# Timelion error \[illegal\_argument\_exception\] field name is null or empty **URL:** \ **Category:** Kibana\ **Tags:** timelion\ **Created:** [September 30, 2018, 5:35pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/timelion-error-illegal-argument-exception-field-name-is-null-or-empty/150483 "2018-09-30T17:35:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cobra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@cobra](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/cobra)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2018, 5:35pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/timelion-error-illegal-argument-exception-field-name-is-null-or-empty/150483/1 "2018-09-30T17:35:54Z")
Version: 6.3.1 I get this error on clicking the timelion tab: ![37](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/e/c/ecf7176622a5a2dbb98f3775fb04afd3fb8f982b.png) I have a second es cluster (v 6.3.1 again) where timelion works fine. Please help ---
**Author:** ![Brandon\_Kobel](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/brandon_kobel/32/14829_2.png) [@Brandon\_Kobel](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Brandon_Kobel)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2018, 5:11pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/timelion-error-illegal-argument-exception-field-name-is-null-or-empty/150483/2 "2018-10-01T17:11:00Z")
@cobra, it looks like the error is being thrown by cell #4, can you share the timelion query for that cell? ---
**Author:** ![cobra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@cobra](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/cobra)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2018, 6:55pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/timelion-error-illegal-argument-exception-field-name-is-null-or-empty/150483/3 "2018-10-01T18:55:30Z")
The query is `.es(*)`. In fact, the same error is displayed no matter what query. For simplicity, I have deleted the other cells and only kept cell #1 (and now getting error for that cell). Here's Kibana stdout logs: `{"type":"log","@timestamp":"2018-10-01T18:46:18Z","tags":["timelion","error"],"pid":19737,"message":"Error: in cell #1: [illegal_argument_exception] field name is null or empty: Error: in cell #1: [illegal_argument_exception] field name is null or empty\n at throwWithCell (/root/kibana-6.3.1-linux-x86_64/src/core_plugins/timelion/server/handlers/chain_runner.js:48:11)\n at /root/kibana-6.3.1-linux-x86_64/src/core_plugins/timelion/server/handlers/chain_runner.js:178:13\n at arrayEach (/root/kibana-6.3.1-linux-x86_64/node_modules/lodash/index.js:1289:13)\n at Function. (/root/kibana-6.3.1-linux-x86_64/node_modules/lodash/index.js:3345:13)\n at /root/kibana-6.3.1-linux-x86_64/src/core_plugins/timelion/server/handlers/chain_runner.js:170:24\n at bound (domain.js:301:14)\n at runBound (domain.js:314:12)\n at tryCatcher (/root/kibana-6.3.1-linux-x86_64/node_modules/bluebird/js/main/util.js:26:23)\n at Promise._settlePromiseFromHandler (/root/kibana-6.3.1-linux-x86_64/node_modules/bluebird/js/main/promise.js:503:31)\n at Promise._settlePromiseAt (/root/kibana-6.3.1-linux-x86_64/node_modules/bluebird/js/main/promise.js:577:18)\n at Promise._settlePromises (/root/kibana-6.3.1-linux-x86_64/node_modules/bluebird/js/main/promise.js:693:14)\n at Async._drainQueue (/root/kibana-6.3.1-linux-x86_64/node_modules/bluebird/js/main/async.js:123:16)\n at Async._drainQueues (/root/kibana-6.3.1-linux-x86_64/node_modules/bluebird/js/main/async.js:133:10)\n at Immediate.Async.drainQueues (/root/kibana-6.3.1-linux-x86_64/node_modules/bluebird/js/main/async.js:15:14)\n at runCallback (timers.js:810:20)\n at tryOnImmediate (timers.js:768:5)\n at processImmediate [as _immediateCallback] (timers.js:745:5)"}` ---
**Author:** ![Brandon\_Kobel](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/brandon_kobel/32/14829_2.png) [@Brandon\_Kobel](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Brandon_Kobel)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2018, 7:18pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/timelion-error-illegal-argument-exception-field-name-is-null-or-empty/150483/4 "2018-10-01T19:18:45Z")
If you go to Manamement -\> Advanced Settings, what values do you have for `timelion:es.timefield` and `timelion:es.default_index`? Also, can you include the mappings for the value of `timelion:es.default_index` by running a query in DevTools similar to the following: ```auto GET logstash-*/_mapping ``` ---
**Author:** ![cobra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@cobra](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/cobra)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2018, 8:08pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/timelion-error-illegal-argument-exception-field-name-is-null-or-empty/150483/5 "2018-10-01T20:08:32Z")
```auto timelion:es.timefield @timestamp ``` ```auto timelion:es.default_index _all ``` `GET _all/_mapping` output is huge, hence shared [here](https://drive.google.com/file/d/14mPPag1yNHDQV2Ga1lgSuk505bXSc3Ga/view?usp=sharing). ---
**Author:** ![Brandon\_Kobel](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/brandon_kobel/32/14829_2.png) [@Brandon\_Kobel](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Brandon_Kobel)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2018, 10:02pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/timelion-error-illegal-argument-exception-field-name-is-null-or-empty/150483/6 "2018-10-01T22:02:09Z")
@cobra, can you try changing the `timelion:es.default_index` to the indices that you're wishing to use timelion with to see if you still get that error? ---
**Author:** ![cobra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@cobra](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/cobra)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2018, 6:13am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/timelion-error-illegal-argument-exception-field-name-is-null-or-empty/150483/7 "2018-10-02T06:13:44Z")
Tried that with a few individual indices (like `s-logstash-2018.10.01` and `pf_logs*`) but still getting the same error unfortunately. ---
**Author:** ![cobra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@cobra](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/cobra)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2018, 7:14am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/timelion-error-illegal-argument-exception-field-name-is-null-or-empty/150483/8 "2018-10-13T07:14:40Z")
Got it "resolved" by deleting the `.kibana` index on elasticsearch. Of course, saved charts and other kibana settings were gone and had to be recreated. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2018, 7:14am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/timelion-error-illegal-argument-exception-field-name-is-null-or-empty/150483/9 "2018-11-10T07:14:41Z")
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