# What is the xpack.reporting.encryptionKey used for? **URL:** \ **Category:** Kibana\ **Created:** [June 26, 2019, 3:07pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/what-is-the-xpack-reporting-encryptionkey-used-for/187607 "2019-06-26T15:07:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Luis\_Alves](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/luis_alves/32/48840_2.png) [@Luis\_Alves](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Luis_Alves)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2019, 3:07pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/what-is-the-xpack-reporting-encryptionkey-used-for/187607/1 "2019-06-26T15:07:04Z")
I am enabling reporting in Kibana, and in the [configuration documentation](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/kibana/current/reporting-settings-kb.html#general-reporting-settings) there's a reference to a configuration named `xpack.reporting.encryptionKey`. From the documentation I understand what happens if I don't define it, but not what it is used for. Any idea of what this is used for? ---
**Author:** ![mattkime](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/mattkime/32/43522_2.png) [@mattkime](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/mattkime)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2019, 8:04pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/what-is-the-xpack-reporting-encryptionkey-used-for/187607/2 "2019-06-26T20:04:29Z")
Its used for encrypting data within Kibana which is definitely not clear in that documentation. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2019, 8:04pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/what-is-the-xpack-reporting-encryptionkey-used-for/187607/3 "2019-07-24T20:04:36Z")
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