Field values are case sensitive.

By default, Splunk searches, including searches on field-value pairs, are case-insensitive. For example, a search for status=error will match events containing status=error, status=ERROR, or status=Error. While there are specific exceptions where case sensitivity is enforced (such as for the metadata fields host, source, and sourcetype), this is not the general rule for all field values. The overarching default behavior of the Search Processing Language (SPL) is case-insensitivity for user-extracted field values.

The statement "True" is incorrect because it presents an exception as the general rule. The default and most common behavior for field value matching in Splunk is case-insensitive. Stating that field values are case-sensitive would be a misleading generalization that contradicts the fundamental design of Splunk's search functionality.

1. Splunk Enterprise Documentation

Search Manual

"Specify case sensitivity in searches":

Reference: "By default

Splunk Enterprise searches are case-insensitive. When you search for error

Splunk software matches error

ERROR

Error

eRRoR

and so on. This case-insensitivity applies to keyword searches and to field-value searches for extracted fields."

Reference for Exceptions: The same section later clarifies the exceptions: "The values of the host

source

and sourcetype fields are case sensitive. The values of punctuation fields

such as raw

are case sensitive." This confirms that case sensitivity is an exception

not the default rule.

2. Splunk Enterprise Documentation

Admin Manual

"props.conf":

Reference: In the specification for props.conf

the FIELDSUMMARY stanza includes a setting casesensitivematch = . The documentation states

"Specifies whether the field summary is case-sensitive. Defaults to false." This provides further evidence that the default system behavior is configured to be case-insensitive for field matching.