After a bit more research we came up with the following that did work:

scrapeConfigs:
    - job_name: kubernetes-pods-name
      [.. default .. ]
    - job_name: kubernetes-pods-app
      pipeline_stages:
        - docker: {}
      kubernetes_sd_configs:
      - role: pod
      relabel_configs:
      - action: drop
        regex: .+
        source_labels:
        - __meta_kubernetes_pod_label_name
      - action: drop
         regex: {{ namespace_name }}
         source_labels:
        - __meta_kubernetes_namespace
     [ .. default .. ]

Which feels very hacky and unsustainable, since we have to copy the default, modify it and then overwrite it. Is this intended behaviour?

I guess it's because extraScrapeConfigs is at the end and not at the beginning ? It this was the problem I'm ok to receive a PR to move it to the top, because you're right if you want to drop targets this is useless.

Can you confirm that this was the problem ?

I think that would solve the problem, will make a PR soon.

You mean a PR ;)

To clarify: the example on top is to exclude a namespace, we eventually wanted to exclude pod logs with:

  - action: drop
    regex: application-controller
    source_labels:
    - __meta_kubernetes_pod_label_app

inside the existing kubernetes-pods-app scrape job. This did work.
I tested yesterday with the extraScrapeConfigs on top, instead of at the bottom, but that did not seem to work. It feels to me like the kubernetes-pods-app job still picks it up. I am not too familiair with this, can you confirm this is the case?

@robbertvdg

Were you able to exclude logs for a specific pod? I've tried with the following within the existing "kubernetes-pods-app" job but with no luck:

- action: drop
regex: application-controller
source_labels:
- __meta_kubernetes_pod_label_app

Maybe you can share with me how your "kubernetes-pods-app" looks like? Thanks.

Yes, it should work like this:

    - job_name: kubernetes-pods-app
      pipeline_stages:
        - docker: {}
      kubernetes_sd_configs:
      - role: pod
      relabel_configs:
      - action: drop
        regex: .+
        source_labels:
        - __meta_kubernetes_pod_label_name
     # custom code
      - action: drop
        regex: <pod app label>
        source_labels:
          - __meta_kubernetes_pod_label_app
     # custom code end
      - source_labels:
        - __meta_kubernetes_pod_label_app
        target_label: __service__
      - source_labels:
        - __meta_kubernetes_pod_node_name
        target_label: __host__
      - action: drop
        regex: ''
        source_labels:
        - __service__
      - action: labelmap
        regex: __meta_kubernetes_pod_label_(.+)
      - action: replace
        replacement: $1
        separator: /
        source_labels:
        - __meta_kubernetes_namespace
        - __service__
        target_label: job
      - action: replace
        source_labels:
        - __meta_kubernetes_namespace
        target_label: namespace
      - action: replace
        source_labels:
        - __meta_kubernetes_pod_name
        target_label: instance
      - action: replace
        source_labels:
        - __meta_kubernetes_pod_container_name
        target_label: container_name
      - replacement: /var/log/pods/*$1/*.log
        separator: /
        source_labels:
        - __meta_kubernetes_pod_uid
        - __meta_kubernetes_pod_container_name
        target_label: __path__

@robbertvdg

Thanks, this seems to be working fine. 🥇