A filling element includes a housing, a channel formed in the housing's interior and having a dispensing opening to introduce content into a package, a valve having a valve body that moves along an axis to open and close the valve, an actuator to move the valve body, an axial-sliding guide, and a rod-like guide element that at least partly forms the sliding guide. The axial-sliding guide guides a guided structure on or inside the guide element, and is disposed solely outside the liquid channel. The axial-sliding guide is formed at least in part by the rod-like guide element. The guided structure is either the valve body, a valve tappet, or a combination thereof.