# Multi\_line codec vs filter

**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/multi-line-codec-vs-filter/33782
**Category:** Logstash
**Created:** [November 4, 2015, 7:05pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/multi-line-codec-vs-filter/33782 "2015-11-04T19:05:31Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![marinoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/87869e/32.png) [@marinoc](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/marinoc)
#### Post date: [November 4, 2015, 7:05pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/multi-line-codec-vs-filter/33782/1 "2015-11-04T19:05:31Z")

</div>

I'm using Logstash to index files where separate lines relate to the same event, thus I want to use multi\_line.

What is the difference between using a multi\_line codec in my input plugin versus using the multi\_line filter plugin?

Is there a use case where one is better than the other?

Thanks,  
Chris

---

<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: [July 6, 2017, 5:24am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/multi-line-codec-vs-filter/33782/2 "2017-07-06T05:24:03Z")

</div>