---
title: JSON
metaTitle: Ingest Metrics as JSON - OpenObserve API
description: Ingest JSON metrics in batch via POST /api/{org}/ingest/metrics/_json. Supports counters, gauges, histograms, summaries, and custom labels.
---

# Metrics Ingestion - JSON

Endpoint: `POST /api/{organization}/ingest/metrics/_json`

This will upload multiple records in batch with standard json format.

## Data structure

```json
[
    {
        "__name__": "stream name",
        "__type__": "counter / gauge / histogram / summary",
        "label_name1": "label_value1",
        "label_name2": "label_value2",
        "_timestamp": 0, // unix timestamp in millisecond
        "value": 0.0 // float64 value
    }
]
```

## Limitation

- must use `__name__` set stream name.
- must use `__type__` set metrics type. and the type can't be updated after first record
- `_timestamp` needs UNIX timestamp or empty will fill by current timestamp
- `value` should be float64 or int64

## Metrics type

- counter
- guage
- histogram
- summary

You can find the detail at here: [https://prometheus.io/docs/concepts/metric_types/](https://prometheus.io/docs/concepts/metric_types/)

## Request 

e.g. `POST /api/myorg/ingest/metrics/_json`

```json
[
	{
		"__name__": "cpu",
		"__type__": "gauge",
		"namespace": "ziox",
		"container": "zo1",
        "_timestamp": 1687260776548485,
		"value": 1.31
	},
	{
		"__name__": "cpu",
		"__type__": "gauge",
		"namespace": "ziox",
		"container": "zo2",
		"value": 0.31
	}
]
```

Each line is one record.

## Response

```json
{
	"code": 200,
	"status": [
		{
			"name": "cpu",
			"successful": 2,
			"failed": 0
		}
	]
}
```

Returns successful and failed count for each stream.

## Restriction on number of fields/columns per record
> Applicable to cloud version

Please note only records having 200 or less fields/columns will be considered for ingestion , records having more than 200 fields/columns will be discarded with failed status.

> Applicable to open source version

One can configure ZO_COLS_PER_RECORD_LIMIT to set desired value for allowed number of fields/columns per record.

## Timestamp

By default we add a field `_timestamp` for each record with the value of `NOW` in microseconds (unix epoch value). 

we support use of two fields to override the default value.

- _timestamp
- @timestamp

we only support `timestamp (unix epoch value)` as data format for `timestamp`, but we can support:

- seconds
- miliseconds
- microseconds

eg:

use miliseconds

```json
[{
	"kubernetes_container_name": "prometheus", 
	"_timestamp": 1674789786006
}]
```

use microseconds

```json
[{
	"kubernetes_container_name": "prometheus", 
	"_timestamp": 1674789786006000
}]
```

## Examples

### Counter

```json
[
    {
        "__name__": "zo_incoming_requests",
        "__type__": "counter",
        "endpoint": "/api/config",
        "method": "get",
		"status": "200",
		"instance": "zo1-openobserve-router-5d9f7d67c6-296wj",
        "_timestamp": 1690129406888,
        "value": 6.0
    }
]
```

### Gauge

```json
[
    {
        "__name__": "ingest_wal_used_bytes",
        "__type__": "gauge",
        "organization": "default",
        "stream_type": "logs",
		"stream": "default",
		"instance": "zo1-openobserve-router-5d9f7d67c6-296wj",
        "_timestamp": 1690129406888,
        "value": 180567.1
    }
]
```

### Histogram

Histogram is a complex metrics type, need 4 types data values.

1. The `Histogram` type row of the metrics name.
1. The `Counter` type rows of the `_bucket` values.
1. The `Counter` type row of the `_count` value.
1. The `Counter` type row of the `_sum` value.

```json
[
	{"__name__": "http_response_time", "__type__": "histogram"},
    {"__name__": "http_response_time_bucket", "__type__": "counter", "endpoint": "/api/default/default/_json", "method": "get", "le": "0.001", "_timestamp": 1690129406888, "value": 18.0},
    {"__name__": "http_response_time_bucket", "__type__": "counter", "endpoint": "/api/default/default/_json", "method": "get", "le": "0.01", "_timestamp": 1690129406888, "value": 18.0},
    {"__name__": "http_response_time_bucket", "__type__": "counter", "endpoint": "/api/default/default/_json", "method": "get", "le": "0.1", "_timestamp": 1690129406888, "value": 18.0},
    {"__name__": "http_response_time_bucket", "__type__": "counter", "endpoint": "/api/default/default/_json", "method": "get", "le": "+Inf", "_timestamp": 1690129406888, "value": 18.0},
    {"__name__": "http_response_time_count", "__type__": "counter", "endpoint": "/api/default/default/_json", "method": "get", "_timestamp": 1690129406888, "value": 18.0},
    {"__name__": "http_response_time_sum", "__type__": "counter", "endpoint": "/api/default/default/_json", "method": "get", "_timestamp": 1690129406888, "value": 0.003}
]
```

### Summary

Summary is a complex metrics type, need 4 types data values.

1. The `Summary` type row of the metrics name.
1. The `Counter` type rows of the metrics values.
1. The `Counter` type row of the `_count` value.
1. The `Counter` type row of the `_sum` value.

```json
[
    {"__name__": "http_request_time", "__type__": "summary"},
    {"__name__": "http_request_time", "__type__": "counter", "endpoint": "/api/default/default/_json", "method": "get", "quantile": "0.001", "_timestamp": 1690129406888, "value": 18.0},
    {"__name__": "http_request_time", "__type__": "counter", "endpoint": "/api/default/default/_json", "method": "get", "quantile": "0.01", "_timestamp": 1690129406888, "value": 18.0},
    {"__name__": "http_request_time", "__type__": "counter", "endpoint": "/api/default/default/_json", "method": "get", "quantile": "0.1", "_timestamp": 1690129406888, "value": 18.0},
    {"__name__": "http_request_time", "__type__": "counter", "endpoint": "/api/default/default/_json", "method": "get", "quantile": "+Inf", "_timestamp": 1690129406888, "value": 18.0},
    {"__name__": "http_request_time_count", "__type__": "counter", "endpoint": "/api/default/default/_json", "method": "get", "_timestamp": 1690129406888, "value": 18.0},
    {"__name__": "http_request_time_sum", "__type__": "counter", "endpoint": "/api/default/default/_json", "method": "get", "_timestamp": 1690129406888, "value": 0.003}
]
```