---
title: Saved Objects
description: Saved Objects allow Kibana plugins to use Elasticsearch like a primary database. Think of them as an Object Document Mapper for Elasticsearch. Once a...
url: https://www.elastic.co/docs/extend/kibana/saved-objects
products:
  - Kibana
---

# Saved Objects
`Saved Objects` allow Kibana plugins to use Elasticsearch like a primary database. Think of them as an Object Document Mapper for Elasticsearch. Once a plugin has registered one or more **Saved Object types**, the Saved Objects client can be used to query or perform create, read, update and delete operations on each type.
**Terminology:** A **Saved Object type** is the schema and configuration that a plugin registers for a kind of document (name, mappings, model versions, etc.). **Saved Objects** are the document instances of that type stored in Elasticsearch. The sections below cover both how to define and evolve Saved Object **types** and how to perform CRUD on Saved Object instances via the Core service (see [Use](https://www.elastic.co/docs/extend/kibana/saved-objects/use)).
<note>
  The Saved Objects service is available on server side. Client side services and APIs have been deprecated for some time and will be removed in the near future.
</note>

By using Saved Objects your plugin can take advantage of the following features:
- Migrations can evolve your document's schema by transforming documents and ensuring that the field mappings on the index are always up to date.
- a [HTTP API](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/kibana/group/endpoint-saved-objects) is automatically exposed for each type (unless `hidden=true` is specified).
- a Saved Objects client that can be used from both the server and the browser.
- Users can import or export Saved Objects using the Saved Objects management UI or the Saved Objects import/export API.
- By declaring `references`, an object's entire reference graph will be exported. This makes it easy for users to export e.g. a `dashboard` object and have all the `visualization` objects required to display the dashboard included in the export.
- When the X-Pack security and spaces plugins are enabled these transparently provide RBAC access control and the ability to organize Saved Objects into spaces.

<important>
  When integrating with saved objects via the Saved Objects import/export APIs or the deprecated Saved Objects HTTP CRUD APIs, preserve `coreMigrationVersion` and `typeMigrationVersion` when persisting raw saved object documents outside of Kibana (for example, in JSON/NDJSON files). These fields are required to retain forwards compatibility across Kibana versions as saved object types evolve.
</important>


## Security

Saved Objects are secured using Kibana's privileges model, unlike data in Elasticsearch data indices, which is secured using Elasticsearch's model.

### Space awareness

Saved Objects are "space aware". Each object exists in the space it was created in, and any additional spaces it has been shared with. See [Share across spaces](https://www.elastic.co/docs/extend/kibana/saved-objects/share) for details.

### Feature controls and RBAC

Feature controls provide another level of isolation for Saved Objects. Admins can grant users and roles read, write, or no access to each Saved Object type independently.

### Object level security (OLS)

OLS is a planned feature, not yet implemented. Once available, it will allow individual objects to be private to their owner, shared with selected users, or made fully public — similar to how sharing in Google Docs works.

## Scalability

By default all Saved Object types share the same index. If you expect a type to have many unique fields or a large number of instances, store it in a dedicated index by setting the `indexPattern` field when registering the type. Reporting and Task Manager both use this capability.

## Searchability

Saved Objects are stored in system indices and cannot be searched like regular Elasticsearch data. If you see the phrase "[X] as data", it refers to this limitation: users cannot build custom dashboards or visualizations over Saved Object data the way they can with data in ordinary Elasticsearch indices.

## Saved Objects by value and by reference

A Saved Object can be embedded inside another Saved Object ("by value") rather than saved as a standalone item ("by reference"). For example, when a user adds a visualization to a dashboard without saving it to the library, the visualization data is nested inside the dashboard Saved Object. This keeps the library smaller and avoids unexpected propagation of edits, since the embedded object exists in exactly one place.
Note: the terms "by value" and "by reference" are internal developer concepts and are not surfaced to end users.

## Saved Objects documentation summary

This documentation is organized into the following sections:
- [Structure](https://www.elastic.co/docs/extend/kibana/saved-objects/structure) — Parts of a Saved Object type definition (name, index pattern, mappings, model versions) and the structure of a model version.
- [Create a type](https://www.elastic.co/docs/extend/kibana/saved-objects/create) — Register a new Saved Object type, define mappings and references, and define the initial model version.
- [Update a type](https://www.elastic.co/docs/extend/kibana/saved-objects/update) — Upgrade existing Saved Object types (legacy transition and new model versions).
- [Validate type changes](https://www.elastic.co/docs/extend/kibana/saved-objects/validate) — Test model versions, ensure safe type definition changes, and troubleshoot validation failures.
- [Delete a type](https://www.elastic.co/docs/extend/kibana/saved-objects/delete) — Remove a Saved Object type registration.
- [CRUD operations](https://www.elastic.co/docs/extend/kibana/saved-objects/use) — Perform CRUD on Saved Object instances via the Core service (create, get, find, update, delete). Do not use the deprecated HTTP API.
- [Export and import](https://www.elastic.co/docs/extend/kibana/saved-objects/export) — Exporting and importing Saved Object documents.
- [Share across spaces](https://www.elastic.co/docs/extend/kibana/saved-objects/share) — Sharing saved objects across spaces (namespace types, conversion, deep links, legacy URL aliases).
- [Migrations](https://www.elastic.co/docs/extend/kibana/saved-objects/migrations) — How type schema and mapping changes are rolled out on Classic stack and Serverless.