Legend and gridline

This document describes the legend and gridline configuration options available in OpenObserve dashboard panels.

Overview

Dashboard panels include configuration options for controlling legend display and gridline visibility. These options help optimize chart readability and space usage.

Legend configuration options

The following options are available in the panel configuration sidebar under the legend section.

Legends positions

Controls the placement of the legend relative to the chart.

Option	Description
Auto	Places the legend at the bottom of the chart (default)
Right	Places the legend on the right side of the chart
Bottom	Places the legend below the chart

Example: Legend positioned on the right

When set to Right, the legend appears vertically alongside the chart. This configuration is useful for charts with many data series.

Example: Legend positioned at the bottom

When set to Bottom, the legend appears horizontally below the chart. This is the default position and works well for most chart types.

Legends type

Controls the legend display behavior.

Option	Description
Auto	Automatically selects scroll behavior (default)
Plain	Displays all legend items in a static, non-scrollable layout
Scroll	Enables scrolling through legend items when space is limited

Plain behavior:

• All legend items are visible simultaneously
• Legend height adjusts to fit all items
• No pagination controls

Example: Plain legend type

The plain type displays all legend items in a fixed layout. All series are visible at once without scrolling.

Scroll behavior:

• Legend items can be scrolled
• Pagination indicator shows current page
• Navigation arrows allow moving between pages
• Conserves vertical space

Example: Scroll legend type

The scroll type includes navigation arrows and a page indicator (shown as "1/2" in the bottom right). Users can navigate between pages of legend items.

Legend height

• Input: Enter numeric input.
• Units: Choose between px (pixels) or % (percentage).
• Availability: Enabled only when Legends Position is set to Auto or Bottom and Legend Type is set to Plain.
• Purpose: Overrides the default height of the legend area.

Example: Legend height configuration

Legend width

• Input: Enter numeric input.
• Units: Choose between px (pixels) or % (percentage).
• Availability: Enabled only when Legends Position is set to Right and Legend Type is set to Plain.
• Purpose: Overrides the default width of the legend area.

Example: Legend width configuration

Chart align

Controls the horizontal alignment of the chart within its container.

Option	Description
Auto	Centers the chart (default)
Left	Aligns the chart to the left
Center	Centers the chart

Note: This option is only available for pie and donut charts when legends position is set to "Right".

Example: Chart align options for pie chart

Legends Position is set to Right and Legend Type is set to Plain. You can select how the chart is horizontally aligned within the remaining space.

Gridline configuration

Show gridlines

A toggle switch that controls gridline visibility on the chart.

• Type: Boolean toggle (on/off)
• Default: On
• Effect: When enabled, displays horizontal and vertical reference lines on the chart.

Example: Gridlines disabled

When gridlines are disabled, the chart displays without reference lines, providing a cleaner appearance.

Chart type support

Legend options

Legend configuration is available for:

• Line chart
• Area chart (stacked and unstacked)
• Bar chart (vertical and horizontal)
• Scatter plots
• Stacked chart (vertical and horizontal)
• Pie chart
• Donut chart

Legend configuration is not available for:

• Table chart
• Heatmaps
• Metric chart
• Gauge chart
• Geomap chart
• Sankey chart
• Map chart

Gridlines option

The show gridlines option is available for:

• Line chart
• Area chart (stacked and unstacked)
• Bar chart (vertical and horizontal)
• Scatter plots
• Stacked chart (vertical and horizontal)

The show gridlines option is not available for:

• Pie chart
• Donut chart
• Heatmaps
• Table chart
• Metric chart
• Gauge chart
• Geomap chart
• Sankey chart
• Map chart