To explore and configure the data fields in your index pattern, open the main menu, then click
*Stack Management > Index Patterns*. Each field has a {ref}/mapping.html[mapping],
which indicates the type of data the field contains in {es},
such as strings or boolean values. The field mapping also determines
how you can use the field, such as whether it can be searched or aggregated.
[role="screenshot"]
image:management/index-patterns/images/new-index-pattern.png["Create index pattern"]
[float]
==== Format the display of common field types
Whenever possible, {kib} uses the same field type for display as
{es}. However, some field types that {es} supports are not available
in {kib}. Using field formatters, you can manually change the field type in {kib} to display your data the way you prefer
to see it, regardless of how it is stored in {es}.
For example, if you store
date values in {es}, you can use a {kib} field formatter to change the display to mm/dd/yyyy format.
{kib} has field formatters for
<<field-formatters-string, strings>>,
<<field-formatters-date, dates>>,
<<field-formatters-geopoint, geopoints>>,
and <<field-formatters-numeric, numbers>>.
A popularity counter keeps track of the fields you use most often.
The top five most popular fields and their values are displayed in <<discover,*Discover*>>.
To edit the field format and popularity counter, click the edit icon
(image:management/index-patterns/images/edit_icon.png[]) in the index pattern detail view.
[role="screenshot"]
image:management/index-patterns/images/edit-field-format.png["Edit field format"]
[float]
==== Refresh the data fields
To pick up newly-added fields,
refresh (image:management/index-patterns/images/refresh-icon.png[Refresh icon]) the index fields list.
This action also resets the {kib} popularity counters for the fields.
[float]
[[default-index-pattern]]
=== Set the default index pattern
The first index pattern you create is automatically designated as the default pattern,
but you can set any index pattern as the default. The default index pattern is automatically selected when you first open <<discover,*Discover*>> or create a visualization from scratch.
. In *Index patterns*, click the index pattern name.
. Click the star icon (image:management/index-patterns/images/star.png[Star icon]).
[float]
[[delete-index-pattern]]
=== Delete an index pattern
This action removes the pattern from the list of saved objects in {kib}.
You will not be able to recover field formatters, scripted fields, source filters,
and field popularity data associated with the index pattern. Deleting an
index pattern does not remove any indices or data documents from {es}.
WARNING: Deleting an index pattern breaks all visualizations, saved searches, and other saved objects that reference the pattern.
. In *Index patterns*, click the index pattern name.
. Click the delete icon (image:management/index-patterns/images/delete.png[Delete icon]).