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Using Templates in Grafana

Introduction to Templates

Templates in Grafana allow users to create reusable dashboard components that can dynamically change based on user input or data variables. This is particularly useful for creating dashboards that need to cater to multiple data sources or views without needing to duplicate efforts.

Why Use Templates?

Templates provide several benefits:

  • Efficiency: Save time by reusing configurations.
  • Flexibility: Easily switch between different data sources or views.
  • Maintainability: Simplify updates to dashboards.

Creating a Template Variable

To create a template variable in Grafana, follow these steps:

  1. Open your Grafana dashboard.
  2. Click on the gear icon to access the dashboard settings.
  3. Select the Variables tab.
  4. Click on Add variable.

Example: Creating a variable named region to filter data by geographical region.

Name: region
Type: Query
Data source: your_datasource
Query: SELECT DISTINCT(region) FROM your_table

Using Template Variables in Queries

Once you have created a template variable, you can use it in your queries. You reference the variable with the syntax ${variable_name}.

Example: Using the region variable in a SQL query.

SELECT * FROM sales WHERE region = '${region}'

Dashboard Interaction with Templates

Templates enhance user interaction with dashboards. Users can select different variable values from a dropdown, and the dashboard updates automatically to reflect the chosen values.

Make sure to enable the Include All option if you want users to see all data at once.

Example: Enabling the "Include All" option for the region variable.

Enable: Include All

Best Practices for Using Templates

Here are some best practices to follow when working with templates in Grafana:

  • Keep variable names descriptive and consistent.
  • Limit the number of variables to avoid overwhelming users.
  • Regularly check and update queries to ensure performance.

Conclusion

Using templates in Grafana is a powerful way to create dynamic and reusable dashboards. By leveraging template variables, you can provide a more interactive experience for users and streamline the process of working with multiple data sources.