Block keys
The block keys processing rule removes any keys that match a specified regular expression and preserves all other keys.
For a processing rule with the opposite effect, see allow keys.
Configuration parameters
| Parameter | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Regex | Required. The regular expression that determines which keys to remove. | none |
| Match case checkbox | Indicates whether the regular expression is case-sensitive. | Not selected |
| Regex engine | Required. The engine to parse your regular expression. Accepted values: GNU, Oniguruma, PCRE2, POSIX, TRE. | PCRE2 |
| Nested access pattern | The key of the highest object level to evaluate. If specified, the block keys rule ignores any keys not contained within the specified object. If unspecified, this rule evaluates all top-level keys, but no keys nested within top-level keys. You can also use record accessor syntax to reference keys nested within another nested object. | none |
| Comment | A custom note or description of the rule's function. This text is displayed next to the rule's name in the Actions list in the processing rules interface. | none |
Examples
Using the block keys rule lets you pare down telemetry data by eliminating data you don't want to keep.
Flat example
For example, given this sample log data:
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:41.64283645Z","user_id":3,"page_id":30,"action":"purchase"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:42.643343109Z","user_id":4,"page_id":10,"action":"purchase"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:48.643600498Z","user_id":1,"page_id":50,"action":"click"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:50.643773688Z","user_id":5,"page_id":40,"action":"purchase"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:51.643932272Z","user_id":1,"page_id":30,"action":"purchase"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:56.644080944Z","user_id":2,"page_id":40,"action":"click"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:09:03.64425954Z","user_id":3,"page_id":30,"action":"click"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:09:03.644317046Z","user_id":1,"page_id":20,"action":"view"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:09:10.64447719Z","user_id":2,"page_id":50,"action":"purchase"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:09:17.644810963Z","user_id":2,"page_id":10,"action":"view"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:09:20.644994805Z","user_id":1,"page_id":50,"action":"view"}A processing rule with the Regex value page_id returns the following result:
{"action":"purchase","user_id":3,"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:41.64283645Z"}
{"action":"purchase","user_id":4,"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:42.643343109Z"}
{"action":"click","user_id":1,"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:48.643600498Z"}
{"action":"purchase","user_id":5,"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:50.643773688Z"}
{"action":"purchase","user_id":1,"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:51.643932272Z"}
{"action":"click","user_id":2,"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:56.644080944Z"}
{"action":"click","user_id":3,"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:09:03.64425954Z"}
{"action":"view","user_id":1,"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:09:03.644317046Z"}
{"action":"purchase","user_id":2,"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:09:10.64447719Z"}
{"action":"view","user_id":2,"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:09:17.644810963Z"}
{"action":"view","user_id":1,"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:09:20.644994805Z"}This rule removed the page_id key from each log and retained all other keys.
Nested example
You can also use the allow keys rule to selectively remove information within a nested object. For example, given this sample log data:
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:41.64283645Z","user":{"vip":"no","id":3},"page_id":30,"action":"purchase"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:42.643343109Z","user":{"vip":"yes","id":4},"page_id":10,"action":"purchase"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:48.643600498Z","user":{"vip":"no","id":1},"page_id":50,"action":"click"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:50.643773688Z","user":{"vip":"yes","id":5},"page_id":40,"action":"purchase"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:51.643932272Z","user":{"vip":"no","id":1},"page_id":30,"action":"purchase"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:56.644080944Z","user":{"vip":"yes","id":2},"page_id":40,"action":"click"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:09:03.64425954Z","user":{"vip":"no","id":3},"page_id":30,"action":"click"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:09:03.644317046Z","user":{"vip":"no","id":1},"page_id":20,"action":"view"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:09:10.64447719Z","user":{"vip":"yes","id":2},"page_id":50,"action":"purchase"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:09:17.644810963Z","user":{"vip":"yes","id":2},"page_id":10,"action":"view"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:09:20.644994805Z","user":{"vip":"no","id":1},"page_id":50,"action":"view"}A processing rule with the Regex value vip and the Nested access pattern
value user returns the following result:
{"user":{"id":3},"action":"purchase","page_id":30,"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:41.64283645Z"}
{"user":{"id":4},"action":"purchase","page_id":10,"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:42.643343109Z"}
{"user":{"id":1},"action":"click","page_id":50,"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:48.643600498Z"}
{"user":{"id":5},"action":"purchase","page_id":40,"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:50.643773688Z"}
{"user":{"id":1},"action":"purchase","page_id":30,"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:51.643932272Z"}
{"user":{"id":2},"action":"click","page_id":40,"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:56.644080944Z"}
{"user":{"id":3},"action":"click","page_id":30,"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:09:03.64425954Z"}
{"user":{"id":1},"action":"view","page_id":20,"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:09:03.644317046Z"}
{"user":{"id":2},"action":"purchase","page_id":50,"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:09:10.64447719Z"}
{"user":{"id":2},"action":"view","page_id":10,"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:09:17.644810963Z"}
{"user":{"id":1},"action":"view","page_id":50,"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:09:20.644994805Z"}
This rule removed the vip key within the user object and retained all other
keys within user. However, because the processing rule's scope was limited to
user, the rule didn't affect the timestamp, page_id, or action fields.