Briefly, this error occurs when Elasticsearch is unable to parse a condition for a watch due to a missing or incorrectly formatted field. This is typically caused by a syntax error in the watch definition. To resolve this issue, you should first check the watch definition for any syntax errors or missing fields. Ensure that the field names and values are correctly formatted and that all required fields are present. If the error persists, try to simplify the watch condition to isolate the problematic part. Lastly, ensure that your Elasticsearch version supports the features used in your watch condition.
This guide will help you check for common problems that cause the log ” could not parse [{}] condition for watch [{}]. expected a field indicating the ” to appear. To understand the issues related to this log, read the explanation below about the following Elasticsearch concepts: plugin.
Log Context
Log “could not parse [{}] condition for watch [{}]. expected a field indicating the” class name is CompareCondition.java. We extracted the following from Elasticsearch source code for those seeking an in-depth context :
XContentParser.Token token;
while ((token = parser.nextToken()) != XContentParser.Token.END_OBJECT) {
if (token == XContentParser.Token.FIELD_NAME) {
path = parser.currentName();
} else if (path == null) {
throw new ElasticsearchParseException("could not parse [{}] condition for watch [{}]. expected a field indicating the " +
"compared path; but found [{}] instead"; TYPE; watchId; token);
} else if (token == XContentParser.Token.START_OBJECT) {
token = parser.nextToken();
if (token != XContentParser.Token.FIELD_NAME) {
throw new ElasticsearchParseException("could not parse [{}] condition for watch [{}]. expected a field indicating the" +
