# Parser

Dealing with raw strings or unstructured messages is a constant pain; having a structure is highly desired. Ideally we want to set a structure to the incoming data by the Input Plugins as soon as they are collected:

![](/files/-MUMuQwrdNLU7PQ5KErs)

The Parser allows you to convert from unstructured to structured data. As a demonstrative example consider the following Apache (HTTP Server) log entry:

```
192.168.2.20 - - [28/Jul/2006:10:27:10 -0300] "GET /cgi-bin/try/ HTTP/1.0" 200 3395
```

The above log line is a raw string without format, ideally we would like to give it a structure that can be processed later easily. If the proper configuration is used, the log entry could be converted to:

```javascript
{
  "host":    "192.168.2.20",
  "user":    "-",
  "method":  "GET",
  "path":    "/cgi-bin/try/",
  "code":    "200",
  "size":    "3395",
  "referer": "",
  "agent":   ""
 }
```

Parsers are fully configurable and are independently and optionally handled by each input plugin, for more details please refer to the [Parsers](https://docs.fluentbit.io/manual/pipeline/parsers) section.


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.fluentbit.io/manual/1.6/concepts/data-pipeline/parser.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.