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Add Variables

Variables make dashboards dynamic. Instead of hard-coding a value like a service name or host into every query, you define a variable once and reference it across all panels. When a user changes the variable value from the dashboard toolbar, all panels update automatically.

Variable types

Type Description
Query Populates options by running a query against a data source (e.g. all service names from your metrics)
Custom A static comma-separated list of values you define manually
Constant A fixed, hidden value — useful for shared prefixes or environments
Text box A free-text input the user can type into
Interval A time interval (e.g. 1m, 5m, 1h) for use in queries

Add a variable

Step 1 — Open Dashboard settings (cog icon in the header).

Step 2 — Select Variables from the left-hand menu.

Step 3 — Click + Add variable.

Step 4 — Configure the variable:

  • Name — the identifier used in queries (e.g. $service)
  • Type — select from the types above
  • Query — for Query-type variables, write the query that returns the list of options
  • Multi-value — enable to allow selecting more than one value at once
  • Include All option — adds an "All" selection that applies no filter

Step 5 — Click Apply and then Save dashboard.

The variable appears as a dropdown in the dashboard toolbar.

Use a variable in a query

Reference a variable in any panel query using the $variableName syntax:

rate(http_requests_total{service="$service"}[5m])

When the user selects a different value from the toolbar, all panels using $service automatically re-query with the new value.

Repeating rows with variables

You can configure a dashboard row to repeat for each value of a multi-value variable — useful for creating per-service or per-host breakdowns automatically.

Step 1 — Click Dashboards in the left-side menu and open the dashboard.

Step 2 — Click Add in the header and select Row.

Info

If the dashboard is empty, click the + Add row button in the centre of the page.

Step 3 — Hover over the row title and click the cog icon.

Step 4 — In the Row Options dialog, add a title and select the variable to repeat by.

Step 5 — Click Update.

Step 6 — Include the variable in the row title to give users context (e.g. $service — Request Rate).

Need more help?

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