Timeseries

The Timeseries panel displays metrics over time. Use it to monitor trends, detect anomalies, and compare multiple series in a single view.

Add a Timeseries Panel

  1. Open the dashboard where you want the panel.

  2. Click Add Panel.

  3. In Choose Visualization, select Timeseries.

  4. In Graph your data, click Select a metric and build your query.

  5. Enter a descriptive Title.

  6. Click Save to add the panel.

Select Timeseries Visualization

Build queries (Graph your data)

The query builder controls which metrics appear and how they are aggregated.

dashboard timeseries graph your data
  1. Click Add Query to create one query. Repeat to add more.

  2. Click Select a metric to choose a metric name.

  3. Use From to pick the metric source or namespace.

  4. Click Add Label to filter on label values, (for example, pod=web, env=prod).

  5. Select an Aggregation (for example, min, max, sum, avg) to reduce raw samples to a single value per time interval.

  6. Use the Select dropdown (if available) to set the aggregation interval, (for example, 1m, 5m).

  7. Click Add Functions to transform your data:

    Examples: rate(), derivative(), moving_avg(), scale().

    Select Metric and Configure Settings

Query order determines formula identifiers: first query = a, second = b. Assign aliases to make formulas more readable.

Apply functions

Functions modify your time series after aggregation:

dashboard timeseries add function
  • rate() — Convert cumulative counters into per-second rates.

  • moving_avg() — Smooth short-term fluctuations.

  • scale() — Multiply values by a constant.

  • round() — Reduce decimal precision.

Complex function chains can slow panel rendering. Test performance with your expected time range before saving.

Add formulas

Formulas calculate new series from existing queries.

  1. Click Add Formula.

  2. Reference queries by letter (a, b, etc.) or alias.

  3. Enter the expression and click Apply.

Example — double a series:

2*a

Example — scale b by 100 and add to a:

a + 100*b
  • Use parentheses to control precedence: 2*(a + b) vs. 2*a + b.

  • Formulas align or interpolate time points if queries have different intervals.

  • Add a Label so the formula appears clearly in the legend.

Customize appearance

In the Settings tab, you can:

  • Set y-axis units.

  • Choose line, point, or bar styles.

  • Add thresholds for critical values.

  • Configure legend placement and content.

Timeseries Style Settings

Best practices

  • Alias queries before creating formulas.

  • Keep formulas simple and verify results with a short time range.

  • Use server-side aggregations when possible to improve performance.

  • Document complex logic in the panel Description.