---
title: name
description: The value of this setting is the name of the alias, snapshot, or index, depending on which action makes use of name. This setting may be a valid Elasticsearch...
url: https://www.elastic.co/docs/reference/elasticsearch/curator/option_name
products:
  - Elasticsearch
  - Elasticsearch Curator
---

# name
<note>
  This setting is used by the [alias](https://www.elastic.co/docs/reference/elasticsearch/curator/alias), [create_index](https://www.elastic.co/docs/reference/elasticsearch/curator/create_index) and [snapshot](https://www.elastic.co/docs/reference/elasticsearch/curator/snapshot), actions.
</note>

The value of this setting is the name of the alias, snapshot, or index, depending on which action makes use of `name`.

## date math

This setting may be a valid [Elasticsearch date math string](https://www.elastic.co/docs/reference/elasticsearch/rest-apis/api-conventions#api-date-math-index-names).
A date math name takes the following form:
```sh
<static_name{date_math_expr{date_format|time_zone}}>
```


|                  |                                                                                                 |
|------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| `static_name`    | is the static text part of the name                                                             |
| `date_math_expr` | is a dynamic date math expression that computes the date dynamically                            |
| `date_format`    | is the optional format in which the computed date should be rendered. Defaults to `yyyy.MM.dd`. |
| `time_zone`      | is the optional time zone . Defaults to `utc`.                                                  |

The following example shows different forms of date math names and the final form they resolve to given the current time is 22rd March 2024 noon utc.

| Expression                                   | Resolves to           |
|----------------------------------------------|-----------------------|
| `<logstash-{now/d}>`                         | `logstash-2024.03.22` |
| `<logstash-{now/M}>`                         | `logstash-2024.03.01` |
| `<logstash-{now/M{yyyy.MM}}>`                | `logstash-2024.03`    |
| `<logstash-{now/M-1M{yyyy.MM}}>`             | `logstash-2024.02`    |
| `<logstash-{now/d{yyyy.MM.dd&#124;+12:00}}>` | `logstash-2024.03.23` |


## strftime

This setting may alternately contain a valid Python strftime string.  Curator will extract the strftime identifiers and replace them with the corresponding values.
The identifiers that Curator currently recognizes include:

| Unit | Value                                        |
|------|----------------------------------------------|
| `%Y` | 4 digit year                                 |
| `%y` | 2 digit year                                 |
| `%m` | 2 digit month                                |
| `%W` | 2 digit week of the year                     |
| `%d` | 2 digit day of the month                     |
| `%H` | 2 digit hour of the day, in 24 hour notation |
| `%M` | 2 digit minute of the hour                   |
| `%S` | 2 digit second of the minute                 |
| `%j` | 3 digit day of the year                      |


## alias

```yaml
action: alias
description: "Add/Remove selected indices to or from the specified alias"
options:
  name: alias_name
add:
  filters:
  - filtertype: ...
remove:
  filters:
  - filtertype: ...
```

This option is required by the [alias](https://www.elastic.co/docs/reference/elasticsearch/curator/alias) action, and has no default setting in that context.

## create_index

For the [create_index](https://www.elastic.co/docs/reference/elasticsearch/curator/create_index) action, there is no default setting, but you can use strftime:
```yaml
action: create_index
description: "Create index as named"
options:
  name: 'myindex-%Y.%m'
  # ...
```

or use Elasticsearch [date math](https://www.elastic.co/docs/reference/elasticsearch/rest-apis/api-conventions#api-date-math-index-names) to name your indices.
```yaml
action: create_index
description: "Create index as named"
options:
  name: '<logstash-{now/d+1d}>'
  # ...
```

See more in the [create_index](https://www.elastic.co/docs/reference/elasticsearch/curator/create_index) documentation.

## snapshot

```yaml
action: snapshot
description: >-
  Snapshot selected indices to 'repository' with the snapshot name or name
  pattern in 'name'.  Use all other options as assigned
options:
  repository: my_repository
  name:
  include_global_state: True
  wait_for_completion: True
  max_wait: 3600
  wait_interval: 10
filters:
- filtertype: ...
```

For the [snapshot](https://www.elastic.co/docs/reference/elasticsearch/curator/snapshot) action, the default value of this setting is `curator-%Y%m%d%H%M%S`