Filters

This guide provides instructions on how to apply filters to narrow the data shown in a dashboard panel by using fixed values, referencing dynamic variables, or combining multiple conditions with logical operators.

When to Use Filters

Use filters to:

• View only specific logs, metrics, or trace data
• Make dashboards interactive using variables
• Apply logic-based filtering for complex scenarios

How to Add Filters

The following section explains how to add different types of filters, with examples.

List: Static Filter

Use static filters when the filter values are known and do not change at runtime.

To add a static filter to a panel:

1. In the panel editor, select the + icon in the Filters section.
2. Select Add Condition. Alternatively, hover over a field in the Fields section and select the +F icon to add a filter directly.
3. Click the filter and open the dropdown.
4. Verify or change the selected field using the Filters on Field dropdown.
5. Choose the List tab.
6. Select one or more values from the available list. This panel filters data strictly based on the selected values.

Use Case: View total log volume over time across two Kubernetes nodes.

• X-axis: HISTOGRAM(_timestamp)
• Y-axis: COUNT(k8s_namespace_name)

• Filter:

  • Field: k8s_node_name
  • Value: ip-10-2-45-217.us-east-2.compute.internal, ip-10-2-140-110.us-east-2.compute.internal

This panel displays the total log activity for the selected values.

Condition: Dynamic Filter

Use this when the value needs to be typed manually or passed dynamically using a variable.

To add a dynamic filter to a panel:

1. In the panel editor, select the + icon in the Filters section.
2. Select Add Condition. Alternatively, hover over a field in the Fields section and select the +F icon to add a filter directly.
3. Click the filter and open the dropdown.
4. Verify or change the selected field using the Filters on Field dropdown.
5. Choose the Condition tab.
6. In the Operator section, choose an operator. For example, =, >, IN, str_match.
7. In the Value section, you can provide a fixed value or a variable like $my_variable. Ensure that the variable named my_variable exists. See Variables in OpenObserve to learn how to create a variable.
8. Click Save to save the panel.

Important

Before you provide a fixed value, know the filed type associated with the value. This helps avoid syntax errors and ensures accurate query generation.

The field type is indicated with Tt and # in the Fields list. Tt represents string fields and # represents numeric fields.

When a filter is applied:

• For string fields, values are automatically quoted in the SQL query. For example, '123e'.
• For numeric fields, values are treated as raw numbers. For example, 123e.

Add Filter Groups

1. In the Filter section, click + > Add Group to create nested filters. You can add multiple filter conditions inside the group and combine them using AND or OR operators.
2. After configuring filters, click Apply to run the query.
3. Click Save to save the panel.

Note

You can also combine static and dynamic filters.