# Set default column to display only a specific field under \_source

**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/set-default-column-to-display-only-a-specific-field-under--source/84449
**Category:** Kibana
**Created:** [May 3, 2017, 6:35pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/set-default-column-to-display-only-a-specific-field-under--source/84449 "2017-05-03T18:35:57Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![jriver](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/jriver/32/17906_2.png) [@jriver](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/jriver)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2017, 6:35pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/set-default-column-to-display-only-a-specific-field-under--source/84449/1 "2017-05-03T18:35:57Z")

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Hi,

We are new to Kibana and the ELK stack, and are trying to mold the Kibana interface to our desired use case. One of the things we are trying to do it cleanup the "noise" that is displayed by default (all the information in the \_source field) and only display one of these fields. In our case this is the message field in \_source.

```
{
..
  "_source": {
...
    "message": "Log Message I care about",
...
  },
...
}

```

I am unable to find any real documentation on the proper syntax for this, and best I can find is that this should be possible.

Anyone know how to do this, or able to link me to a good resource?

Thanks

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![tylersmalley](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/tylersmalley/32/8833_2.png) [@tylersmalley](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/tylersmalley)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2017, 6:52pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/set-default-column-to-display-only-a-specific-field-under--source/84449/2 "2017-05-03T18:52:13Z")

</div>

When on the Discover tab, you can select a field of interest and click the "add" button. This will then begin limiting the results to the selected fields.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![jriver](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/jriver/32/17906_2.png) [@jriver](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/jriver)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2017, 6:54pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/set-default-column-to-display-only-a-specific-field-under--source/84449/3 "2017-05-03T18:54:56Z")

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Is there a way to turn that on by default?

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![tylersmalley](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/tylersmalley/32/8833_2.png) [@tylersmalley](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/tylersmalley)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2017, 6:59pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/set-default-column-to-display-only-a-specific-field-under--source/84449/4 "2017-05-03T18:59:32Z")

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Looks like there is a `defaultColumns` advanced options which accomplish this.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![jriver](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/jriver/32/17906_2.png) [@jriver](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/jriver)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2017, 7:01pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/set-default-column-to-display-only-a-specific-field-under--source/84449/5 "2017-05-03T19:01:09Z")

</div>

Well thats what I was looking at when I asked this question. I'm trying to figure out the correct syntax for the default columns.

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![tylersmalley](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/tylersmalley/32/8833_2.png) [@tylersmalley](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/tylersmalley)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2017, 7:03pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/set-default-column-to-display-only-a-specific-field-under--source/84449/6 "2017-05-03T19:03:50Z")

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My apologies didn't realize you were referring to that setting. It's comma delimited

`message,another_field`

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![jriver](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/jriver/32/17906_2.png) [@jriver](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/jriver)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2017, 7:06pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/set-default-column-to-display-only-a-specific-field-under--source/84449/7 "2017-05-03T19:06:19Z")

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> [@tsmalley](#):
>
> My apologies didn't realize you were referring to that setting. It's comma delimited

Okay that doesn't seem to work. Maybe our mapping is wrong for it to be able to do that by default.

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![tylersmalley](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/tylersmalley/32/8833_2.png) [@tylersmalley](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/tylersmalley)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2017, 7:07pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/set-default-column-to-display-only-a-specific-field-under--source/84449/8 "2017-05-03T19:07:00Z")

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Can I get an output of your mapping?

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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: [May 31, 2017, 7:15pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/set-default-column-to-display-only-a-specific-field-under--source/84449/9 "2017-05-31T19:15:37Z")

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