# Gsub replace backslash with forward slash

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/gsub-replace-backslash-with-forward-slash/233322>\
**Category:** Logstash\
**Created:** [May 19, 2020, 12:57pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/gsub-replace-backslash-with-forward-slash/233322 "2020-05-19T12:57:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 2

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**Author:** ![andres-perez](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/andres-perez/32/136461_2.png) [@andres-perez](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/andres-perez)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2020, 5:52pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/gsub-replace-backslash-with-forward-slash/233322/2 "2020-05-19T17:52:08Z")

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Hi, you need a very tricky substitution 😲 😀

The only way of achieving it that comes to my mind is to use ruby code directly:

```auto
  ruby{
    code => ' event.set("message", event.get("message").gsub("/", "\\") ) '
  }

```

Be aware that if your output representation escapes special characters (for example Json), you'll see "doubled" backquotes in the result.

I add a link to a message with a related issue to have as reference and another unresolved one that might benefit from this.

> [@Proper RegEx with Mutate\>GSub](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/proper-regex-with-mutate-gsub/229679/2):
>
> Having a backslash at the end of a string requires a trick. Use a character group that just includes backslash... mutate { gsub =\> ["[user][name]", "\w+[\\]{2}", "" ] }

> [@Logstash gsub: how to replace with backslash?](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/logstash-gsub-how-to-replace-with-backslash/58364):
>
> Hi, I have following stuff in a field: "field\_A" =\> "c:\\test\\test.txt" By some conversion the masking backslash became a valid character. How can I get rid of the double backslashes, so that I have only one (or two when masked)? I tried: mutate { gsub =\> ['field\_A', '(\\\\)', '\\'] } but that is not accepted by logstash. If I try to replace to '[\]' then the brackets are also inserted. Any idea? Thanks a lot.

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