---
title: Errors in Elastic APM
description: An error event contains at least information about the original exception that occurred or about a log created when the exception occurred. For simplicity,...
url: https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-content/pull/4236/solutions/observability/apm/errors
products:
  - APM
  - Elastic Observability
---

# Errors in Elastic APM
An error event contains at least information about the original `exception` that occurred or about a `log` created when the exception occurred. For simplicity, errors are represented by a unique ID.
An Error contains:
- Both the captured `exception` and the captured `log` of an error can contain a `stack trace`, which is helpful for debugging.
- The `culprit` of an error indicates where it originated.
- An error might relate to the [transaction](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-content/pull/4236/solutions/observability/apm/transactions) during which it happened, via the `transaction.id`.
- Data about the environment in which the event is recorded:
  - Service - environment, framework, language, etc.
- Host - architecture, hostname, IP, etc.
- Process - args, PID, PPID, etc.
- URL - full, domain, port, query, etc.
- [User](/elastic/docs-content/pull/4236/solutions/observability/apm/metadata#apm-data-model-user) - (if supplied) email, ID, username, etc.

In addition, agents provide options for users to capture custom [metadata](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-content/pull/4236/solutions/observability/apm/metadata). Metadata can be indexed - [`labels`](/elastic/docs-content/pull/4236/solutions/observability/apm/metadata#apm-data-model-labels), or not-indexed - [`custom`](/elastic/docs-content/pull/4236/solutions/observability/apm/metadata#apm-data-model-custom).
<tip>
  Most agents limit keyword fields (e.g. `error.id`) to 1024 characters, non-keyword fields (e.g. `error.exception.message`) to 10,000 characters.
</tip>

Errors are stored in error indices.

## Data streams

Errors are stored in the following data streams:
- APM error/exception logging: `logs-apm.error-<namespace>`
- Applications UI logging: `logs-apm.app.<service.name>-<namespace>`

See [Data streams](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-content/pull/4236/solutions/observability/apm/data-streams) to learn more.

## Example error document

This example shows what error documents can look like when indexed in Elasticsearch.
<dropdown title="Expand Elasticsearch document">
  ```json
  [
      {
          "@timestamp": "2017-05-09T15:04:05.999Z",
          "agent": {
              "name": "elastic-node",
              "version": "3.14.0"
          },
          "container": {
              "id": "container-id"
          },
          "ecs": {
              "version": "1.12.0"
          },
          "error": {
              "grouping_key": "d6b3f958dfea98dc9ed2b57d5f0c48bb",
              "grouping_name": "Cannot read property 'baz' of undefined",
              "id": "0f0e9d67c1854d21a6f44673ed561ec8",
              "log": {
                  "level": "custom log level",
                  "message": "Cannot read property 'baz' of undefined"
              }
          },
          "event": {
              "ingested": "2020-04-22T14:52:08.436124Z"
          },
          "host": {
              "architecture": "x64",
              "ip": ["127.0.0.1"],
              "os": {
                  "platform": "darwin"
              }
          },
          "kubernetes": {
              "namespace": "namespace1",
              "pod": {
                  "name": "pod-name",
                  "uid": "pod-uid"
              }
          },
          "labels": {
              "tag1": "one",
              "tag2": 2
          },
          "message": "Cannot read property 'baz' of undefined",
          "observer": {
              "hostname": "ix.lan",
              "type": "apm-server",
              "version": "8.0.0"
          },
          "process": {
              "args": [
                  "node",
                  "server.js"
              ],
              "parent": {
                  "pid": 7788
              },
              "pid": 1234,
              "title": "node"
          },
          "processor": {
              "event": "error",
              "name": "error"
          },
          "service": {
              "environment": "staging",
              "framework": {
                  "name": "Express",
                  "version": "1.2.3"
              },
              "language": {
                  "name": "ecmascript",
                  "version": "8"
              },
              "name": "1234_service-12a3",
              "node": {
                  "name": "myservice-node"
              },
              "runtime": {
                  "name": "node",
                  "version": "8.0.0"
              },
              "version": "5.1.3"
          },
          "timestamp": {
              "us": 1494342245999000
          }
      },
      {
          "@timestamp": "2017-05-09T15:04:05.999Z",
          "agent": {
              "name": "python",
              "version": "4.3"
          },
          "client": {
              "geo": {
                  "continent_name": "North America",
                  "country_iso_code": "US",
                  "country_name": "United States",
                  "location": {
                      "lat": 37.751,
                      "lon": -97.822
                  }
              },
              "ip": "8.8.8.8"
          },
          "container": {
              "id": "container-id"
          },
          "ecs": {
              "version": "1.12.0"
          },
          "error": {
              "culprit": "my.module.function_name",
              "custom": {
                  "and_objects": {
                      "foo": [
                          "bar",
                          "baz"
                      ]
                  },
                  "my_key": 1,
                  "some_other_value": "foo bar"
              },
              "exception": [
                  {
                      "attributes": {
                          "foo": "bar"
                      },
                      "code": "42",
                      "handled": false,
                      "message": "The username root is unknown",
                      "module": "__builtins__",
                      "stacktrace": [
                          {
                              "abs_path": "/real/file/name.py",
                              "context": {
                                  "post": [
                                      "line4",
                                      "line5"
                                  ],
                                  "pre": [
                                      "line1",
                                      "line2"
                                  ]
                              },
                              "exclude_from_grouping": false,
                              "filename": "file/name.py",
                              "function": "foo",
                              "library_frame": true,
                              "line": {
                                  "column": 4,
                                  "context": "line3",
                                  "number": 3
                              },
                              "module": "App::MyModule",
                              "vars": {
                                  "key": "value"
                              }
                          },
                          {
                              "abs_path": "/Users/watson/code/node_modules/elastic/lib/instrumentation/index.js",
                              "context": {
                                  "post": [
                                      "    ins.currentTransaction = prev",
                                      "    return result",
                                      "}",
                                      "}",
                                      "",
                                      "Instrumentation.prototype._recoverTransaction = function (trans) {",
                                      "  if (this.currentTransaction === trans) return"
                                  ],
                                  "pre": [
                                      "  var trans = this.currentTransaction",
                                      "",
                                      "  return instrumented",
                                      "",
                                      "  function instrumented () {",
                                      "    var prev = ins.currentTransaction",
                                      "    ins.currentTransaction = trans"
                                  ]
                              },
                              "exclude_from_grouping": false,
                              "filename": "lib/instrumentation/index.js",
                              "function": "instrumented",
                              "line": {
                                  "context": "    var result = original.apply(this, arguments)",
                                  "number": 102
                              },
                              "vars": {
                                  "key": "value"
                              }
                          }
                      ],
                      "type": "DbError"
                  }
              ],
              "grouping_key": "50f62f37edffc4630c6655ba3ecfcf46",
              "grouping_name": "My service could not talk to the database named foobar",
              "id": "5f0e9d64c1854d21a6f44673ed561ec8",
              "log": {
                  "level": "warning",
                  "logger_name": "my.logger.name",
                  "message": "My service could not talk to the database named foobar",
                  "param_message": "My service could not talk to the database named %s",
                  "stacktrace": [
                      {
                          "abs_path": "/real/file/name.py",
                          "context": {
                              "post": [
                                  "line4",
                                  "line5"
                              ],
                              "pre": [
                                  "line1",
                                  "line2"
                              ]
                          },
                          "exclude_from_grouping": false,
                          "filename": "/webpack/file/name.py",
                          "function": "foo",
                          "line": {
                              "column": 4,
                              "context": "line3",
                              "number": 3
                          },
                          "module": "App::MyModule",
                          "vars": {
                              "key": "value"
                          }
                      },
                      {
                          "abs_path": "/Users/watson/code/node_modules/elastic/lib/instrumentation/index.js",
                          "context": {
                              "post": [
                                  "    ins.currentTransaction = prev",
                                  "    return result",
                                  "}",
                                  "}",
                                  "",
                                  "Instrumentation.prototype._recoverTransaction = function (trans) {",
                                  "  if (this.currentTransaction === trans) return"
                              ],
                              "pre": [
                                  "  var trans = this.currentTransaction",
                                  "",
                                  "  return instrumented",
                                  "",
                                  "  function instrumented () {",
                                  "    var prev = ins.currentTransaction",
                                  "    ins.currentTransaction = trans"
                              ]
                          },
                          "exclude_from_grouping": false,
                          "filename": "lib/instrumentation/index.js",
                          "function": "instrumented",
                          "line": {
                              "context": "    var result = original.apply(this, arguments)",
                              "number": 102
                          },
                          "vars": {
                              "key": "value"
                          }
                      }
                  ]
              }
          },
          "event": {
              "ingested": "2020-04-22T14:52:08.384032Z"
          },
          "host": {
              "architecture": "x64",
              "ip": "127.0.0.1",
              "os": {
                  "platform": "darwin"
              }
          },
          "http": {
              "request": {
                  "body": {
                      "original": "Hello World"
                  },
                  "cookies": {
                      "c1": "v1",
                      "c2": "v2"
                  },
                  "env": {
                      "GATEWAY_INTERFACE": "CGI/1.1",
                      "SERVER_SOFTWARE": "nginx"
                  },
                  "headers": {
                      "Array": [
                          "foo",
                          "bar",
                          "baz"
                      ],
                      "Content-Type": [
                          "text/html"
                      ],
                      "Cookie": [
                          "c1=v1,c2=v2"
                      ],
                      "Some-Other-Header": [
                          "foo"
                      ],
                      "User-Agent": [
                          "Mozilla Chrome Edge"
                      ]
                  },
                  "method": "POST",
                  "referrer": "http://localhost:8000/test/e2e/"
              },
              "response": {
                  "finished": true,
                  "headers": {
                      "Content-Type": [
                          "application/json"
                      ]
                  },
                  "headers_sent": true,
                  "status_code": 200
              },
              "version": "1.1"
          },
          "kubernetes": {
              "namespace": "namespace1",
              "pod": {
                  "name": "pod-name",
                  "uid": "pod-uid"
              }
          },
          "labels": {
              "organization_uuid": "9f0e9d64-c185-4d21-a6f4-4673ed561ec8",
              "tag1": "one",
              "tag2": 2
          },
          "message": "My service could not talk to the database named foobar",
          "observer": {
              "ephemeral_id": "f1838cde-80dd-4af5-b7ac-ffc2d3fccc9d",
              "hostname": "ix.lan",
              "id": "5d4dc8fe-cb14-47ee-b720-d6bf49f87ef0",
              "type": "apm-server",
              "version": "8.0.0"
          },
          "process": {
              "args": [
                  "node",
                  "server.js"
              ],
              "pid": 1234,
              "parent": {
                  "pid": 7788
              },
              "title": "node"
          },
          "processor": {
              "event": "error",
              "name": "error"
          },
          "service": {
              "environment": "staging",
              "framework": {
                  "name": "Express",
                  "version": "1.2.3"
              },
              "language": {
                  "name": "ecmascript",
                  "version": "8"
              },
              "name": "abc",
              "node": {
                  "name": "myservice-xz"
              },
              "runtime": {
                  "name": "node",
                  "version": "1.2"
              },
              "version": "5.1.3"
          },
          "source": {
              "ip": "8.8.8.8"
          },
          "timestamp": {
              "us": 1494342245999999
          },
          "url": {
              "domain": "www.example.com",
              "fragment": "#hash",
              "full": "https://www.example.com/p/a/t/h?query=string#hash",
              "original": "/p/a/t/h?query=string#hash",
              "path": "/p/a/t/h",
              "port": 8080,
              "query": "?query=string",
              "scheme": "https"
          },
          "user": {
              "email": "foo@example.com",
              "id": "99",
              "name": "foo"
          },
          "user_agent": {
              "device": {
                  "name": "Other"
              },
              "name": "Other",
              "original": "Mozilla Chrome Edge"
          }
      },
      {
          "@timestamp": "2017-05-09T15:04:05.000Z",
          "agent": {
              "name": "elastic-node",
              "version": "3.14.0"
          },
          "container": {
              "id": "container-id"
          },
          "ecs": {
              "version": "1.12.0"
          },
          "error": {
              "exception": [
                  {
                      "type": "connection error"
                  }
              ],
              "grouping_key": "18f82051862e494727fa20e0adc15711",
              "grouping_name": null,
              "id": "7f0e9d68c1854d21a6f44673ed561ec8"
          },
          "event": {
              "ingested": "2020-04-22T14:52:08.435669Z"
          },
          "host": {
              "architecture": "x64",
              "ip": "127.0.0.1",
              "os": {
                  "platform": "darwin"
              }
          },
          "kubernetes": {
              "namespace": "namespace1",
              "pod": {
                  "name": "pod-name",
                  "uid": "pod-uid"
              }
          },
          "labels": {
              "tag1": "one",
              "tag2": 2
          },
          "observer": {
              "ephemeral_id": "f1838cde-80dd-4af5-b7ac-ffc2d3fccc9d",
              "hostname": "ix.lan",
              "id": "5d4dc8fe-cb14-47ee-b720-d6bf49f87ef0",
              "type": "apm-server",
              "version": "8.0.0"
          },
          "process": {
              "args": [
                  "node",
                  "server.js"
              ],
              "pid": 1234,
              "parent": {
                  "pid": 7788
              },
              "title": "node"
          },
          "processor": {
              "event": "error",
              "name": "error"
          },
          "service": {
              "environment": "staging",
              "framework": {
                  "name": "Express",
                  "version": "1.2.3"
              },
              "language": {
                  "name": "ecmascript",
                  "version": "8"
              },
              "name": "1234_service-12a3",
              "node": {
                  "name": "myservice-node"
              },
              "runtime": {
                  "name": "node",
                  "version": "8.0.0"
              },
              "version": "5.1.3"
          },
          "timestamp": {
              "us": 1494342245000000
          }
      },
      {
          "@timestamp": "2017-05-09T15:04:05.000Z",
          "agent": {
              "name": "elastic-node",
              "version": "3.14.0"
          },
          "container": {
              "id": "container-id"
          },
          "ecs": {
              "version": "1.12.0"
          },
          "error": {
              "exception": [
                  {
                      "code": "35",
                      "message": "foo is not defined"
                  }
              ],
              "grouping_key": "f6b5a2877d9b00d5b32b44c9db039f11",
              "grouping_name": "foo is not defined",
              "id": "8f0e9d68c1854d21a6f44673ed561ec8"
          },
          "event": {
              "ingested": "2020-04-22T14:52:08.435117Z"
          },
          "host": {
              "architecture": "x64",
              "ip": "127.0.0.1",
              "os": {
                  "platform": "darwin"
              }
          },
          "kubernetes": {
              "namespace": "namespace1",
              "pod": {
                  "name": "pod-name",
                  "uid": "pod-uid"
              }
          },
          "labels": {
              "tag1": "one",
              "tag2": 2
          },
          "message": "foo is not defined",
          "observer": {
              "ephemeral_id": "f1838cde-80dd-4af5-b7ac-ffc2d3fccc9d",
              "hostname": "ix.lan",
              "id": "5d4dc8fe-cb14-47ee-b720-d6bf49f87ef0",
              "type": "apm-server",
              "version": "8.0.0"
          },
          "process": {
              "args": [
                  "node",
                  "server.js"
              ],
              "pid": 1234,
              "parent": {
                  "pid": 7788
              },
              "title": "node"
          },
          "processor": {
              "event": "error",
              "name": "error"
          },
          "service": {
              "environment": "staging",
              "framework": {
                  "name": "Express",
                  "version": "1.2.3"
              },
              "language": {
                  "name": "ecmascript",
                  "version": "8"
              },
              "name": "1234_service-12a3",
              "node": {
                  "name": "myservice-node"
              },
              "runtime": {
                  "name": "node",
                  "version": "8.0.0"
              },
              "version": "5.1.3"
          },
          "timestamp": {
              "us": 1494342245000000
          }
      }
  ]
  ```
</dropdown>