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Metrics Explore

Metrics Explore is an interactive query workbench for running ad-hoc PromQL queries against your metrics data. Use it to investigate metric behavior, prototype dashboard queries, and troubleshoot issues in real time.

Metrics Explore

Getting Started​

Navigate to Metrics → Explore in the sidebar. The Explore page opens with an empty query panel ready for you to build or type a PromQL query.

Query Modes​

Explore supports two modes for composing queries, toggled via the Builder / Code switch in the top-right of the query panel.

Builder Mode​

Builder mode provides a guided, form-based experience:

  • Metric — Select the metric name from a searchable dropdown. Click the book icon next to the dropdown to browse available metrics.
  • Label Filters — Narrow results by adding one or more label matchers. Choose a label, an operator (=, !=, =~, !~), and a value.
  • Operations — Click + Operations to apply PromQL functions such as rate(), sum(), avg(), histogram_quantile(), and more. Operations are added as visual blocks that you can reorder or remove.

Code Mode​

Code mode gives you a raw PromQL editor with syntax highlighting and autocompletion. Use it when you need full control over the query expression.

Query Options​

Expand the Options row beneath the query to fine-tune how results are returned:

OptionDescription
LegendTemplate for series legend labels (default: Auto)
FormatResult format — Time series, Table, Heatmap
StepEvaluation step / resolution (default: auto)
TypeQuery type — Range, Instant, or Both

Running Queries​

  • Click the Run query button (or press Shift + Enter) to execute the query.
  • Results render as a time-series graph by default. Switch to Table format in the Options to see raw data points.

Additional Features​

Kick Start Your Query​

Click Kick start your query to see a curated list of common query templates. This is a quick way to get started if you are not sure which metric or function to use.

Explain​

Toggle Explain to see a plain-English breakdown of what the current PromQL expression does, step by step.

Multiple Queries​

Click + Add query to add additional query panels. Each query is assigned a letter (A, B, C, …) and results are overlaid on the same graph, making it easy to compare metrics side by side.

Split View​

Click the Split button in the toolbar to open a second Explore pane. This is useful for correlating metrics across different datasources or time ranges.

Share​

Use the Share button to copy a short link to the current Explore state, including the query, time range, and options. Share it with teammates for collaborative debugging.

Time Range Controls​

The toolbar provides time-range navigation:

  • Time picker — Select a preset range or enter a custom absolute / relative range.
  • Back / Forward arrows — Shift the time window.
  • Zoom out — Widen the visible time window.

Best Practices​

  • Start with Builder mode if you are new to PromQL. It prevents syntax errors and helps you discover available metrics and labels.
  • Use label filters early to keep result sets small and queries fast.
  • Leverage rate() and increase() for counter metrics instead of plotting raw values.
  • Check Query Inspector when a query is slow — it shows the number of series returned and backend execution time.
  • Prototype here, then copy to dashboards — once your query looks good, copy the PromQL expression into a dashboard panel.

Support​

If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact us via our help chat app available on the Support link in the sidebar, or by reaching out to support@oodle.ai.