---
id: kibDataViewsKeyConcepts
slug: /kibana-dev-docs/key-concepts/data-view-intro
title: Data Views
summary: Data views are the central method of defining queryable data sets in Kibana
date: 2021-08-11
tags: ['kibana', 'dev', 'contributor', 'api docs']
---

_Note: Kibana index patterns are currently being renamed to data views. There will be some naming inconsistencies until the transition is complete._

Data views (formerly Kibana index patterns or KIPs) are the central method of describing sets of indices for queries. Usage is strongly recommended
as a number of high level <DocLink id="kibBuildingBlocks" text="building blocks"/> rely on them. Further, they provide a consistent view of data across
a variety Kibana apps.

Data views are defined by a wildcard string (an index pattern) which matches indices, data streams, and index aliases, optionally specify a
timestamp field for time series data, and are stored as a <DocLink id="kibDevDocsSavedObjectsIntro"
text="saved object"/>. They have a field list which comprises all the fields in matching indices plus fields defined specifically
on the data view via runtime fields. Schema-on-read functionality is provided by data view defined runtime fields.

![image](../assets/data_view_diagram.png)

The data view API is made available via the data plugin (`data.indexPatterns`, soon to be renamed) and most commonly used with <DocLink id="kibDevTutorialDataSearchAndSessions" section="high-level-search" text="SearchSource" />
(`data.search.search.SearchSource`) to perform queries. SearchSource will apply existing filters and queries from the search bar UI.

Users can create data views via [Data view management](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/kibana/current/index-patterns.html).
Additionally, they can be created through the data view API.

Data views also allow formatters and custom labels to be defined for fields.
