diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/app_search/components/api_logs/api_log/api_log_flyout.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/app_search/components/api_logs/api_log/api_log_flyout.tsx
index b3cc45801786c..dd53e997da0f7 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/app_search/components/api_logs/api_log/api_log_flyout.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/app_search/components/api_logs/api_log/api_log_flyout.tsx
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ import {
 } from '@elastic/eui';
 import { i18n } from '@kbn/i18n';
 
-import { getStatusColor, safeJsonParseAndStringify } from '../utils';
+import { getStatusColor, attemptToFormatJson } from '../utils';
 
 import { ApiLogLogic } from './';
 
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ export const ApiLogFlyout: React.FC = () => {
             })}
           </ApiLogHeading>
           <EuiCodeBlock language="json" paddingSize="m">
-            {safeJsonParseAndStringify(apiLog.request_body)}
+            {attemptToFormatJson(apiLog.request_body)}
           </EuiCodeBlock>
           <EuiSpacer />
 
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ export const ApiLogFlyout: React.FC = () => {
             })}
           </ApiLogHeading>
           <EuiCodeBlock language="json" paddingSize="m">
-            {safeJsonParseAndStringify(apiLog.response_body)}
+            {attemptToFormatJson(apiLog.response_body)}
           </EuiCodeBlock>
         </EuiFlyoutBody>
       </EuiFlyout>
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/app_search/components/api_logs/utils.test.ts b/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/app_search/components/api_logs/utils.test.ts
index a8966d6c3bb8b..ac464e2af353d 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/app_search/components/api_logs/utils.test.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/app_search/components/api_logs/utils.test.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 import dedent from 'dedent';
 
-import { getDateString, getStatusColor, safeJsonParseAndStringify } from './utils';
+import { getDateString, getStatusColor, attemptToFormatJson } from './utils';
 
 describe('getDateString', () => {
   const mockDate = jest
@@ -35,9 +35,9 @@ describe('getStatusColor', () => {
   });
 });
 
-describe('safeJsonParseAndStringify', () => {
+describe('attemptToFormatJson', () => {
   it('takes an unformatted JSON string and correctly newlines/indents it', () => {
-    expect(safeJsonParseAndStringify('{"hello":"world","lorem":{"ipsum":"dolor","sit":"amet"}}'))
+    expect(attemptToFormatJson('{"hello":"world","lorem":{"ipsum":"dolor","sit":"amet"}}'))
       .toEqual(dedent`{
         "hello": "world",
         "lorem": {
@@ -48,6 +48,6 @@ describe('safeJsonParseAndStringify', () => {
   });
 
   it('returns the original content if it is not properly formatted JSON', () => {
-    expect(safeJsonParseAndStringify('{invalid json}')).toEqual('{invalid json}');
+    expect(attemptToFormatJson('{invalid json}')).toEqual('{invalid json}');
   });
 });
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/app_search/components/api_logs/utils.ts b/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/app_search/components/api_logs/utils.ts
index 1f78da8dd2075..7e5f19686f13b 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/app_search/components/api_logs/utils.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/app_search/components/api_logs/utils.ts
@@ -20,12 +20,12 @@ export const getStatusColor = (status: number) => {
   return color;
 };
 
-export const attemptToFormatPossibleJson = (possibleJson: string) => {
+export const attemptToFormatJson = (possibleJson: string) => {
   try {
-    // it is JSON, we can format it
+    // it is JSON, we can format it with newlines/indentation
     return JSON.stringify(JSON.parse(possibleJson), null, 2);
   } catch {
-   // it's not JSON, likely a string message, we return it rather than format it
+    // if it's not JSON, we return the original content
     return possibleJson;
   }
 };