> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://axiom.co/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

<AgentInstructions>

## Submitting Feedback

If you encounter incorrect, outdated, or confusing documentation on this page, submit feedback:

POST https://axiom.co/docs/feedback

```json
{
  "path": "/apl/introduction",
  "feedback": "Description of the issue"
}
```

Only submit feedback when you have something specific and actionable to report.

</AgentInstructions>

# Axiom Processing Language (APL)

> Use APL to query logs, traces, and events with a text-based query language.

Axiom Processing Language (APL) is a text-based query language for logs, traces, and events stored in [EventDB](/platform-overview/architecture). It provides the flexibility to filter, manipulate, and summarize your data exactly the way you need it.

<Info>
  You can't use APL to query metrics. To query metrics, use [MPL](/mpl/introduction).
</Info>

## Prerequisites

* [Create an Axiom account](https://app.axiom.co/register).
* [Create a dataset in Axiom](/reference/datasets#create-dataset) where you send your data.

## Build an APL query

APL queries consist of the following:

* **Data source:** The most common data source is one of your Axiom datasets.
* **Operators:** Operators filter, manipulate, and summarize your data.

Delimit operators with the pipe character (`|`).

A typical APL query has the following structure:

```kusto theme={null}
DatasetName
| Operator ...
| Operator ...
```

* `DatasetName` is the name of the dataset you want to query.
* `Operator` is an operation you apply to the data.

<Note>
  Apart from Axiom datasets, you can use other data sources:

  * External data sources using the [externaldata](/apl/tabular-operators/externaldata-operator) operator.
  * Specify a data table in the APL query itself using the `let` statement.
</Note>

## Example query

```kusto theme={null}
['github-issue-comment-event']
| extend isBot = actor contains '-bot' or actor contains '[bot]'
| where isBot == true
| summarize count() by bin_auto(_time), actor
```

[Run in Playground](https://play.axiom.co/axiom-play-qf1k/query?initForm=%7B%22apl%22%3A%22%5B'github-issue-comment-event'%5D%20%7C%20extend%20isBot%20%3D%20actor%20contains%20'-bot'%20or%20actor%20contains%20'%5Bbot%5D'%20%7C%20where%20isBot%20%3D%3D%20true%20%7C%20summarize%20count\(\)%20by%20bin_auto\(_time\)%2C%20actor%22%7D)

The query above uses a dataset called `github-issue-comment-event` as its data source. It uses the following operators:

* [extend](/apl/tabular-operators/extend-operator) adds a new field `isBot` to the query results. It sets the values of the new field to true if the values of the `actor` field in the original dataset contain `-bot` or `[bot]`.
* [where](/apl/tabular-operators/where-operator) filters for the values of the `isBot` field. It only returns rows where the value is true.
* [summarize](/apl/tabular-operators/summarize-operator) aggregates the data and produces a chart.

Each operator is separated using the pipe character (`|`).

## Example result

As a result, the query returns a chart and a table. The table counts the different values of the `actor` field where `isBot` is true, and the chart displays the distribution of these counts over time.

| actor                | count\_ |
| -------------------- | ------- |
| github-actions\[bot] | 487     |
| sonarqubecloud\[bot] | 208     |
| dependabot\[bot]     | 148     |
| vercel\[bot]         | 91      |
| codecov\[bot]        | 63      |
| openshift-ci\[bot]   | 52      |
| coderabbitai\[bot]   | 43      |
| netlify\[bot]        | 37      |

<Note>
  The query results are a representation of your data based on your request. The query doesn’t change the original dataset.
</Note>

## Quote dataset and field names

If the name of a dataset or field contains at least one of the following special characters, quote the name in your APL query:

* Space (` `)
* Dot (`.`)
* Dash (`-`)

To quote the dataset or field in your APL query, enclose its name with quotation marks (`'` or `"`) and square brackets (`[]`). For example, `['my-field']`.

For more information on rules about naming and quoting entities, see [Entity names](/apl/entities/entity-names).

## What’s next

Check out the [list of example queries](/apl/tutorial) or explore the supported operators and functions:

* [Scalar functions](/apl/scalar-functions/)
* [Aggregation functions](/apl/aggregation-function/)
* [Tabular operators](/apl/tabular-operators/)
* [Scalar operators](/apl/scalar-operators/)