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Show Field as JSON Option in OpenObserve Dashboards

This guide describes how to use the Show Field as JSON option in OpenObserve dashboards to render a field's value as structured, colored JSON in table panels. This setting improves readability when a field contains JSON data, such as logs-derived fields.

Supported Panel Type

The Show Field as JSON setting is available only for the following panel type:

  • Table

It applies to logs-derived fields added to a table panel.

Configure the Show Field as JSON Option

To configure the Show Field as JSON option:

  1. In the Panel Editor, select the Table panel type.
  2. Add a field to the query using the query builder.
  3. Locate the Render Data as JSON / Array toggle for that field. This per-field control is labeled Render Data as JSON / Array in the UI (internally referred to as the "show field as JSON" option).

  4. Use the Render Data as JSON / Array toggle:

    • When enabled, the field's value is rendered as structured, colored JSON in the table panel. Values that are objects or arrays are formatted and color-coded for easier reading.
    • When disabled, the field's value is rendered as plain text.

Default Behavior and Environment Variable

The default state of the Render Data as JSON / Array toggle is determined by the following environment variable:

ZO_DASHBOARD_SHOW_FIELD_AS_JSON_ENABLED=false  # default
  • When set to true, the Render Data as JSON / Array toggle defaults to enabled for fields added in the logs page context (logs-derived table fields).
  • When set to false, the Render Data as JSON / Array toggle defaults to disabled for those fields.

This environment-variable-driven default applies only to fields added in the logs page context (logs-derived table fields). Fields added outside the logs context default to disabled regardless of the environment variable value. In all cases, you can manually change the setting for any field regardless of the environment variable value.

Limitations

The Show Field as JSON option is supported only in Table panels and applies to logs-derived fields. Plain values that are not valid JSON objects or arrays are rendered as plain text even when the toggle is enabled.

Next steps

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