Could not parse field expected a string array but found value instead – How to solve this Elasticsearch exception

Opster Team

August-23, Version: 6.8-7.15

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Briefly, this error occurs when Elasticsearch expects a string array but encounters a different data type instead. This mismatch in data types can cause the parsing process to fail. To resolve this issue, you can: 1) Check the data you’re trying to index and ensure it matches the expected data type. 2) Modify your mapping to match the data type of the incoming data. 3) Use a script to transform the data into the expected format before indexing. Always ensure that the data type in your index matches the type of data you’re trying to index.

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This guide will help you check for common problems that cause the log ” could not parse [{}] field. expected a string array but found [{}] value instead ” 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 [{}] field. expected a string array but found [{}] value instead” class name is XContentUtils.java. We extracted the following from Elasticsearch source code for those seeking an in-depth context :

 }
 throw new ElasticsearchParseException("could not parse [{}] field. expected a string array but found null value instead";
 parser.currentName());
 }
 if (parser.currentToken() != XContentParser.Token.START_ARRAY) {
 throw new ElasticsearchParseException("could not parse [{}] field. expected a string array but found [{}] value instead";
 parser.currentName(); parser.currentToken());
 }  List list = new ArrayList<>();
 XContentParser.Token token;

 

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