diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/ingest_manager/server/services/epm/elasticsearch/template/__snapshots__/template.test.ts.snap b/x-pack/plugins/ingest_manager/server/services/epm/elasticsearch/template/__snapshots__/template.test.ts.snap
index 219c2de6753590..0333fb024a7179 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/ingest_manager/server/services/epm/elasticsearch/template/__snapshots__/template.test.ts.snap
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/ingest_manager/server/services/epm/elasticsearch/template/__snapshots__/template.test.ts.snap
@@ -87,6 +87,13 @@ exports[`tests loading base.yml: base.yml 1`] = `
         "validarray": {
           "type": "integer"
         }
+      },
+      "_meta": {
+        "package": {
+          "name": "nginx"
+        },
+        "managed_by": "ingest-manager",
+        "managed": true
       }
     },
     "aliases": {}
@@ -190,6 +197,13 @@ exports[`tests loading coredns.logs.yml: coredns.logs.yml 1`] = `
             }
           }
         }
+      },
+      "_meta": {
+        "package": {
+          "name": "coredns"
+        },
+        "managed_by": "ingest-manager",
+        "managed": true
       }
     },
     "aliases": {}
@@ -1677,6 +1691,13 @@ exports[`tests loading system.yml: system.yml 1`] = `
             }
           }
         }
+      },
+      "_meta": {
+        "package": {
+          "name": "system"
+        },
+        "managed_by": "ingest-manager",
+        "managed": true
       }
     },
     "aliases": {}
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/ingest_manager/server/services/epm/elasticsearch/template/template.ts b/x-pack/plugins/ingest_manager/server/services/epm/elasticsearch/template/template.ts
index 876573f2270eae..a739806d5868b3 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/ingest_manager/server/services/epm/elasticsearch/template/template.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/ingest_manager/server/services/epm/elasticsearch/template/template.ts
@@ -249,6 +249,15 @@ function getBaseTemplate(
   packageName: string,
   composedOfTemplates: string[]
 ): IndexTemplate {
+  // Meta information to identify Ingest Manager's managed templates and indices
+  const _meta = {
+    package: {
+      name: packageName,
+    },
+    managed_by: 'ingest-manager',
+    managed: true,
+  };
+
   return {
     // This takes precedence over all index templates installed by ES by default (logs-*-* and metrics-*-*)
     // if this number is lower than the ES value (which is 100) this template will never be applied when a data stream
@@ -304,19 +313,14 @@ function getBaseTemplate(
         date_detection: false,
         // All the properties we know from the fields.yml file
         properties: mappings.properties,
+        _meta,
       },
       // To be filled with the aliases that we need
       aliases: {},
     },
     data_stream: {},
     composed_of: composedOfTemplates,
-    _meta: {
-      package: {
-        name: packageName,
-      },
-      managed_by: 'ingest-manager',
-      managed: true,
-    },
+    _meta,
   };
 }