# Editing a system template can break Kibana

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/editing-a-system-template-can-break-kibana/379951>\
**Category:** Elastic Search\
**Created:** [July 9, 2025, 2:44pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/editing-a-system-template-can-break-kibana/379951 "2025-07-09T14:44:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![juancamiloll](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/juancamiloll/32/110326_2.png) [@juancamiloll](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/juancamiloll)\
**Post date:** [July 9, 2025, 2:44pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/editing-a-system-template-can-break-kibana/379951/1 "2025-07-09T14:44:08Z")

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Hello to all,

I need to use an index template to assign 3 shards and 1 replica but this warning message leaves me a bit uneasy.

I appeal to your experience to please tell me if I can do this process or if I better not touch this configuration.

Thank you very much

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/5/1/515cdc725d2f2e14e13010e6e46b19321d6159fe.png)

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**Author:** ![stephenb](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/stephenb/32/40856_2.png) [@stephenb](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/stephenb)\
**Post date:** [July 9, 2025, 3:28pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/editing-a-system-template-can-break-kibana/379951/2 "2025-07-09T15:28:40Z")

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Hi @juancamiloll

What version of the stack are you on?

Also I am have trouble finding that template … where did it come from?

That looks like metricbeat logstash monitoring?

A couple other questions … Why do you need 3 shards… how much Data / GB / day is ingesting into that index… its monitoring data so usually that is low volume… so why 3 shards…

tl;dr changing the shards / replicas will probably not actually break anything BUT when you do an update (metricbeat or whatever owns that template) your changes may be overwritten.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![juancamiloll](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/juancamiloll/32/110326_2.png) [@juancamiloll](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/juancamiloll)\
**Post date:** [July 9, 2025, 6:25pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/editing-a-system-template-can-break-kibana/379951/3 "2025-07-09T18:25:50Z")

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I am on version 8.18.1

I only know that those were the shards and replicas that were defined, I have no more context.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![stephenb](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/stephenb/32/40856_2.png) [@stephenb](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/stephenb)\
**Post date:** [July 9, 2025, 6:35pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/editing-a-system-template-can-break-kibana/379951/4 "2025-07-09T18:35:34Z")

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> [@juancamiloll](#):
>
> I need to use an index template to assign 3 shards and 1 replica but this warning message leaves me a bit uneasy.

> [@juancamiloll](#):
>
> I only know that those were the shards and replicas that were defined, I have no more context.

I mean why to you _ **NEED** _ to change those settings in the first place. That is a pretty unusual change... its OK ... but generally no need to change.

You can change it, but those settings may be overridden when you upgrade again.