Nest keys
The nest keys processing rule moves the value of a specified source key into an object nested under a specified destination key.
For a processing rule with the opposite effect, see flatten subrecord or lift submap.
Configuration parameters
| Parameter | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Source key | Required. The key to nest under Destination key. This can be either a flat key/value pair or the key to an object. | none |
| Destination key | Required. The key of the object to store your nested data. If no matching key exists, create a new key and set its value accordingly. | 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 |
| Regex mode checkbox | Indicates whether to treat the value of Source key as a regular expression. | Not selected |
| Merge checkbox | If selected, and if Destination key is the key to an existing object that already contains data, the nest keys rule moves the new nested data into Destination key without overwriting its original data. However, if Destination key is a flat key/value pair, its value is overwritten and replaced with a new object. | Not selected |
| 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 nest keys processing rule lets you restructure your telemetry data by storing key/value pairs inside a parent object.
New object
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 Source key value user_id and the Destination key
value account returns the following result:
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:41.64283645Z","user_id":3,"account":{"user_id":3},"page_id":30,"action":"purchase"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:42.643343109Z","user_id":4,"account":{"user_id":4},"page_id":10,"action":"purchase"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:48.643600498Z","user_id":1,"account":{"user_id":1},"page_id":50,"action":"click"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:50.643773688Z","user_id":5,"account":{"user_id":5},"page_id":40,"action":"purchase"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:51.643932272Z","user_id":1,"account":{"user_id":1},"page_id":30,"action":"purchase"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:56.644080944Z","user_id":2,"account":{"user_id":2},"page_id":40,"action":"click"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:09:03.64425954Z","user_id":3,"account":{"user_id":3},"page_id":30,"action":"click"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:09:03.644317046Z","user_id":1,"account":{"user_id":1},"page_id":20,"action":"view"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:09:10.64447719Z","user_id":2,"account":{"user_id":2},"page_id":50,"action":"purchase"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:09:17.644810963Z","user_id":2,"account":{"user_id":2},"page_id":10,"action":"view"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:09:20.644994805Z","user_id":1,"account":{"user_id":1},"page_id":50,"action":"view"}This rule moved the user_id key/value pair into a new object named account.
Merge into existing object
You can also use the Merge setting to nest data within an existing object. For example, given this sample log data:
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:41.64283645Z","user":{"account":{"vip":"no","id":3},"device":"mobile"},"page_id":30,"action":"purchase"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:42.643343109Z","user":{"account":{"vip":"yes","id":4},"device":"desktop"},"page_id":10,"action":"purchase"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:48.643600498Z","user":{"account":{"vip":"no","id":1},"device":"desktop"},"page_id":50,"action":"click"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:50.643773688Z","user":{"account":{"vip":"yes","id":5},"device":"mobile"},"page_id":40,"action":"purchase"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:51.643932272Z","user":{"account":{"vip":"no","id":1},"device":"other"},"page_id":30,"action":"purchase"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:56.644080944Z","user":{"account":{"vip":"yes","id":2},"device":"mobile"},"page_id":40,"action":"click"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:09:03.64425954Z","user":{"account":{"vip":"no","id":3},"device":"desktop"},"page_id":30,"action":"click"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:09:03.644317046Z","user":{"account":{"vip":"no","id":1},"device":"desktop"},"page_id":20,"action":"view"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:09:10.64447719Z","user":{"account":{"vip":"yes","id":2},"device":"desktop"},"page_id":50,"action":"purchase"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:09:17.644810963Z","user":{"account":{"vip":"yes","id":2},"device":"other"},"page_id":10,"action":"view"}
{"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:09:20.644994805Z","user":{"account":{"vip":"no","id":1},"device":"mobile"},"page_id":50,"action":"view"}A processing rule with the Source key value action, the Destination key
value user, and the Merge setting enabled returns the following result:
{"user":{"account":{"id":3,"vip":"no"},"action":"purchase","device":"mobile"},"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:41.64283645Z","page_id":30,"action":"purchase"}
{"user":{"account":{"id":4,"vip":"yes"},"action":"purchase","device":"desktop"},"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:42.643343109Z","page_id":10,"action":"purchase"}
{"user":{"account":{"id":1,"vip":"no"},"action":"click","device":"desktop"},"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:48.643600498Z","page_id":50,"action":"click"}
{"user":{"account":{"id":5,"vip":"yes"},"action":"purchase","device":"mobile"},"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:50.643773688Z","page_id":40,"action":"purchase"}
{"user":{"account":{"id":1,"vip":"no"},"action":"purchase","device":"other"},"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:51.643932272Z","page_id":30,"action":"purchase"}
{"user":{"account":{"id":2,"vip":"yes"},"action":"click","device":"mobile"},"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:08:56.644080944Z","page_id":40,"action":"click"}
{"user":{"account":{"id":3,"vip":"no"},"action":"click","device":"desktop"},"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:09:03.64425954Z","page_id":30,"action":"click"}
{"user":{"account":{"id":1,"vip":"no"},"action":"view","device":"desktop"},"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:09:03.644317046Z","page_id":20,"action":"view"}
{"user":{"account":{"id":2,"vip":"yes"},"action":"purchase","device":"desktop"},"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:09:10.64447719Z","page_id":50,"action":"purchase"}
{"user":{"account":{"id":2,"vip":"yes"},"action":"view","device":"other"},"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:09:17.644810963Z","page_id":10,"action":"view"}
{"user":{"account":{"id":1,"vip":"no"},"action":"view","device":"mobile"},"timestamp":"2023-03-28T09:09:20.644994805Z","page_id":50,"action":"view"}This rule moved the action key/value pair into the user object, but kept the
existing key/value pairs that were already stored in user.