# Kibana Query Language (KQL) Beginner's Guide
Kibana Query Language, or KQL, is a powerful tool used in Elasticsearch and Kibana to filter data in a more granular way. This guide will introduce you to basic syntax and examples of KQL.
## Understanding KQL
In Kibana, the search bar at the top of the page is where you can input KQL queries. You can search for specific records, filter data, or even analyze trends over time.
KQL has auto-complete suggestions which can help you build your queries.
## Basic KQL Syntax
**Field Names and Values:**
To query a specific field, you can use the following syntax:
```bash
field_name: "field_value"
For example, if you’re searching for records with a status of “error,” you could write:
status: "error"
Logical Operators:
KQL supports AND, OR, and NOT operators. Here are a few examples:
status: "error" AND extension: "log"
status: "success" OR status: "error"
NOT status: "error"
Wildcards:
You can use the wildcard * in your queries:
status: "err*"
Ranges:
Ranges can be specified with {} for inclusive ranges and [] for exclusive ranges:
bytes: [100 TO 1000]
age: {20 TO 30}
Existence of Field:
You can check if a field exists or not:
_field_:*
Examples
Here are some examples of KQL queries:
status: "error" AND extension: "log"
bytes: [100 TO 1000]
```