# Possible error in documentaion about creating an API key for central management **URL:** \ **Category:** Logstash\ **Tags:** elastic-stack-security\ **Created:** [January 18, 2025, 12:06pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/possible-error-in-documentaion-about-creating-an-api-key-for-central-management/373355 "2025-01-18T12:06:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jack\_a](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/jack_a/32/133082_2.png) [@jack\_a](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/jack_a)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2025, 12:06pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/possible-error-in-documentaion-about-creating-an-api-key-for-central-management/373355/1 "2025-01-18T12:06:19Z")
So i was reading the document:[Secure your connection to Elasticsearch](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/logstash/current/ls-security.html) section:[Create an API key for central management](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/logstash/current/ls-security.html#ls-api-key-man) and when i try to run the provided example: ```auto POST /_security/api_key { "name": "logstash_host001", "role_descriptors": { "logstash_monitoring": { "cluster": ["monitor"], "index": ["read"] } } } ``` i get the following error: ```auto { "error": { "root_cause": [ { "type": "parse_exception", "reason": "failed to parse indices privileges for role [logstash_monitoring]. expected field [null] value to be an array of objects, but found an array element of type [VALUE_STRING]" } ], "type": "x_content_parse_exception", "reason": "[6:17] [api_key_request] failed to parse field [role_descriptors]", "caused_by": { "type": "x_content_parse_exception", "reason": "[6:17] [role_descriptors] failed to parse field [logstash_monitoring]", "caused_by": { "type": "parse_exception", "reason": "failed to parse indices privileges for role [logstash_monitoring]. expected field [null] value to be an array of objects, but found an array element of type [VALUE_STRING]" } } }, "status": 400 } ``` just want to make sure that the example is right?! also as i was trying to figure out what is wrong, i came across another problem. there is another example in the same document in the section above : [Create an API key for monitoring](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/logstash/current/ls-security.html#ls-api-key-monitor) which is as follow : ```auto POST /_security/api_key { "name": "logstash_host001", "role_descriptors": { "logstash_monitoring": { "cluster": ["monitor"], "index": [ { "names": [".monitoring-ls-*"], "privileges": ["create_index", "create"] } ] } } } ``` and this works. Then i read the document [Create API key API](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/8.17/security-api-create-api-key.html) and it says ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/9/6/966a14842ae3fcf1ea8d0280559eb238777a24e4.png) so i thought maybe the problem with the first example is not defining `names` field as document says it is **required**. Then there is another problem that in both documents [(1)](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/8.17/security-api-create-api-key.html) and [(2)](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/v8/operation/operation-security-create-api-key) under `role_descriptors` there is a field named `indices` but not `index`, so maybe, although it works, this is also a old reference and need to be updated? to recap: 1 . is the first example right? 2. should the field `index` be changed to `indices` to represent latest api changes? ---
**Author:** ![stephenb](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/stephenb/32/40856_2.png) [@stephenb](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/stephenb)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2025, 7:15pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/possible-error-in-documentaion-about-creating-an-api-key-for-central-management/373355/2 "2025-01-19T19:15:58Z")
Hi @jack_a I am confused... or perhaps you are ... the definitions of the API keys are correct but then need to be used in the correct context... Your first example is to create a key for Central monitoring per the docs but the error message you provide is not for that API Key You created ```auto POST /_security/api_key { "name": "logstash_host001", "role_descriptors": { "logstash_monitoring": { "cluster": ["monitor"], "index": ["read"] } } } ``` but there error you show is for a different key... ```auto "reason": "failed to parse indices privileges for role >>>[logstash_monitoring]<<<<. expected field [null] value to be an array of objects, but found an array element of type [VALUE_STRING]" ``` You need to create the keys per the specs and then use them for the correct authentication... > [@jack\_a](#): > > just want to make sure that the example is right?! Yes that is correct but then it is only valid for management not monitoring ```auto xpack.management.elasticsearch.api_key: TiNAGG4BaaMdaH1tRfuU:KnR6yE41RrSowb0kQ0HWoA ``` You can not mix them perhaps you are creating a management key ... and then trying to use that key for monitoring which will no work....or vice versa ---
**Author:** ![jack\_a](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/jack_a/32/133082_2.png) [@jack\_a](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/jack_a)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2025, 1:05pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/possible-error-in-documentaion-about-creating-an-api-key-for-central-management/373355/3 "2025-01-25T13:05:02Z")
Thanks for the reply. OH! my bad. So it is a configuration related to central pipeline management and it probably need some pre-configuration to be able generate the api key. about > but there error you show is for a different key... what i did was to run the following example: ```auto POST /_security/api_key { "name": "logstash_host001", "role_descriptors": { "logstash_monitoring": { "cluster": ["monitor"], "index": ["read"] } } } ``` and the error that i provided is what i got when i ran the above command. ---
**Author:** ![stephenb](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/stephenb/32/40856_2.png) [@stephenb](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/stephenb)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2025, 5:08pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/possible-error-in-documentaion-about-creating-an-api-key-for-central-management/373355/4 "2025-01-25T17:08:35Z")
Not sure where you got that ... but this.... what you show is malformed ```auto POST /_security/api_key { "name": "logstash_host001", "role_descriptors": { "logstash_monitoring": { "cluster": ["monitor"], "index": ["read"] <<<< THIS IS NOT CORRECT } } } ``` According to the docs here > **[Secure your connection to Elasticsearch | Logstash Reference \[8.17\] | Elastic](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/logstash/current/ls-security.html#ls-api-key-monitor)** Note how `index` is form `name` and `privileges` ```auto POST /_security/api_key { "name": "logstash_host001", "role_descriptors": { "logstash_monitoring": { "cluster": ["monitor"], "index": [ { "names": [".monitoring-ls-*"], "privileges": ["create_index", "create"] } ] } } } ```