Configure data links and actions

Data links allow you to link to other panels, dashboards, and external resources and actions let you trigger basic, unauthenticated, API calls. In both cases, you can carry out these tasks while maintaining the context of the source panel.

Data links

With data links, you can create links that include the series name or even the value under the cursor. For example, if your visualization shows four servers, you can add a data link to one or two of them.

The link itself is accessible in different ways depending on the visualization. For the time series visualization you need to click a data point or line:

For visualizations like stat, gauge, or bar gauge you can click anywhere on the visualization to open the context menu:

If there's only one data link in the visualization, clicking anywhere on the visualization opens the link rather than the context menu.

Supported visualizations

You can configure data links for the following visualizations:

{{< column-list >}}

• Bar chart
• Bar gauge
• Candlestick
• Canvas
• Gauge
• Geomap
• Heatmap
• Histogram
• Pie chart
• Stat
• State timeline
• Status history
• Table
• Time series
• Trend
• XY chart

{{< /column-list >}}

Actions

Using actions, you can trigger processes like starting or shutting down a server, directly from a dashboard panel. API settings are configured in the Add action dialog box. You can also pass variables in the API editor.

Supported visualizations

You can configure actions for the following visualizations:

{{< column-list >}}

• Bar chart
• Candlestick
• State timeline
• Status history
• Table
• Time series
• Trend
• XY chart

{{< /column-list >}}

Data link and action variables {#data-link-variables}

Variables in data links and actions let you send people to a detailed dashboard or trigger an API call with preserved data filters. For example, you could use variables to specify a label, time range, series, or variable selection.

To see a list of available variables, enter $ in the data link or action URL field.

{{< admonition type="note" >}} These variables changed in 6.4 so if you have a previous version of Grafana, then use the version picker to select docs for a previous version of Grafana. {{< /admonition >}}

Azure Monitor, CloudWatch, and Google Cloud Monitoring have pre-configured data links called deep links.

You can also use template variables in your data links or actions URLs. For more information, refer to Templates and variables.

Time range panel variables

These variables allow you to include the current time range in the data link or action URL:

When you create data links and actions using time range variables like __url_time_range in the URL, you have to form the query parameter syntax yourself; that is, you must format the URL by appending query parameters using the question mark (?) and ampersand (&) syntax. These characters aren't automatically generated.

For more information about these variables, refer to the Built-in variables documentation.

Series variables

Series-specific variables are available under __series namespace:

Field variables

Field-specific variables are available under __field namespace:

Value variables

Value-specific variables are available under __value namespace:

Using value-specific variables in data links and actions can show different results depending on the set option of Tooltip mode.

When you create data links and actions using time range variables like __value.time in the URL, you have to form the query parameter syntax yourself; that is, you must add the question mark (?) and ampersand (&). These characters aren't automatically generated.

Data variables

To access values and labels from other fields use:

Template variables

When linking to another dashboard that uses template variables, select variable values for whoever clicks the link.

${var-myvar:queryparam} - where var-myvar is the name of the template variable that matches one in the current dashboard that you want to use.

The queryparam format generates the ampersand (&) within a single multi-value variable, as shown in the previous table. However, it doesn't automatically insert an ampersand between different template variables. When you combine multiple template variables in one URL, you must add the ampersand yourself:

/d/xxxx/dashboard-b?${var-server:queryparam}&${var-host:queryparam}

In this example, the ampersand between ${var-server:queryparam} and ${var-host:queryparam} is required. Without it, the resulting URL is malformed.

If you want to add all of the current dashboard's variables to the URL, use ${__all_variables}.

When you link to another dashboard, ensure that:

• The target dashboard has the same variable name. If it doesn't (for example, server in the source dashboard and host in the target), you must align them or explicitly map values (for example, &var-host=${server}).
• You use the variable name, and not the label. Labels are only used as display text and aren't recognized in URLs.

For example, if you have a variable with the name var-server and the label ChooseYourServer, you must use var-server in the URL, as shown in the following table:

Add data links or actions {#add-a-data-link}

The following tasks describe how to configure data links and actions.

{{< tabs >}} {{< tab-content name="Add data links" >}} To add a data link, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the panel to which you want to add the data link.

2. Hover over any part of the panel to display the menu icon in the upper-right corner.

3. Click the menu icon and select Edit to open the panel editor.

4. Scroll down to the Data links and actions section and expand it.

5. Click + Add link.

6. In the dialog box that opens, enter a Title.

   This is a human-readable label for the link displayed in the UI. This is a required field.

7. Enter the URL to which you want to link.

8. (Optional) To add a data link variable, click in the URL field and enter $ or press Ctrl+Space or Cmd+Space to see a list of available variables.

9. If you want the link to open in a new tab, toggle the Open in a new tab switch.

10. If you want the data link to open with a single click on the visualization, toggle the One click switch.

    Only one data link can have One click enabled at a time. One click is only supported for some visualizations.

11. Click Save to save changes and close the dialog box.

12. Click Save in the top-right corner.

13. Enter an optional description of your changes and click Save.

14. Click Back and then Exit edit.

    {{< /tab-content >}} {{< tab-content name="Add actions" >}}

    {{< admonition type="note">}} Actions aren't supported for all visualizations. For the list of supported visualizations, refer to Supported visualizations. {{< /admonition >}}

    To add an action, by follow these steps:

15. Navigate to the panel to which you want to add the action.

16. Hover over any part of the panel to display the menu icon in the upper-right corner.

17. Click the menu icon and select Edit to open the panel editor.

18. Scroll down to the Data links and actions section and expand it.

19. Click + Add action.

20. In the dialog box that opens, define the API call settings:

    Option	Description
    Title	A human-readable label for the action that's displayed in the UI.
    Confirmation message	A descriptive prompt to confirm or cancel the action.
    Connection	Specify how the action's HTTP request is sent. Choose from: Direct from browser or routed through a configured data source.
    Method	Select from POST or GET.
    URL	The request URL. To add a variable, click in the URL field and enter $ or press Ctrl+Space or Cmd+Space to see a list of available variables.
    Variables	Key and Name pairs with a type selection. Click the + icon to add as many variables as you need. To add a variable to the request, prefix the key with $. You can set the values for the variables when performing an action.
    Query parameters	Key and Value pairs. Click the + icon to add as many key/value pairs as you need.
    Headers	Comprised of Key and Value pairs and a Content-Type. Click the + icon to add as many key/value pairs as you need.
    Content-Type	Select from the following: application/json, text/plain, application/XML, and application/x-www-form-urlencoded.
    Body	The body of the request.

21. Click Save to save changes and close the dialog box.

22. Click Save in the top-right corner.

23. Enter an optional description of your changes and click Save.

24. Click Back and then Exit edit. {{< /tab-content >}} {{< /tabs >}}

If you add multiple data links or actions, you can control the order in which they appear in the visualization. To reorder items, drag the data link or action to the desired position.

Panel-to-panel filtering

You can use data links to link back to the dashboard you're on. This enables "panel-to-panel filtering," where clicking a data point in one panel updates the dashboard variables and filters the rest of the dashboard.

To preserve the context of the current dashboard:

• Time range: You must explicitly include the current time range in the link.
• Variables: You must enable Include all variables to preserve current selections.
• Ordering: Place Include all variables before the specific variable you define in the link.

Filters on the current dashboard are automatically preserved. Learn more in Create dashboard URL variables > Filters.