# Can Filebeat send plain text instead of JSON

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/can-filebeat-send-plain-text-instead-of-json/106272>\
**Category:** Beats\
**Tags:** filebeat\
**Created:** [November 3, 2017, 6:23am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/can-filebeat-send-plain-text-instead-of-json/106272 "2017-11-03T06:23:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jmcjmcjmc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5f8ce5/32.png) [@jmcjmcjmc](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/jmcjmcjmc)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2017, 6:23am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/can-filebeat-send-plain-text-instead-of-json/106272/1 "2017-11-03T06:23:07Z")

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Filebeat currently wraps all message in logfile in JSON format.

Is it possible to ask it send the message as is?

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**Author:** ![steffens](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/steffens/32/79630_2.png) [@steffens](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/steffens)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2017, 11:22am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/can-filebeat-send-plain-text-instead-of-json/106272/2 "2017-11-03T11:22:36Z")

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It depends on the output you are using. Some outputs have a `codec` setting: [https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/beats/filebeat/current/configuration-output-codec.html](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/beats/filebeat/current/configuration-output-codec.html)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 11:22am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/can-filebeat-send-plain-text-instead-of-json/106272/3 "2017-12-01T11:22:38Z")

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