# "meta" field in watchers

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/meta-field-in-watchers/74280>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Created:** [February 7, 2017, 8:24pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/meta-field-in-watchers/74280 "2017-02-07T20:24:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Kikketer](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/kikketer/32/13813_2.png) [@Kikketer](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Kikketer)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 8:24pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/meta-field-in-watchers/74280/1 "2017-02-07T20:24:45Z")

</div>

So according to the documentation: [https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/x-pack/current/watcher-api-put-watch.html](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/x-pack/current/watcher-api-put-watch.html) there's a "meta" field that "Metadata json that will be copied into the history entries.".

Now this sounds useful, perhaps I can use it to store some meta data about the watcher(alert) I'm creating. In my specific case I want a user friendly name for the watcher (with spaces and fancy characters). Other information such as owner name, organization, ... the list goes on.

However when I do the `CURL` command to `PUT` a new watcher in place (or edit one) and include a `meta` field, I get the following error:

```auto
{
  "error" : {
    "root_cause" : [
      {
        "type" : "parse_exception",
        "reason" : "could not parse watch [my-watch]. unexpected field [meta]"
      }
    ],
    "type" : "parse_exception",
    "reason" : "could not parse watch [my-watch]. unexpected field [meta]"
  },
  "status" : 400
}

```

I've tried `@meta` and `_meta` and I get the same type of error.

Is there any way to add meta type data to a watcher(alert)? And what does this `meta` field do that the documentation speaks of?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![spinscale](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/spinscale/32/25011_2.png) [@spinscale](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/spinscale)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 9:13pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/meta-field-in-watchers/74280/2 "2017-02-07T21:13:24Z")

</div>

Hey,

this field is actually called `metadata` and not `meta`. Sorry for the inconvenience, I will fix the docs.

--Alex

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Kikketer](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/kikketer/32/13813_2.png) [@Kikketer](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Kikketer)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 9:14pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/meta-field-in-watchers/74280/3 "2017-02-07T21:14:02Z")

</div>

Awesome thanks!

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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:** [March 7, 2017, 9:14pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/meta-field-in-watchers/74280/4 "2017-03-07T21:14:08Z")

</div>

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