diff --git a/auditbeat/auditbeat.reference.yml b/auditbeat/auditbeat.reference.yml
index db88d004264f..f7f3bee03b9d 100644
--- a/auditbeat/auditbeat.reference.yml
+++ b/auditbeat/auditbeat.reference.yml
@@ -1087,7 +1087,7 @@ setup.template.settings:
 #setup.ilm.pattern: "{now/d}-000001"
 
 # Set the lifecycle policy name. The default policy name is
-# 'auditbeat-%{[agent.version]}'.
+# 'auditbeat'.
 #setup.ilm.policy_name: "mypolicy"
 
 # The path to a JSON file that contains a lifecycle policy configuration. Used
diff --git a/filebeat/filebeat.reference.yml b/filebeat/filebeat.reference.yml
index 0ccbe5ad6add..286c4c82fbd2 100644
--- a/filebeat/filebeat.reference.yml
+++ b/filebeat/filebeat.reference.yml
@@ -1784,7 +1784,7 @@ setup.template.settings:
 #setup.ilm.pattern: "{now/d}-000001"
 
 # Set the lifecycle policy name. The default policy name is
-# 'filebeat-%{[agent.version]}'.
+# 'filebeat'.
 #setup.ilm.policy_name: "mypolicy"
 
 # The path to a JSON file that contains a lifecycle policy configuration. Used
diff --git a/heartbeat/heartbeat.reference.yml b/heartbeat/heartbeat.reference.yml
index be68211d4615..87af336336f8 100644
--- a/heartbeat/heartbeat.reference.yml
+++ b/heartbeat/heartbeat.reference.yml
@@ -1231,7 +1231,7 @@ setup.template.settings:
 #setup.ilm.pattern: "{now/d}-000001"
 
 # Set the lifecycle policy name. The default policy name is
-# 'heartbeat-%{[agent.version]}'.
+# 'heartbeat'.
 #setup.ilm.policy_name: "mypolicy"
 
 # The path to a JSON file that contains a lifecycle policy configuration. Used
diff --git a/journalbeat/journalbeat.reference.yml b/journalbeat/journalbeat.reference.yml
index 4f5ddb75c0ee..ca451d891c44 100644
--- a/journalbeat/journalbeat.reference.yml
+++ b/journalbeat/journalbeat.reference.yml
@@ -1025,7 +1025,7 @@ setup.template.settings:
 #setup.ilm.pattern: "{now/d}-000001"
 
 # Set the lifecycle policy name. The default policy name is
-# 'journalbeat-%{[agent.version]}'.
+# 'journalbeat'.
 #setup.ilm.policy_name: "mypolicy"
 
 # The path to a JSON file that contains a lifecycle policy configuration. Used
diff --git a/libbeat/_meta/config.reference.yml.tmpl b/libbeat/_meta/config.reference.yml.tmpl
index 9f7a76ffe0ff..6f220c7a105c 100644
--- a/libbeat/_meta/config.reference.yml.tmpl
+++ b/libbeat/_meta/config.reference.yml.tmpl
@@ -968,7 +968,7 @@ setup.template.settings:
 #setup.ilm.pattern: "{now/d}-000001"
 
 # Set the lifecycle policy name. The default policy name is
-# 'beatname-%{[agent.version]}'.
+# 'beatname'.
 #setup.ilm.policy_name: "mypolicy"
 
 # The path to a JSON file that contains a lifecycle policy configuration. Used
diff --git a/libbeat/docs/shared-ilm.asciidoc b/libbeat/docs/shared-ilm.asciidoc
index 4b96dcdbf276..4ed4cba0e2a3 100644
--- a/libbeat/docs/shared-ilm.asciidoc
+++ b/libbeat/docs/shared-ilm.asciidoc
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ overwrite the template to apply the changes.
 ==== `setup.ilm.policy_name`
 
 The name to use for the lifecycle policy. The default is
-+{beatname_lc}-%{[{beat_version_key}]}+.
++{beatname_lc}+.
 
 [float]
 [[setup-ilm-policy_file-option]]
diff --git a/metricbeat/metricbeat.reference.yml b/metricbeat/metricbeat.reference.yml
index 4a8dea2095bd..b7d8b0768b0f 100644
--- a/metricbeat/metricbeat.reference.yml
+++ b/metricbeat/metricbeat.reference.yml
@@ -1774,7 +1774,7 @@ setup.template.settings:
 #setup.ilm.pattern: "{now/d}-000001"
 
 # Set the lifecycle policy name. The default policy name is
-# 'metricbeat-%{[agent.version]}'.
+# 'metricbeat'.
 #setup.ilm.policy_name: "mypolicy"
 
 # The path to a JSON file that contains a lifecycle policy configuration. Used
diff --git a/packetbeat/packetbeat.reference.yml b/packetbeat/packetbeat.reference.yml
index bffddad50c75..257f0fbfcbbb 100644
--- a/packetbeat/packetbeat.reference.yml
+++ b/packetbeat/packetbeat.reference.yml
@@ -1507,7 +1507,7 @@ setup.template.settings:
 #setup.ilm.pattern: "{now/d}-000001"
 
 # Set the lifecycle policy name. The default policy name is
-# 'packetbeat-%{[agent.version]}'.
+# 'packetbeat'.
 #setup.ilm.policy_name: "mypolicy"
 
 # The path to a JSON file that contains a lifecycle policy configuration. Used
diff --git a/winlogbeat/winlogbeat.reference.yml b/winlogbeat/winlogbeat.reference.yml
index fb7948a65791..d402e3b1a57e 100644
--- a/winlogbeat/winlogbeat.reference.yml
+++ b/winlogbeat/winlogbeat.reference.yml
@@ -1010,7 +1010,7 @@ setup.template.settings:
 #setup.ilm.pattern: "{now/d}-000001"
 
 # Set the lifecycle policy name. The default policy name is
-# 'winlogbeat-%{[agent.version]}'.
+# 'winlogbeat'.
 #setup.ilm.policy_name: "mypolicy"
 
 # The path to a JSON file that contains a lifecycle policy configuration. Used
diff --git a/x-pack/auditbeat/auditbeat.reference.yml b/x-pack/auditbeat/auditbeat.reference.yml
index ae6b7f1b1a3f..1c7281f92e24 100644
--- a/x-pack/auditbeat/auditbeat.reference.yml
+++ b/x-pack/auditbeat/auditbeat.reference.yml
@@ -1138,7 +1138,7 @@ setup.template.settings:
 #setup.ilm.pattern: "{now/d}-000001"
 
 # Set the lifecycle policy name. The default policy name is
-# 'auditbeat-%{[agent.version]}'.
+# 'auditbeat'.
 #setup.ilm.policy_name: "mypolicy"
 
 # The path to a JSON file that contains a lifecycle policy configuration. Used
diff --git a/x-pack/filebeat/filebeat.reference.yml b/x-pack/filebeat/filebeat.reference.yml
index e4a70367a376..3630817f39bd 100644
--- a/x-pack/filebeat/filebeat.reference.yml
+++ b/x-pack/filebeat/filebeat.reference.yml
@@ -2280,7 +2280,7 @@ setup.template.settings:
 #setup.ilm.pattern: "{now/d}-000001"
 
 # Set the lifecycle policy name. The default policy name is
-# 'filebeat-%{[agent.version]}'.
+# 'filebeat'.
 #setup.ilm.policy_name: "mypolicy"
 
 # The path to a JSON file that contains a lifecycle policy configuration. Used
diff --git a/x-pack/functionbeat/functionbeat.reference.yml b/x-pack/functionbeat/functionbeat.reference.yml
index 61ebd49d0f82..743dc02eb9d7 100644
--- a/x-pack/functionbeat/functionbeat.reference.yml
+++ b/x-pack/functionbeat/functionbeat.reference.yml
@@ -1036,7 +1036,7 @@ setup.template.settings:
 #setup.ilm.pattern: "{now/d}-000001"
 
 # Set the lifecycle policy name. The default policy name is
-# 'functionbeat-%{[agent.version]}'.
+# 'functionbeat'.
 #setup.ilm.policy_name: "mypolicy"
 
 # The path to a JSON file that contains a lifecycle policy configuration. Used
diff --git a/x-pack/metricbeat/metricbeat.reference.yml b/x-pack/metricbeat/metricbeat.reference.yml
index c5ab17ef96d9..ad13433d0f10 100644
--- a/x-pack/metricbeat/metricbeat.reference.yml
+++ b/x-pack/metricbeat/metricbeat.reference.yml
@@ -2027,7 +2027,7 @@ setup.template.settings:
 #setup.ilm.pattern: "{now/d}-000001"
 
 # Set the lifecycle policy name. The default policy name is
-# 'metricbeat-%{[agent.version]}'.
+# 'metricbeat'.
 #setup.ilm.policy_name: "mypolicy"
 
 # The path to a JSON file that contains a lifecycle policy configuration. Used
diff --git a/x-pack/winlogbeat/winlogbeat.reference.yml b/x-pack/winlogbeat/winlogbeat.reference.yml
index 1ba54b7408d1..5c94ad0c9f27 100644
--- a/x-pack/winlogbeat/winlogbeat.reference.yml
+++ b/x-pack/winlogbeat/winlogbeat.reference.yml
@@ -1013,7 +1013,7 @@ setup.template.settings:
 #setup.ilm.pattern: "{now/d}-000001"
 
 # Set the lifecycle policy name. The default policy name is
-# 'winlogbeat-%{[agent.version]}'.
+# 'winlogbeat'.
 #setup.ilm.policy_name: "mypolicy"
 
 # The path to a JSON file that contains a lifecycle policy configuration. Used