# How to Configure APM in Elastic Cloud to Store Per-Service Indices (Instead of Default Data Streams)

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-configure-apm-in-elastic-cloud-to-store-per-service-indices-instead-of-default-data-streams/376230>\
**Category:** APM\
**Tags:** ilm-index-lifecycle-management, agent-explorer\
**Created:** [March 21, 2025, 1:46pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-configure-apm-in-elastic-cloud-to-store-per-service-indices-instead-of-default-data-streams/376230 "2025-03-21T13:46:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![husoops1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ec9cab/32.png) [@husoops1](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/husoops1)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2025, 1:46pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-configure-apm-in-elastic-cloud-to-store-per-service-indices-instead-of-default-data-streams/376230/1 "2025-03-21T13:46:49Z")

</div>

**Kibana version** :  
8.11.1 (Elastic Cloud)

**Elasticsearch version** :  
8.11.1 (Elastic Cloud)

**APM Server version** :  
Managed by Elastic Cloud (8.11.1)

**APM Agent language and version** :  
Multiple services using Elastic APM agents (Python, Java)

**Browser version** :  
Latest Chrome

**Original install method** :  
Elastic Cloud – fully managed deployment

**Fresh install or upgraded from other version?**  
Fresh install

* * *

**Is there anything special in your setup?**

- APM is \*\*managed entirely by Elastic Cloud
- We do \*\*not have access to `apm-server.yml
- All services currently log into the same index:  
`.ds-traces-apm-default-*`
- We want to **apply different ILM policies per service** , so we need **separate indices per service** (e.g. `traces-apm-authservice-*`, `traces-apm-payment-*`)
- Tried disabling data streams via:

```auto
PUT _cluster/settings  
{ "persistent": { "xpack.apm.data_streams.enabled": "false" } }

```

→ Response:  
illegal\_argument\_exception"`, setting not recognized

* * *

**Description of the problem including expected versus actual behavior** :  
We are looking to split APM traces **into separate indices per service** , in order to apply different ILM policies and control data retention (and cost) more efficiently.

However, since APM is managed in Elastic Cloud:

- We cannot modify `apm-server.yml`
- The UI does not provide an option to change `output.elasticsearch.index`
- Data streams seem to be forced, and cannot be disabled via the cluster settings

We’re unsure if this is currently supported in Elastic Cloud or if there’s a supported workaround.

* * *

**Steps to reproduce** :

1. Deploy services with Elastic APM agents (service.name set)
2. Observe that all data ends up in `.ds-traces-apm-default-*`
3. Try to disable data streams using cluster settings (get error)
4. No access to `apm-server.yml` to apply custom index naming

* * *

**Errors in browser console (if relevant)**:  
N/A

* * *

**Provide logs and/or server output (if relevant)**:

```auto
{
  "error": {
    "root_cause": [
      {
        "type": "illegal_argument_exception",
        "reason": "persistent setting [xpack.apm.data_streams.enabled], not recognized"
      }
    ],
    "type": "illegal_argument_exception",
    "reason": "persistent setting [xpack.apm.data_streams.enabled], not recognized"
  },
  "status": 400
}

```

* * *

**Question:**  
Is there any supported way in **Elastic Cloud** to:

1. Disable APM data streams?
2. Apply **custom index naming per service** (like `traces-apm-%{[service.name]}`)
3. Or apply **separate ILM policies** per service?

Would appreciate any suggestions or confirmation if this is possible via UI or API or if it would require a self-managed APM server.

Thanks in advance!