Create a rule Experimental; added in 9.5.0

POST /api/alerting/v2/rules
Api key auth Basic auth

Spaces method and path for this operation:

post /s/{space_id}/api/alerting/v2/rules

Refer to Spaces for more information.

Creates a rule with a server-generated identifier. To create or replace a rule with a client-supplied identifier, use PUT /api/alerting/v2/rules/{id}/.

[Required authorization] Route required privileges: manage_alerting-v2-rules.

Headers

  • kbn-xsrf string Required

    A required header to protect against CSRF attacks

application/json

Body

  • artifacts array[object]

    Optional objects attached to the rule, such as a runbook or a dashboard. Each item has id, type, and data. The shape of data depends on type. For example, a runbook uses content and a dashboard uses dashboard_id. Known types are validated against that shape. Unknown types are stored when id, type, and data are present.

    Not more than 100 elements.

    Hide artifacts attributes Show artifacts attributes object
    • data object Required

      Structured artifact data.

      Additional properties are allowed.

    • id string Required

      Artifact identifier.

      Minimum length is 1, maximum length is 256.

    • type string Required

      Artifact type.

      Minimum length is 1, maximum length is 128.

  • grouping object

    Grouping configuration.

    Additional properties are NOT allowed.

    Hide grouping attribute Show grouping attribute object
    • fields array[string] Required

      Fields to group alerts by, e.g. ["host.name", "service.name"]. Should match ES|QL GROUP BY fields.

      Not more than 16 elements. Minimum length of each is 1, maximum length of each is 256.

  • kind string Required

    Whether the rule creates alerts (alert) or only stores matching events (signal).

    Any of:
    string-1 string string-2 string

    Creates an alert for each matching group and tracks it until it recovers. Use this when you want to detect a problem and notify or automate a response.

    Value is alert.

    Stores each match as a rule event you can query. Alerts are not created and notifications are not sent.

    Value is signal.

  • metadata object Required

    Rule metadata.

    Additional properties are NOT allowed.

    Hide metadata attributes Show metadata attributes object
    • builder_type string

      Identifies the rule builder that authored this rule (e.g. "threshold"). Absent for rules authored directly in ES|QL.

      Maximum length is 64.

    • description string

      Human-readable description of the rule.

      Maximum length is 1024.

    • name string Required

      Rule name (must be unique within the space).

      Minimum length is 1, maximum length is 256.

    • owner string

      Owner of the rule.

      Maximum length is 256.

    • tags array[string]

      Tags for categorization, e.g. ["production", "infra"].

      At least 1 but not more than 20 elements. Minimum length of each is 1, maximum length of each is 128.

  • no_data_strategy string

    How the rule behaves when it finds no data for a group. If you omit this field or set it to none, those runs are ignored. If you set last_known_status or recover, a standalone query (query.format: standalone) must include query.no_data. A composed query (query.format: composed) uses query.base to detect whether data is present. The emit value is not accepted when creating or updating rules.

    Any of:
    string-1 string string-2 string string-3 string string-4 string

    Keeps the alert's last status when the rule finds no data.

    Value is last_known_status.

    Not accepted when creating or updating rules. Do not send this value.

    Value is emit.

    Marks the alert inactive the first time the rule finds no data for the alert.

    Value is recover.

    Ignores runs where the rule finds no data.

    Value is none.

  • query object Required

    Detection query configuration.

    One of:
    composed object standalone object
  • recovery_strategy string

    The condition that marks an alert recovered. If omitted or set to none, recovery is disabled: the alert stays active even after the breach query stops returning matches, and state_transition.recovering_count / recovering_timeframe are not allowed. Set to no_breach to recover when the breach query stops returning matches. Set to query only when you also provide query.recovery.

    Any of:
    string-1 string string-2 string string-3 string

    Recovers an alert when the breach query no longer returns matches.

    Value is no_breach.

    Recovers an alert when a separate recovery query matches. Requires query.recovery.

    Value is query.

    The rule never marks an alert as recovered, even after the breach query stops returning matches.

    Value is none.

  • schedule object Required

    Execution schedule configuration.

    Additional properties are NOT allowed.

    Hide schedule attributes Show schedule attributes object
    • every string Required

      Execution interval, e.g. 1m, 5m, 1h.

      Maximum length is 32.

    • lookback string

      Lookback window for the query, e.g. 5m, 1h. Can also be expressed in ES|QL.

      Maximum length is 32.

  • state_transition object | null

    Consecutive-match or time requirements before an alert becomes active or inactive. Applies only when kind is alert.

    Additional properties are NOT allowed.

    Hide state_transition attributes Show state_transition attributes object | null
    • pending_count integer

      Number of consecutive matches required before the alert becomes active.

      Minimum value is 0, maximum value is 1000.

    • pending_operator string

      The operator that combines pending_count and pending_timeframe. AND requires both. OR requires either.

      Values are AND or OR.

    • pending_timeframe string

      Time window used with pending_count, for example 5m or 15m.

      Maximum length is 32.

    • recovering_count integer

      Number of consecutive recoveries required before the alert becomes inactive.

      Minimum value is 0, maximum value is 1000.

    • recovering_operator string

      The operator that combines recovering_count and recovering_timeframe. AND requires both. OR requires either.

      Values are AND or OR.

    • recovering_timeframe string

      Time window used with recovering_count, for example 5m or 15m.

      Maximum length is 32.

  • time_field string

    Document field used as the event time when applying the lookback window. Defaults to @timestamp.

    Minimum length is 1, maximum length is 128. Default value is @timestamp.

Responses

  • 201 application/json

    Returns the newly created rule.

    Hide response attributes Show response attributes object
    • artifacts array[object]

      Optional objects attached to the rule, such as a runbook or a dashboard. Each item has id, type, and data. The shape of data depends on type. For example, a runbook uses content and a dashboard uses dashboard_id. Known types are validated against that shape. Unknown types are stored when id, type, and data are present.

      Not more than 100 elements.

      Hide artifacts attributes Show artifacts attributes object
      • data object Required

        Structured artifact data.

        Additional properties are allowed.

      • id string Required

        Artifact identifier.

        Minimum length is 1, maximum length is 256.

      • type string Required

        Artifact type.

        Minimum length is 1, maximum length is 128.

    • created_at string Required

      ISO timestamp when the rule was created.

    • created_by string | null Required

      User who created the rule.

    • enabled boolean Required

      Whether the rule is enabled.

    • grouping object

      Grouping configuration.

      Additional properties are NOT allowed.

      Hide grouping attribute Show grouping attribute object
      • fields array[string] Required

        Fields to group alerts by, e.g. ["host.name", "service.name"]. Should match ES|QL GROUP BY fields.

        Not more than 16 elements. Minimum length of each is 1, maximum length of each is 256.

    • id string Required

      Unique rule identifier.

    • kind string Required

      Whether the rule creates alerts (alert) or only stores matching events (signal).

      Any of:
      string-1 string string-2 string

      Creates an alert for each matching group and tracks it until it recovers. Use this when you want to detect a problem and notify or automate a response.

      Value is alert.

      Stores each match as a rule event you can query. Alerts are not created and notifications are not sent.

      Value is signal.

    • metadata object Required

      Additional properties are NOT allowed.

      Hide metadata attributes Show metadata attributes object
      • builder_type string

        Identifies the rule builder that authored this rule (e.g. "threshold"). Absent for rules authored directly in ES|QL.

        Maximum length is 64.

      • description string

        Human-readable description of the rule.

        Maximum length is 1024.

      • name string Required

        Rule name (must be unique within the space).

        Minimum length is 1, maximum length is 256.

      • owner string

        Owner of the rule.

        Maximum length is 256.

      • tags array[string]

        Tags for categorization, e.g. ["production", "infra"].

        At least 1 but not more than 20 elements. Minimum length of each is 1, maximum length of each is 128.

      • version integer Required

        Monotonically increasing integer number representing a rule configuration version, incremented on every change. Used on generated rule events as rule.version.

        Minimum value is 1, maximum value is 9007199254740991.

    • no_data_strategy string

      How the rule behaves when it finds no data for a group. If you omit this field or set it to none, those runs are ignored. If you set last_known_status or recover, a standalone query (query.format: standalone) must include query.no_data. A composed query (query.format: composed) uses query.base to detect whether data is present. The emit value is not accepted when creating or updating rules.

      Any of:
      string-1 string string-2 string string-3 string string-4 string

      Keeps the alert's last status when the rule finds no data.

      Value is last_known_status.

      Not accepted when creating or updating rules. Do not send this value.

      Value is emit.

      Marks the alert inactive the first time the rule finds no data for the alert.

      Value is recover.

      Ignores runs where the rule finds no data.

      Value is none.

    • query object Required

      Detection query configuration.

      One of:
      composed object standalone object
    • recovery_strategy string

      The condition that marks an alert recovered. If omitted or set to none, recovery is disabled: the alert stays active even after the breach query stops returning matches, and state_transition.recovering_count / recovering_timeframe are not allowed. Set to no_breach to recover when the breach query stops returning matches. Set to query only when you also provide query.recovery.

      Any of:
      string-1 string string-2 string string-3 string

      Recovers an alert when the breach query no longer returns matches.

      Value is no_breach.

      Recovers an alert when a separate recovery query matches. Requires query.recovery.

      Value is query.

      The rule never marks an alert as recovered, even after the breach query stops returning matches.

      Value is none.

    • schedule object Required

      Execution schedule configuration.

      Additional properties are NOT allowed.

      Hide schedule attributes Show schedule attributes object
      • every string Required

        Execution interval, e.g. 1m, 5m, 1h.

        Maximum length is 32.

      • lookback string

        Lookback window for the query, e.g. 5m, 1h. Can also be expressed in ES|QL.

        Maximum length is 32.

    • state_transition object | null

      Consecutive-match or time requirements before an alert becomes active or inactive. Applies only when kind is alert.

      Additional properties are NOT allowed.

      Hide state_transition attributes Show state_transition attributes object | null
      • pending_count integer

        Number of consecutive matches required before the alert becomes active.

        Minimum value is 0, maximum value is 1000.

      • pending_operator string

        The operator that combines pending_count and pending_timeframe. AND requires both. OR requires either.

        Values are AND or OR.

      • pending_timeframe string

        Time window used with pending_count, for example 5m or 15m.

        Maximum length is 32.

      • recovering_count integer

        Number of consecutive recoveries required before the alert becomes inactive.

        Minimum value is 0, maximum value is 1000.

      • recovering_operator string

        The operator that combines recovering_count and recovering_timeframe. AND requires both. OR requires either.

        Values are AND or OR.

      • recovering_timeframe string

        Time window used with recovering_count, for example 5m or 15m.

        Maximum length is 32.

    • time_field string

      Document field used as the event time when applying the lookback window. Defaults to @timestamp.

      Minimum length is 1, maximum length is 128. Default value is @timestamp.

    • updated_at string Required

      ISO timestamp when the rule was last updated.

    • updated_by string | null Required

      User who last updated the rule.

    • version string

      The saved object version token of the rule, used for optimistic concurrency control.
  • 400 application/json

    Indicates an invalid schema or parameters.

    Hide response attributes Show response attributes object
    • code string Required

      Stable error code you can branch on, for example INVALID_SCHEDULE or RULE_ALREADY_EXISTS.

    • details object

      Optional extra information about the error, for example field validation issues or the rule_id when that ID already exists.

      Additional properties are allowed.

    • error string Required

      A short human-readable summary of the error category (e.g., "Not Found", "Bad Request"). Subject to change without notice. Do not parse or rely on its content.

    • message string Required

      A readable explanation of the error. The wording can change without notice. Do not parse this field.
  • 401 application/json

    Indicates the request was not authenticated.

    Hide response attributes Show response attributes object
    • code string Required

      Stable error code you can branch on, for example INVALID_SCHEDULE or RULE_ALREADY_EXISTS.

    • details object

      Optional extra information about the error, for example field validation issues or the rule_id when that ID already exists.

      Additional properties are allowed.

    • error string Required

      A short human-readable summary of the error category (e.g., "Not Found", "Bad Request"). Subject to change without notice. Do not parse or rely on its content.

    • message string Required

      A readable explanation of the error. The wording can change without notice. Do not parse this field.
  • 403 application/json

    Indicates the user does not have the required privileges to perform the request.

    Hide response attributes Show response attributes object
    • code string Required

      Stable error code you can branch on, for example INVALID_SCHEDULE or RULE_ALREADY_EXISTS.

    • details object

      Optional extra information about the error, for example field validation issues or the rule_id when that ID already exists.

      Additional properties are allowed.

    • error string Required

      A short human-readable summary of the error category (e.g., "Not Found", "Bad Request"). Subject to change without notice. Do not parse or rely on its content.

    • message string Required

      A readable explanation of the error. The wording can change without notice. Do not parse this field.
  • 500 application/json

    Indicates an unexpected server-side error.

    Hide response attributes Show response attributes object
    • code string Required

      Stable error code you can branch on, for example INVALID_SCHEDULE or RULE_ALREADY_EXISTS.

    • details object

      Optional extra information about the error, for example field validation issues or the rule_id when that ID already exists.

      Additional properties are allowed.

    • error string Required

      A short human-readable summary of the error category (e.g., "Not Found", "Bad Request"). Subject to change without notice. Do not parse or rely on its content.

    • message string Required

      A readable explanation of the error. The wording can change without notice. Do not parse this field.
  • 503 application/json

    Indicates the alerting engine is disabled by the alerting:v2:enabled advanced setting.

    Hide response attributes Show response attributes object
    • code string Required

      Stable error code you can branch on, for example INVALID_SCHEDULE or RULE_ALREADY_EXISTS.

    • details object

      Optional extra information about the error, for example field validation issues or the rule_id when that ID already exists.

      Additional properties are allowed.

    • error string Required

      A short human-readable summary of the error category (e.g., "Not Found", "Bad Request"). Subject to change without notice. Do not parse or rely on its content.

    • message string Required

      A readable explanation of the error. The wording can change without notice. Do not parse this field.
POST /api/alerting/v2/rules 
curl \
 --request POST 'https://localhost:5601/api/alerting/v2/rules' \
 --header "Authorization: $API_KEY" \
 --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
 --header "kbn-xsrf: true" \
 --data '{
  "grouping": {
    "fields": [
      "host.name"
    ]
  },
  "kind": "alert",
  "metadata": {
    "description": "Alerts when average CPU usage exceeds a threshold.",
    "name": "Host CPU high",
    "tags": [
      "production",
      "infra"
    ]
  },
  "query": {
    "breach": {
      "query": "FROM metrics-* | WHERE host.cpu.usage > 0.9 | STATS avg_cpu = AVG(host.cpu.usage) BY host.name"
    },
    "format": "standalone"
  },
  "recovery_strategy": "no_breach",
  "schedule": {
    "every": "1m",
    "lookback": "5m"
  },
  "state_transition": {
    "pending_count": 1,
    "recovering_count": 1
  },
  "time_field": "@timestamp"
}'
Request example 
{
  "grouping": {
    "fields": [
      "host.name"
    ]
  },
  "kind": "alert",
  "metadata": {
    "description": "Alerts when average CPU usage exceeds a threshold.",
    "name": "Host CPU high",
    "tags": [
      "production",
      "infra"
    ]
  },
  "query": {
    "breach": {
      "query": "FROM metrics-* | WHERE host.cpu.usage > 0.9 | STATS avg_cpu = AVG(host.cpu.usage) BY host.name"
    },
    "format": "standalone"
  },
  "recovery_strategy": "no_breach",
  "schedule": {
    "every": "1m",
    "lookback": "5m"
  },
  "state_transition": {
    "pending_count": 1,
    "recovering_count": 1
  },
  "time_field": "@timestamp"
}
Response examples (201) 
{
  "created_at": "2026-01-15T12:00:00.000Z",
  "created_by": "elastic",
  "enabled": true,
  "grouping": {
    "fields": [
      "host.name"
    ]
  },
  "id": "rule-1",
  "kind": "alert",
  "metadata": {
    "description": "Alerts when average CPU usage exceeds a threshold.",
    "name": "Host CPU high",
    "tags": [
      "production",
      "infra"
    ],
    "version": 1
  },
  "query": {
    "breach": {
      "query": "FROM metrics-* | WHERE host.cpu.usage > 0.9 | STATS avg_cpu = AVG(host.cpu.usage) BY host.name"
    },
    "format": "standalone"
  },
  "recovery_strategy": "no_breach",
  "schedule": {
    "every": "1m",
    "lookback": "5m"
  },
  "state_transition": {
    "pending_count": 1,
    "recovering_count": 1
  },
  "time_field": "@timestamp",
  "updated_at": "2026-01-15T12:00:00.000Z",
  "updated_by": "elastic",
  "version": "WzAsMV0="
}
Response examples (400) 
{
  "code": "BAD_REQUEST",
  "details": {
    "errors": {
      "metadata": [
        "Required"
      ]
    }
  },
  "error": "Bad Request",
  "message": "metadata: Required"
}
Response examples (401) 
{
  "code": "UNAUTHORIZED",
  "error": "Unauthorized",
  "message": "Authentication required to access this API."
}
Response examples (403) 
{
  "code": "FORBIDDEN",
  "error": "Forbidden",
  "message": "The current user does not have the required privileges for this request."
}
Response examples (500) 
{
  "code": "INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR",
  "error": "Internal Server Error",
  "message": "An unexpected error occurred."
}
Response examples (503) 
{
  "code": "ALERTING_DISABLED",
  "error": "Service Unavailable",
  "message": "Alerting is disabled."
}