# How to have timestamp on my docs and kibana show a count of docs per timestamp range

**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-have-timestamp-on-my-docs-and-kibana-show-a-count-of-docs-per-timestamp-range/198531
**Category:** Elasticsearch
**Created:** [September 8, 2019, 2:43am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-have-timestamp-on-my-docs-and-kibana-show-a-count-of-docs-per-timestamp-range/198531 "2019-09-08T02:43:28Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![FRegis](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/fregis/32/45057_2.png) [@FRegis](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/FRegis)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2019, 2:43am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-have-timestamp-on-my-docs-and-kibana-show-a-count-of-docs-per-timestamp-range/198531/1 "2019-09-08T02:43:28Z")

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Hi,

Absolutely newbie here.  
I have some data that I'm sending to elasticsearch in JSON. The index is created automatically. I almost have no idea of how to setup indexes and visualization the way I like.

So, other indexes on my environment that were created by syslog sources through logstash, they all have a @timestamp and kibana shows a time series on top of visualization page.

My index shows the fields I sent in doc, but no @timestamp and no time series on kibana.

Please give me hints.

Want this:

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/3/e/3e4722a5169f44ae58c62e1a2d880dc364b8855c.png)

Have this:

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/8/f/8f1ce60181bea9a0e019fa358d28693ba52b8d97.png)

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![dadoonet](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/dadoonet/32/137187_2.png) [@dadoonet](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dadoonet)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2019, 4:32pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-have-timestamp-on-my-docs-and-kibana-show-a-count-of-docs-per-timestamp-range/198531/2 "2019-09-08T16:32:16Z")

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If you want a timestamp field, you need to provide it. Elasticsearch does not create it automatically.

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![FRegis](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/fregis/32/45057_2.png) [@FRegis](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/FRegis)
#### Post date: [September 9, 2019, 3:42pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-have-timestamp-on-my-docs-and-kibana-show-a-count-of-docs-per-timestamp-range/198531/3 "2019-09-09T15:42:34Z")

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Hi David,

Is correct to assume that if my query returns a dataset with any datetime field, regardless how I named it, Kibana will automatically display that timeline?  
Thanks.

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![holobolo0815](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecc23a/32.png) [@holobolo0815](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/holobolo0815)
#### Post date: [September 9, 2019, 4:04pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-have-timestamp-on-my-docs-and-kibana-show-a-count-of-docs-per-timestamp-range/198531/4 "2019-09-09T16:04:00Z")

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If you go into Management module of Kibana and check the settings of the relevant Index Pattern you'll see what the appropriate timestamp field would be 🙂  
 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/0/a/0a1d5dfe18761e88d6abb961f53f21f7f98b9b5b.png)

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![FRegis](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/fregis/32/45057_2.png) [@FRegis](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/FRegis)
#### Post date: [September 9, 2019, 6:16pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-have-timestamp-on-my-docs-and-kibana-show-a-count-of-docs-per-timestamp-range/198531/5 "2019-09-09T18:16:49Z")

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> [@holobolo0815](#):
>
> o Management module of Kibana and check the settings of the relevant Index Pattern you'll see what the appropriate timestamp field w

Hi. I created this index by POSTing docs to it. Currently this is whats kibana shows me:  
 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/0/5/05cc0777a3eed885e855b9e23efa2e7296c11f9c.png)  
No pre-established timestamp field.

Can you point me the direction?

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![holobolo0815](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecc23a/32.png) [@holobolo0815](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/holobolo0815)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2019, 8:47am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-have-timestamp-on-my-docs-and-kibana-show-a-count-of-docs-per-timestamp-range/198531/6 "2019-09-10T08:47:26Z")

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There does not seem to be a feature in the GUI allowing to change it once the index pattern was created: [https://github.com/elastic/kibana/issues/9212](https://github.com/elastic/kibana/issues/9212)

As they pointed out in the issue it is also unclear how to change it later in a version of Kibana \> 6 ...

You could try creatig a new index pattern (which allows to you define the timestamp field) and see where the differences are from what you have.

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [October 8, 2019, 8:48am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-have-timestamp-on-my-docs-and-kibana-show-a-count-of-docs-per-timestamp-range/198531/7 "2019-10-08T08:48:24Z")

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