# JSON parsing issue and mis-reported JSON\_ERROR

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/json-parsing-issue-and-mis-reported-json-error/63074>\
**Category:** Beats\
**Tags:** filebeat\
**Created:** [October 14, 2016, 7:08pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/json-parsing-issue-and-mis-reported-json-error/63074 "2016-10-14T19:08:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 2

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**Author:** ![andrewkroh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/andrewkroh/32/3784_2.png) [@andrewkroh](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/andrewkroh)\
**Post date:** [October 14, 2016, 7:40pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/json-parsing-issue-and-mis-reported-json-error/63074/2 "2016-10-14T19:40:09Z")

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The [configuration](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-can-i-expose-new-fields-sourced-from-the-log-record/62871/2?u=andrewkroh) that I suggested for the example you gave had `json.message_key: msg` because the JSON being parsed has a `msg` field. It does not have a `message` field and that's why there is an error.

The `json.message` configuration option specifies what key to apply filtering and mutliline to. The configuration setting isn't required per the [documentation](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/beats/filebeat/5.0/configuration-filebeat-options.html#config-json).

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_[View the full topic](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/json-parsing-issue-and-mis-reported-json-error/63074)._