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

Regex: Required. The regular expression that determines which keys to remove.
Match case: Indicates if the regular expression is case-sensitive.
Regex engine: Required. The engine to parse your regular expression. Default: PCRE2.
Nested access pattern: The key of the highest object level that you'd like to rule to evaluate. If specified, the rule ignores any keys not contained within the specified object. If unspecified, the block keys 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.
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.

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.

Allow records Block records