# Difference between logstash .conf file and elastic template file

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/difference-between-logstash-conf-file-and-elastic-template-file/129269>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Created:** [April 24, 2018, 9:12am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/difference-between-logstash-conf-file-and-elastic-template-file/129269 "2018-04-24T09:12:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 3

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**Author:** ![SRIpandu1729](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/sripandu1729/32/27368_2.png) [@SRIpandu1729](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/SRIpandu1729)\
**Post date:** [April 24, 2018, 9:27am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/difference-between-logstash-conf-file-and-elastic-template-file/129269/3 "2018-04-24T09:27:27Z")

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Thanks @Christian_Dahlqvist for the reply.

Those fields are the main reason why I asked this question continuing from this [one](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/inconsistent-results-using-lucene-query-syntax/129034). So what are the pros and cons of not mapping ip's as type 'ip' and instead leaving them as strings? Which one should we prefer? (The same with geo\_ip as well?) Thanks 🙂 in advance.

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