# Logstash elasticsearch output plugin - Populating api\_key from metadata field does not work
**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/logstash-elasticsearch-output-plugin-populating-api-key-from-metadata-field-does-not-work/263259
**Category:** Logstash
**Created:** [February 4, 2021, 3:13pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/logstash-elasticsearch-output-plugin-populating-api-key-from-metadata-field-does-not-work/263259 "2021-02-04T15:13:50Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@vigneshr35](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/vigneshr35)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2021, 3:13pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/logstash-elasticsearch-output-plugin-populating-api-key-from-metadata-field-does-not-work/263259/1 "2021-02-04T15:13:50Z")
Hi All,
I am using the elasticsearch output plugin of logstash to post my events to elasticsearch. I am using the api\_key authentication method. It is all working fine until I have the api\_key parameter value hardcoded. For Ex:
> api\_key =\> "xxxxxxxxxxxx:yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy"
where Xs resemble id and Ys the api\_key generated using the [create api\_key security api](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/7.10/security-api-create-api-key.html).
But in my filter I am adding the value to be passed to `api_key` parameter into a metadata field `[@metadata][myapikey]`. The idea is use that in the output plugin as shown below
> output {
> elasticsearch {
> hosts =\> ["[https://localhost:9200](https://localhost:9200)"]
> cacert =\> 'path-to-ca.crt'
> index =\> "my-index-name"
> api\_key =\> "%{[@metadata][myapikey]}"
> ssl =\> true
> }
> }
As per my understanding, this should have worked like it would work if we provided the `index` from a metadata field like `index => "%{[@metadata][some-index-name]}"`. I have used this for index names successfully before.
Not sure why the same implementation does not work for `api_key` parameter. I have made sure using stdout plugin that the metadata carries the right value in it, but still see invalid api\_key value message when I run this.
Please help here.
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### Author:  [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2021, 3:13pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/logstash-elasticsearch-output-plugin-populating-api-key-from-metadata-field-does-not-work/263259/2 "2021-03-04T15:13:52Z")
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