> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/grafana/grafana/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Data Sources Overview

> Learn about Grafana's data source plugins and how to connect to various databases and services

# Data Sources Overview

Grafana supports querying and visualizing data from a wide range of data sources. Each data source plugin provides a query editor and configuration interface tailored to that specific database or service.

## What is a Data Source?

A data source is an external service that Grafana queries to retrieve time series data, logs, traces, or other metrics. Grafana acts as a visualization layer on top of your existing data infrastructure.

<Note>
  Data sources are configured per organization in Grafana. Each data source configuration includes connection details, authentication, and query settings.
</Note>

## Built-in Data Sources

Grafana includes support for many popular data sources out of the box:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Prometheus" icon="chart-line" href="/datasources/prometheus">
    Time series database with powerful query language (PromQL)
  </Card>

  <Card title="Loki" icon="list" href="/datasources/loki">
    Log aggregation system with LogQL query language
  </Card>

  <Card title="Elasticsearch" icon="magnifying-glass" href="/datasources/elasticsearch">
    Search and analytics engine for logs and metrics
  </Card>

  <Card title="InfluxDB" icon="database" href="/datasources/influxdb">
    Time series database with SQL, InfluxQL, and Flux support
  </Card>

  <Card title="MySQL / PostgreSQL" icon="table" href="/datasources/mysql-postgres">
    Relational databases for structured data queries
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Common Features

All data sources share common functionality:

### Connection Settings

* **URL**: The HTTP endpoint for the data source API
* **Access Mode**: Proxy (server-side) or direct (browser)
* **Authentication**: Basic auth, API keys, OAuth, etc.

<Warning>
  Direct browser access is deprecated for most data sources due to CORS and security concerns. Use server proxy mode.
</Warning>

### Query Editor

Each data source provides a custom query editor in the dashboard panel editor:

* Visual query builder (for supported data sources)
* Code/raw query editor
* Query syntax validation and auto-completion
* Query history and saved queries

### Variables

Data sources support template variables for dynamic dashboards:

```promql theme={null}
rate(http_requests_total{instance="$instance"}[5m])
```

Variables can be populated from:

* Label values from the data source
* Custom query results
* Time ranges and intervals

## Adding a Data Source

1. Navigate to **Configuration** > **Data Sources**
2. Click **Add data source**
3. Select your data source type
4. Configure connection settings
5. Click **Save & Test** to verify connectivity

<Accordion title="Connection Testing">
  The "Save & Test" button performs a basic query to verify:

  * Network connectivity to the data source
  * Authentication credentials are valid
  * Required permissions are granted

  If the test fails, check your firewall rules, credentials, and data source URL.
</Accordion>

## Query Performance

### Time Range

All time series queries are scoped to the dashboard's time range. Use appropriate time ranges to balance detail and performance.

### Resolution and Step

Grafana calculates query resolution based on:

* Panel width in pixels
* Selected time range
* Data source-specific step/interval settings

### Max Data Points

Limit the number of data points returned to prevent browser performance issues:

```ts theme={null}
// Configured in panel settings
maxDataPoints: 1000
```

## Authentication Methods

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Basic Auth">
    Username and password authentication. Credentials are encrypted in Grafana's database.

    ```yaml theme={null}
    basicAuth: true
    basicAuthUser: "admin"
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="API Key">
    Token-based authentication. Store tokens in Grafana's secure JSON data.

    ```yaml theme={null}
    jsonData:
      apiKeyAuth: true
    secureJsonData:
      apiKey: "your-api-key"
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="OAuth">
    Forward OAuth tokens from logged-in user to data source.

    ```yaml theme={null}
    jsonData:
      oauthPassThru: true
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Data Source Provisioning

You can provision data sources via YAML configuration files:

```yaml theme={null}
apiVersion: 1

datasources:
  - name: Prometheus
    type: prometheus
    access: proxy
    url: http://prometheus:9090
    isDefault: true
    jsonData:
      timeInterval: "30s"
```

Place configuration files in:

* `<GRAFANA_HOME>/conf/provisioning/datasources/`

<Info>
  Provisioned data sources cannot be edited through the UI. Update the YAML file and restart Grafana to apply changes.
</Info>

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Prometheus" href="/datasources/prometheus">
    Learn about PromQL queries and metric collection
  </Card>

  <Card title="Loki" href="/datasources/loki">
    Query logs with LogQL expressions
  </Card>

  <Card title="Elasticsearch" href="/datasources/elasticsearch">
    Build aggregation queries for logs and metrics
  </Card>

  <Card title="InfluxDB" href="/datasources/influxdb">
    Use Flux, InfluxQL, or SQL to query time series data
  </Card>
</CardGroup>