# Filter out lines with only a TAB
**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/filter-out-lines-with-only-a-tab/150589
**Category:** Logstash
**Created:** [October 1, 2018, 5:25pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/filter-out-lines-with-only-a-tab/150589 "2018-10-01T17:25:31Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@hangstl](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/hangstl)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2018, 5:25pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/filter-out-lines-with-only-a-tab/150589/1 "2018-10-01T17:25:31Z")
I have to ingest logfiles that contain lines with only a TAB in it. Is it possible to get rid of those lines using the drop() filter? Something like this:
```auto
filter {
...
if [message] =~ /^\s*$/ {
drop { }
}
...
}
```
How does the drop {} actually work? Does it prevent messages from getting to the output {...} section of the Logstash config? Are they completely _skipped_ after the drop {}?
---
### Author:  [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2018, 5:25pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/filter-out-lines-with-only-a-tab/150589/2 "2018-10-29T17:25:33Z")
This topic was automatically closed 28 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.