Manage Panels

This guide explains how to use and manage panels in the dashboard. It includes features available in the panel toolbar, step-by-step instructions, and troubleshooting tips for common issues.

The panel toolbar offers the following controls to adjust, organize, and customize your panels:

Viewing and Refresh Controls

Full Screen Mode

Maximizes the panel to cover the entire display, providing an expanded view.
How to Use:

• To expand the view, click the Full screen button in the panel toolbar (or press V while hovering over the panel).
• To exit Full Screen Mode, press Escape on your keyboard.

Information Icon

The information icon on panel shows the description of the panel.

To add, edit, or remove a panel description:

1. In the panel toolbar, open the dropdown menu and select Edit Panel.
2. On the right side of the screen, select the Config tab.
3. Under Description, enter, update, or delete the panel description as needed.
4. Select Apply to save your changes.

Last Refreshed At

Displays the timestamp of when the panel’s data was last updated.
How to Use: Hover over the timestamp icon to view the time when the panel was last refreshed.

Refresh

Reloads the panel to display the most recent data.
How to Use: Click the Refresh Panel icon in the panel toolbar to reload the data. To bypass the cache, select Refresh Cache & Reload from the panel's dropdown menu.

Cached Data Warning

Alerts the user that the displayed data is not up-to-date with the selected time range, and the data may need to be refreshed for accuracy.
To view the most up-to-date data, click Refresh to reload the panel.

Panel Configuration and Layout

Edit Panel

Allows you to modify the panel’s data, configuration settings, filters, query, and the chart.

Edit Layout

Allows you to modify the height of the panel. The Edit Layout menu item appears only while the dashboard layout is unlocked: click Edit in the dashboard toolbar first (see Edit Dashboard Layout).

How to Use:

1. Click Edit Layout to open the layout configuration option.
2. Adjust the Panel Height as required.
3. Click Apply, then click Save in the dashboard toolbar to keep the layout.

Adjust Size and Position

Allows you to resize and reposition the panel using the available drag handles. The handles appear only while the dashboard layout is unlocked with Edit.
How to Use:

• To adjust the position, click and drag the option at the top left corner of the panel.
• To resize the panel, click and drag the arrow at the bottom right corner to adjust the panel’s height and width.

Live Chart Preview

When you create or edit a panel, the editor renders a chart right away and keeps it in step with the query builder. As you change fields, aggregations, filters, and chart options, the preview re-runs automatically after a short delay, so you do not need to click Apply after every edit.

Default stream for a new panel

A new panel opens on the most useful stream automatically:

1. The stream you last saved a panel on (remembered per organization and stream type).
2. Otherwise, the last stream you explored for that type (Logs, Traces, or Metrics).
3. Otherwise, the most recently ingested stream whose name does not start with an underscore (_).
4. Otherwise, the first stream in the list.

How live preview runs

• Edits are debounced: a burst of changes runs as a single query once you pause (about 600 ms).
• When you make another edit before a run finishes, the earlier query is cancelled and the new one runs instead. On enterprise and cloud, the superseded query is also cancelled on the server; OpenObserve OSS has no server-side cancel route.

When live preview does not run

Live preview re-runs automatically for builder edits, but it waits for Apply (or Ctrl/Cmd+Enter) in these cases:

• Typed query text: custom SQL, PromQL, or VRL you type by hand.
• An incomplete builder: for example, a filter you have added but not finished. It runs once the filter is complete or removed.
• Apply-only settings: time shift, PromQL instant/range, a formula, or a newly enabled sparkline.
• After a slow query: if a run takes longer than 10 seconds, further auto-runs pause until you click Apply.

Time picker

The panel editor's time picker applies directly; it has no Apply button of its own:

• With Auto Run on, picking a range, using the previous/next arrows, or zooming the chart re-runs immediately.
• With Auto Run off, the picked range waits for Apply.
• Relative ranges are recalculated before every run, so "Past 15 Minutes" always ends at the current time.

Apply button

The Apply button shows whether the chart matches the editor:

The Apply button stays normal while a live run is queued, so it does not flash yellow before every auto-run.

Auto Run toggle

Live preview follows the same Auto Run setting as the dashboard, Logs, and Traces:

• With Auto Run on, edits run automatically as described above.
• With Auto Run off, edits wait for Apply.

The Apply dropdown includes a Turn on Auto Run / Turn off Auto Run item when Auto Run is available. On enterprise the dropdown is always shown and also contains Refresh Cache & Apply; on OSS it appears only when Auto Run is available.

Panel Lifecycle Management

Duplicate

Creates another version of the panel for parallel usage or testing.

Delete Panel

Removes the panel from your dashboard.

Move To Another Tab

Moves the panel to a different tab.
How to Use: Click Move To Another Tab, select or create a new tab for the panel, and click Move.

Data Analysis and Export

Query Inspector

Allows you to view the query, its start and end time, query type, and variables. To modify the query, select the Edit Panel option.

Download as CSV

Exports the panel’s data to a CSV file.

Download as JSON

Exports the panel’s data to a JSON file.

Go To Logs

Opens the logs related to the panel’s data.

Create Alert

Creates an alert from the panel's query. See Alerts for the alert settings.

Annotations

Allows you to add notes to selected data points or time ranges across multiple panels. This helps you highlight key insights or events in your data.

Add Annotations

1. Enable Annotation Mode:

   • The Add Annotations button will appear in the panel toolbar when the panel contains time-series data.
   • Click the button to enter Annotation Mode. Click it again (Exit Annotations Mode) to leave.

2. Select Data Points or Time Ranges:

   • Click a single data point to place the annotation at that specific point.
   • Select a range of data points to apply the annotation across the entire selected range.

3. Edit the Annotation:

   • In the Add Annotation popup, provide a Title (mandatory) and a Description (optional) for your annotation.

4. Select Panels:

   • Use the Select Panels dropdown to select panels. You can apply annotations across multiple panels based on your selection.
   • If you do not select any panel, the annotation applies to all panels for the selected time range, within the dashboard by default.

5. Click Save.

Delete Annotations

1. Enable Annotation Mode.
2. Select the annotation in the panel.
3. In the Edit Annotation pop-up, click Delete and confirm.