diff --git a/CHANGELOG.asciidoc b/CHANGELOG.asciidoc
index d2802d862fa..d6815727c3a 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.asciidoc
+++ b/CHANGELOG.asciidoc
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ https://github.com/elastic/beats/compare/v5.0.0-beta1...master[Check the HEAD di
 
 *Affecting all Beats*
 
+- A dynamic mapping rule is added to the default Elasticsearch template to treat strings as keywords by default. {pull}2688[2688]
+
 *Metricbeat*
 
 *Packetbeat*
diff --git a/filebeat/filebeat.template-es2x.json b/filebeat/filebeat.template-es2x.json
index 6154762cc0f..b7845d4ccaa 100644
--- a/filebeat/filebeat.template-es2x.json
+++ b/filebeat/filebeat.template-es2x.json
@@ -11,14 +11,13 @@
       },
       "dynamic_templates": [
         {
-          "fields": {
+          "strings_as_keyword": {
             "mapping": {
               "ignore_above": 1024,
               "index": "not_analyzed",
               "type": "string"
             },
-            "match_mapping_type": "string",
-            "path_match": "fields.*"
+            "match_mapping_type": "string"
           }
         }
       ],
diff --git a/filebeat/filebeat.template.json b/filebeat/filebeat.template.json
index fec7a9212d3..7ba1fa901b1 100644
--- a/filebeat/filebeat.template.json
+++ b/filebeat/filebeat.template.json
@@ -9,13 +9,12 @@
       },
       "dynamic_templates": [
         {
-          "fields": {
+          "strings_as_keyword": {
             "mapping": {
               "ignore_above": 1024,
               "type": "keyword"
             },
-            "match_mapping_type": "string",
-            "path_match": "fields.*"
+            "match_mapping_type": "string"
           }
         }
       ],
diff --git a/libbeat/scripts/generate_template.py b/libbeat/scripts/generate_template.py
index 5dc4cd34af9..cc4b22245a9 100644
--- a/libbeat/scripts/generate_template.py
+++ b/libbeat/scripts/generate_template.py
@@ -68,6 +68,30 @@ def fields_to_es_template(args, input, output, index, version):
 
     properties = {}
     dynamic_templates = []
+
+    # Make strings keywords by default
+    if args.es2x:
+        dynamic_templates.append({
+            "strings_as_keyword": {
+                "mapping": {
+                    "type": "string",
+                    "index": "not_analyzed",
+                    "ignore_above": 1024
+                },
+                "match_mapping_type": "string",
+            }
+        })
+    else:
+        dynamic_templates.append({
+            "strings_as_keyword": {
+                "mapping": {
+                    "type": "keyword",
+                    "ignore_above": 1024
+                },
+                "match_mapping_type": "string",
+            }
+        })
+
     for section in docs["fields"]:
         prop, dynamic = fill_section_properties(args, section,
                                                 defaults, "")
@@ -200,9 +224,9 @@ def fill_field_properties(args, field, defaults, path):
                 field.get("scaling_factor", 1000)
 
     elif field["type"] in ["dict", "list"]:
-        if field.get("dict-type") == "keyword":
+        if field.get("dict-type") == "text":
             # add a dynamic template to set all members of
-            # the dict as keywords
+            # the dict as text
             if len(path) > 0:
                 name = path + "." + field["name"]
             else:
@@ -213,8 +237,7 @@ def fill_field_properties(args, field, defaults, path):
                     name: {
                         "mapping": {
                             "type": "string",
-                            "index": "not_analyzed",
-                            "ignore_above": 1024
+                            "index": "analyzed",
                         },
                         "match_mapping_type": "string",
                         "path_match": name + ".*"
@@ -224,8 +247,7 @@ def fill_field_properties(args, field, defaults, path):
                 dynamic_templates.append({
                     name: {
                         "mapping": {
-                            "type": "keyword",
-                            "ignore_above": 1024
+                            "type": "text",
                         },
                         "match_mapping_type": "string",
                         "path_match": name + ".*"
diff --git a/metricbeat/metricbeat.template-es2x.json b/metricbeat/metricbeat.template-es2x.json
index 683f618c3cc..236374f732b 100644
--- a/metricbeat/metricbeat.template-es2x.json
+++ b/metricbeat/metricbeat.template-es2x.json
@@ -11,14 +11,13 @@
       },
       "dynamic_templates": [
         {
-          "fields": {
+          "strings_as_keyword": {
             "mapping": {
               "ignore_above": 1024,
               "index": "not_analyzed",
               "type": "string"
             },
-            "match_mapping_type": "string",
-            "path_match": "fields.*"
+            "match_mapping_type": "string"
           }
         }
       ],
diff --git a/metricbeat/metricbeat.template.json b/metricbeat/metricbeat.template.json
index 9cfa87ac796..3d56007e247 100644
--- a/metricbeat/metricbeat.template.json
+++ b/metricbeat/metricbeat.template.json
@@ -9,13 +9,12 @@
       },
       "dynamic_templates": [
         {
-          "fields": {
+          "strings_as_keyword": {
             "mapping": {
               "ignore_above": 1024,
               "type": "keyword"
             },
-            "match_mapping_type": "string",
-            "path_match": "fields.*"
+            "match_mapping_type": "string"
           }
         }
       ],
diff --git a/packetbeat/packetbeat.template-es2x.json b/packetbeat/packetbeat.template-es2x.json
index 2b1737a7dfd..94e0e518515 100644
--- a/packetbeat/packetbeat.template-es2x.json
+++ b/packetbeat/packetbeat.template-es2x.json
@@ -11,58 +11,13 @@
       },
       "dynamic_templates": [
         {
-          "fields": {
+          "strings_as_keyword": {
             "mapping": {
               "ignore_above": 1024,
               "index": "not_analyzed",
               "type": "string"
             },
-            "match_mapping_type": "string",
-            "path_match": "fields.*"
-          }
-        },
-        {
-          "amqp.headers": {
-            "mapping": {
-              "ignore_above": 1024,
-              "index": "not_analyzed",
-              "type": "string"
-            },
-            "match_mapping_type": "string",
-            "path_match": "amqp.headers.*"
-          }
-        },
-        {
-          "cassandra.response.supported": {
-            "mapping": {
-              "ignore_above": 1024,
-              "index": "not_analyzed",
-              "type": "string"
-            },
-            "match_mapping_type": "string",
-            "path_match": "cassandra.response.supported.*"
-          }
-        },
-        {
-          "http.request.headers": {
-            "mapping": {
-              "ignore_above": 1024,
-              "index": "not_analyzed",
-              "type": "string"
-            },
-            "match_mapping_type": "string",
-            "path_match": "http.request.headers.*"
-          }
-        },
-        {
-          "http.response.headers": {
-            "mapping": {
-              "ignore_above": 1024,
-              "index": "not_analyzed",
-              "type": "string"
-            },
-            "match_mapping_type": "string",
-            "path_match": "http.response.headers.*"
+            "match_mapping_type": "string"
           }
         }
       ],
diff --git a/packetbeat/packetbeat.template.json b/packetbeat/packetbeat.template.json
index 45150d79873..096d09fb5f3 100644
--- a/packetbeat/packetbeat.template.json
+++ b/packetbeat/packetbeat.template.json
@@ -9,53 +9,12 @@
       },
       "dynamic_templates": [
         {
-          "fields": {
+          "strings_as_keyword": {
             "mapping": {
               "ignore_above": 1024,
               "type": "keyword"
             },
-            "match_mapping_type": "string",
-            "path_match": "fields.*"
-          }
-        },
-        {
-          "amqp.headers": {
-            "mapping": {
-              "ignore_above": 1024,
-              "type": "keyword"
-            },
-            "match_mapping_type": "string",
-            "path_match": "amqp.headers.*"
-          }
-        },
-        {
-          "cassandra.response.supported": {
-            "mapping": {
-              "ignore_above": 1024,
-              "type": "keyword"
-            },
-            "match_mapping_type": "string",
-            "path_match": "cassandra.response.supported.*"
-          }
-        },
-        {
-          "http.request.headers": {
-            "mapping": {
-              "ignore_above": 1024,
-              "type": "keyword"
-            },
-            "match_mapping_type": "string",
-            "path_match": "http.request.headers.*"
-          }
-        },
-        {
-          "http.response.headers": {
-            "mapping": {
-              "ignore_above": 1024,
-              "type": "keyword"
-            },
-            "match_mapping_type": "string",
-            "path_match": "http.response.headers.*"
+            "match_mapping_type": "string"
           }
         }
       ],
diff --git a/winlogbeat/winlogbeat.template-es2x.json b/winlogbeat/winlogbeat.template-es2x.json
index 418ffa3d504..e8873db69c7 100644
--- a/winlogbeat/winlogbeat.template-es2x.json
+++ b/winlogbeat/winlogbeat.template-es2x.json
@@ -11,36 +11,13 @@
       },
       "dynamic_templates": [
         {
-          "fields": {
+          "strings_as_keyword": {
             "mapping": {
               "ignore_above": 1024,
               "index": "not_analyzed",
               "type": "string"
             },
-            "match_mapping_type": "string",
-            "path_match": "fields.*"
-          }
-        },
-        {
-          "event_data": {
-            "mapping": {
-              "ignore_above": 1024,
-              "index": "not_analyzed",
-              "type": "string"
-            },
-            "match_mapping_type": "string",
-            "path_match": "event_data.*"
-          }
-        },
-        {
-          "user_data": {
-            "mapping": {
-              "ignore_above": 1024,
-              "index": "not_analyzed",
-              "type": "string"
-            },
-            "match_mapping_type": "string",
-            "path_match": "user_data.*"
+            "match_mapping_type": "string"
           }
         }
       ],
diff --git a/winlogbeat/winlogbeat.template.json b/winlogbeat/winlogbeat.template.json
index 79a020903f8..ea0fb6e8058 100644
--- a/winlogbeat/winlogbeat.template.json
+++ b/winlogbeat/winlogbeat.template.json
@@ -9,33 +9,12 @@
       },
       "dynamic_templates": [
         {
-          "fields": {
+          "strings_as_keyword": {
             "mapping": {
               "ignore_above": 1024,
               "type": "keyword"
             },
-            "match_mapping_type": "string",
-            "path_match": "fields.*"
-          }
-        },
-        {
-          "event_data": {
-            "mapping": {
-              "ignore_above": 1024,
-              "type": "keyword"
-            },
-            "match_mapping_type": "string",
-            "path_match": "event_data.*"
-          }
-        },
-        {
-          "user_data": {
-            "mapping": {
-              "ignore_above": 1024,
-              "type": "keyword"
-            },
-            "match_mapping_type": "string",
-            "path_match": "user_data.*"
+            "match_mapping_type": "string"
           }
         }
       ],