# Rule Consumer explanation

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/rule-consumer-explanation/383264>\
**Category:** Kibana\
**Tags:** elastic-stack-monitoring, elastic-stack-alerting\
**Created:** [November 6, 2025, 9:20am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/rule-consumer-explanation/383264 "2025-11-06T09:20:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lduvnjak](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/lduvnjak/32/77724_2.png) [@lduvnjak](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/lduvnjak)\
**Post date:** [November 6, 2025, 9:20am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/rule-consumer-explanation/383264/1 "2025-11-06T09:20:45Z")

</div>

Hi everyone,

Can someone give me a rundown of what each consumer means and is tied to?  
Regarding the [Rule APIs](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/kibana/operation/operation-post-alerting-rule-id) (Create/Update).

There's an open [Github issue](https://github.com/elastic/kibana/issues/195713) for improving the documentation but it seems to be in one hell of a backlog.

Instead of reverse engineering it, I was hoping someone has the knowledge already.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lduvnjak](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/lduvnjak/32/77724_2.png) [@lduvnjak](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/lduvnjak)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2025, 7:33am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/rule-consumer-explanation/383264/2 "2025-11-11T07:33:57Z")

</div>

Any takers?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Tortoise](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/tortoise/32/147587_2.png) [@Tortoise](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Tortoise)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2025, 7:25am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/rule-consumer-explanation/383264/3 "2025-11-15T07:25:12Z")

</div>

Hello @lduvnjak

Below link might be helpful :

> <https://github.com/elastic/kibana/issues/180631>
>
> \*\*Kibana version:\*\*
> 8.12.2
> \*\*Elasticsearch version:\*\*
> 8.12.2
> \*\*Server OS ver…sion:\*\*
> Rhel 9
> \*\*Browser version:\*\*
> Edge
> \*\*Browser OS version:\*\*
> 
> \*\*Original install method (e.g. download page, yum, from source, etc.):\*\*
> tar
> \*\*Describe the bug:\*\*
> 'role visibility' is not documented 
> \*\*Steps to reproduce:\*\*
> 1. log into kibana
> 2. click hamburger menu and alerts
> 3. click manage rules
> 4. click create rule
> 5. type a name
> 6. pick alert type
> 7. scroll down and 'alert visibility' dropdown is there. This value is neither documented in the ui, the kibana alert docs or the alert api docs.
> 
> !\[image\](https://github.com/elastic/kibana/assets/40323108/e692c4e3-ee51-463c-a0d6-967cfa46d894)
> 
> The value isn't editable through the ui once you create the alert. It looks like it goes by 'consumer' in the api which is a disconnect between ui and api. Or maybe that does something completely different.
> 
> \*\*Expected behavior:\*\*
> 
> \*\*Screenshots (if relevant):\*\*
> 
> \*\*Errors in browser console (if relevant):\*\*
> 
> \*\*Provide logs and/or server output (if relevant):\*\*
> 
> \*\*Any additional context:\*\*

Thanks!!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lduvnjak](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/lduvnjak/32/77724_2.png) [@lduvnjak](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/lduvnjak)\
**Post date:** [November 21, 2025, 11:40am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/rule-consumer-explanation/383264/4 "2025-11-21T11:40:57Z")

</div>

Nice, that pretty much sums it up.  
Thanks a bunch!