Dashboard Configure Variables

Dashboard variables act as placeholders in panel queries. They allow dashboards to adapt based on user selections—such as cluster, namespace, environment, or service—without changing the underlying queries.

Variables improve reusability by letting you: * Switch between environments without duplicating dashboards. * Filter data across all panels with a single selection. * Provide drop-downs, text inputs, or pre-defined options to dashboard viewers.

You can configure several types of template variables:

Configure Template Variables

Template variables let you dynamically filter dashboards using runtime values from your telemetry data, such as namespace, cluster, pod, or service.

dashboard template variable query

Create a Template Variable

  1. In the dashboard, open the Actions menu.

  2. Select Configure variables.

  3. Click Add Variable.

General Settings

  • Name — Internal reference used in queries (e.g., $namespace)

  • Label — Optional UI label (e.g., Namespace)

  • Description — Optional help text visible in the dropdown

  • Variable type — Select from:

    • Query (default): populate values dynamically from the backend

Query Options

  • Stream type — Choose Metrics, Logs, or other supported types

  • Query type — Select how to extract values:

    • Label values — populate from label keys

    • Series — match full series names

  • Label — Choose a label such as service_namespace or cluster

  • Metric — Optional, limit values to a specific metric

Filter values

Use filters to narrow results:

dashboard template variable query

  • Combine filters using key, operator, and value

  • Click + to add multiple filter conditions

Use Regex

Use regex to extract or format display values.

Example:

/.+(?<text>.*):(?<value>.*)/

This lets you split a label or metric into display name and internal value.

Sort and Selection Options

  • Sort — Choose how to order values (e.g., by value or name)

  • Multi-value — Allow selecting more than one value

  • Allow custom values — Allow users to enter custom values

  • Include all options — Add an All selection to apply to every possible value

Preview and Save

  1. Click Run query to test the variable setup.

  2. Use the preview at the bottom to confirm expected values.

  3. Click Save or Go back to list to apply the configuration.

Once configured, you can use the variable in any panel query using $variableName.

Use a Textbox Variable

dashboard template variable textbox

Use a Textbox variable to let users input freeform text at runtime, such as a dynamic filter value or manual override.

General Settings

Same fields as other variable types: * Name — Internal reference (e.g., $env) * Label — Display name shown in the dashboard * Description — Optional help text

Text Options

  • Default value — Optional preset value (e.g., prod, us-east-1, *)

Use Cases

Textbox variables are useful when:

  • You want to test specific values without listing all possibilities

  • You use regex or wildcards in metric filters

  • You want maximum input flexibility

Textbox values must match the expected query format in your panels.

Use a Custom Variable

Custom Variable Configuration

Set the variable type to Custom to define a static list of values manually.

General Settings

Same as query variables: * Name — Internal reference (e.g., $threshold) * Label — Optional display name * Description — Optional help text

Custom Options

Define custom values in the textbox using comma-separated format.

You can specify: * Simple values: 20, 30 * Key-value format: key1: value1, key2: value2 * Escaped characters: escaped\\,value

Escape commas (\,) if they’re part of the value.

Selection Options

  • Multi-value — Enable selection of multiple static values

  • Allow custom values — Let users add entries at runtime

  • Include all options — Adds an All option

Preview and Save

  1. Verify values using the Preview values section.

  2. Click Go back to list to save and return to the variable list.