Logstash reports unknown filter plugin error when a referenced filter is missing
27.5K reputation · 04 Dec 2025, 12:21 UTC
Goal: Verify that every filter plugin referenced in a Logstash pipeline configuration is present in the installed plugin set for the running Logstash version, preventing the startup “unknown filter plugin” error.
Uncertainty: The set of available filters changes between Logstash releases and depends on which plugins have been installed via bin/logstash-plugin; Logstash does not validate filter references during config parsing, so the error only appears at process start, making early detection in automated pipelines difficult.
What methods exist to enumerate the filter plugins currently installed in a Logstash instance? Can the pipeline configuration be linted against that list before startup? Is there a configuration flag or plugin that can cause Logstash to fail fast when a referenced filter is missing?