Swiftorial Logo
Home
Swift Lessons
Matchups
CodeSnaps
Tutorials
Career
Resources

Creating Variables in Grafana

Introduction to Variables

Variables in Grafana are a powerful feature that allows you to make your dashboards more dynamic and interactive. By using variables, you can create templates that change based on user input or other criteria, enabling users to filter and customize the data they view.

Types of Variables

Grafana supports several types of variables, including:

  • Query Variables: Populate the variable with data from a query.
  • Text Box Variables: Allow users to input text values.
  • Custom Variables: Define your own list of options manually.

Creating a Variable

To create a variable in Grafana, follow these steps:

  1. Open your Grafana dashboard.
  2. Click on the gear icon (⚙️) to open the settings.
  3. Select the "Variables" tab from the sidebar.
  4. Click on the "Add variable" button.

You will be presented with a form to configure your variable.

Configuring the Variable

When configuring your variable, you'll need to fill out several fields:

  • Name: A unique name for your variable.
  • Type: Choose the variable type (e.g., Query, Text Box, Custom).
  • Label: An optional label to display in the UI.
  • Query: If using a Query variable, enter your data source query here.
  • Refresh: Set how often the variable should be refreshed.

After filling in these fields, click the "Update" button to save your variable.

Example: Creating a Query Variable

Let's create a query variable that fetches a list of available servers:

Variable Name: server

Type: Query

Data Source: Your data source (e.g., Prometheus)

Query: label_values(server)

After setting this up, your variable will dynamically pull in a list of servers from your data source.

Using the Variable in Panels

Once you've created your variable, you can use it in your panels. To do so, reference the variable using the following syntax:

[[server]]

This will replace [[server]] with the selected server from the variable dropdown when rendering the panel.

Conclusion

Creating variables in Grafana enhances the interactivity and flexibility of your dashboards. By understanding how to create and use them, you can empower users to explore and analyze their data effectively.