => [
            "search" => [
                "request" => [
                    "indices" => array(
                        "logstash*",
                    ),
                    "body" => [
                        "query" => [
                            "bool" => [
                                "must" => [
                                    "match" => [
                                        "response" => 404,
                                    ],
                                ],
                                "filter" => [
                                    "range" => [
                                        "@timestamp" => [
                                            "from" => "{{ctx.trigger.scheduled_time}}||-5m",
                                            "to" => "{{ctx.trigger.triggered_time}}",
                                        ],
                                    ],
                                ],
                            ],
                        ],
                    ],
                ],
            ],
        ],
        "condition" => [
            "compare" => [
                "ctx.payload.hits.total" => [
                    "gt" => 0,
                ],
            ],
        ],
        "actions" => [
            "email_admin" => [
                "email" => [
                    "to" => "admin@domain.host.com",
                    "subject" => "404 recently encountered",
                ],
            ],
        ],
    ],
]);

Ruby Elasticsearch Ruby Client

response = client.watcher.put_watch(
  id: "my-watch",
  body: {
    "trigger": {
      "schedule": {
        "cron": "0 0/1 * * * ?"
      }
    },
    "input": {
      "search": {
        "request": {
          "indices": [
            "logstash*"
          ],
          "body": {
            "query": {
              "bool": {
                "must": {
                  "match": {
                    "response": 404
                  }
                },
                "filter": {
                  "range": {
                    "@timestamp": {
                      "from": "{{ctx.trigger.scheduled_time}}||-5m",
                      "to": "{{ctx.trigger.triggered_time}}"
                    }
                  }
                }
              }
            }
          }
        }
      }
    },
    "condition": {
      "compare": {
        "ctx.payload.hits.total": {
          "gt": 0
        }
      }
    },
    "actions": {
      "email_admin": {
        "email": {
          "to": "admin@domain.host.com",
          "subject": "404 recently encountered"
        }
      }
    }
  }
)

Response

No example

Required authorization

Path Parameters

Query Parameters { active , if_primary_term , if_seq_no , version , }

Request { actions , condition , input , metadata , throttle_period , throttle_period_in_millis , transform , trigger , }

Response

Query Parameters

Request