Elasticsearch Query Language the Definitive Guide: A hands-on guide to mastering ESQL for search, observability, and security

by Bahaaldine Azarmi, Alexis Charveriat, Stephen Brown, Farbod Shirzadian, Alejandro Sanchez

Overview

Streamline your workflow with ESQL enhance data analysis with real-time insights, and speed up aggregations and visualizations

Key Features

• Apply ESQL efficiently in analytics, observability, and cybersecurity
• Optimize performance and scalability for high-demand environments
• Discover how to visualize and debug ESQL queries
• Purchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free PDF eBook

Book Description

Built to simplify high-scale data analytics in Elasticsearch, this practical guide will take you from foundational concepts to advanced applications across search, observability, and security. It will help you overcome common challenges such as efficiently querying large datasets, applying advanced analytics without deep prior knowledge, and resolving for a unique and consolidated query language. Written by senior experts at Elastic with extensive field experience, this book delivers actionable guidance rooted in solving today’s data challenges at scale. After introducing ESQL and its architecture, the chapters explore real-world applications across various domains, including analytics, raw log analysis, observability, and cybersecurity. Advanced topics such as scaling, optimization, and future developments are also covered to help you maximize your ESQL capabilities. By the end of this book, you’ll be able to leverage ESQL for comprehensive data management and analysis, optimizing your workflows and enhancing your productivity with Elasticsearch.

What you will learn

• Gain a solid understanding of ESQL and its architecture
• Use ESQL for data analysis and performance monitoring
• Apply ESQL in cybersecurity for threat detection and incident response
• Find out how to perform advanced searches using ESQL
• Prepare for future ESQL developments
• Showcase ESQL in action through real-world, persona-driven use cases

Who this book is for

If you’re an Elasticsearch user, this book is essential for your growth. Whether you’re a data analyst looking to build analytics on top of Elasticsearch, an SRE monitoring the health of your IT system, or a cybersecurity analyst, this book will give you a complete understanding of how ESQL is built and used. Additionally, database administrators, business intelligence professionals, and operational intelligence professionals will find this book invaluable. Even with a beginner-level knowledge of Elasticsearch, you’ll be able to get started and make the most of this comprehensive guide.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781836201977
Publisher:	Packt Publishing
Publication date:	06/26/2026
Product dimensions:	75.00(w) x 92.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Bahaaldine Azarmi, Global VP Customer Engineering at Elastic, guides companies as they leverage data architecture, distributed systems, machine learning, and generative AI. He leads the customer engineering team, focusing on cloud consumption, and is passionate about sharing knowledge to build and inspire a community skilled in AI.

Alexis Charveriat, a Zurich-based Senior Manager at Elastic since May 2024, brings 7+ years in data engineering, security, and enterprise architecture; he built AI-driven video pipelines at Genistat AG ReTV, began in web security at Open Systems, holds an M.Sc. from Centrale Lille, and is ELK & Observability certified

Stephen Brown, an Orange County–based Senior Principal Observability Specialist at Elastic since April 2018, brings 25+ years in software engineering, operations, and observability; he was VP of Software Engineering & Operations at CoreLogic, Director of Product Development at Process Exchange, Data Team Manager at Toyota Motor Sales, and VP of Engineering Operations at go2 Systems, holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from CSU Long Beach, and volunteers with California State Parks and Operation HOPE.

Farbod Shirzadian, Principal Customer Architect at Elastic since early 2025 after progressing from Principal Customer Engineer (May 2023) and Senior Customer Architect, is a seasoned security and solutions architect with prior roles as Senior Security Engineer at Presidio, Advanced Support Engineer Tier 3 and Professional Services Consultant at Exabeam LogRhythm, and six years as a Network Security Analyst at UC Boulder's OIT; he holds a B.A. in International Relations with a Philosophy minor from the University of Colorado Boulder.

Alejandro Sanchez Losa, based in Alicante, is Principal Customer Architect at Elastic (joined May 2023), certified in GenAI, Observability, and Kubernetes; co-founder of Management Pills and Mobility Efficiency, he previously led log-management and cloud-native architecture at CIVIR and 3 Points and worked as a freelance IT consultant and OSINT analyst.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

1. Introduction to ESQL
2. Getting started with ESQL
3. ESQL Architecture
4. Data Types, Expressions, Functions in ESQL
5. ESQL for Analytics
6. Analyzing Raw Logs at Scale with ESQL
7. Leveraging ESQL for Observability with Prebuilt Detection Rules
8. ESQL for Cybersecurity: Incident Response and Threat Hunting
9. ESQL for Search
10. Scaling and Optimizing ESQL for High-Demand Environments
11. esql debug A Tool to Debug ESQL Queries
12. The Future of ESQL