---
title: "PostgreSQL query editor | Grafana Cloud documentation"
description: "This document describes the PostgreSQL query editor in Grafana."
---

# PostgreSQL query editor

The PostgreSQL query editor lets you build and run queries against your data source. For general query editor and data transformation concepts, see [Query and transform data](/docs/grafana/next/panels-visualizations/query-transform-data/).

You can open the PostgreSQL query editor from the [Explore page](/docs/grafana/next/explore/) or from a dashboard panel—click the ellipsis in the upper right of the panel and select **Edit**.

> Note
> 
> A default database must be configured in the data source settings. If none is set, or it is removed, the data source will not run queries until a database is configured again.

## PostgreSQL query editor components

The PostgreSQL query editor has two modes: **Builder** and **Code**.

Builder mode helps you build a query using a visual interface. Code mode allows for advanced querying and offers support for complex SQL query writing.

### PostgreSQL Builder mode

The following components will help you build a PostgreSQL query:

- **Format** - Select the query result format from the drop-down. The default is **Table**. If you use the **Time series** format option, one of the columns must be `time`. Refer to [Time series queries](#time-series-queries) for more information.
- **Table** - Select a table from the drop-down. Tables correspond to the chosen database.
- **Data operations** - *Optional* Select an aggregation from the drop-down. You can add multiple data operations by clicking the **+** sign. Click the **X** sign to remove data operations.
- **Column** - Select a column on which to run the aggregation.
- **Alias** - *Optional* Add an alias from the drop-down. You can also add your own alias by typing it in the box and clicking **Enter**. Remove an alias by clicking the **X**.
- **Filter** - Toggle to add filters.
- **Filter by column value** - *Optional* If you toggle **Filter**, you can add a column to filter by from the drop-down. To filter on more columns, click the **+** sign to the right of the condition drop-down. Choose an operator from the drop-down next to the condition. When multiple filters are added, you can add an `AND` operator to display all true conditions or an `OR` operator to display any true conditions. Use the second drop-down to choose a filter value. To remove a filter, click the **X** next to that filter’s drop-down. After selecting a date-type column, you can choose **Macros** from the operators list and select `timeFilter` to add the `$__timeFilter` macro to the query with the selected date column.
- **Group** - Toggle to add **Group by column**.
- **Group by column** - Select a column to group by from the drop-down. Click the **+** sign to group by multiple columns. Click the **X** to remove a column.
- **Order** - Toggle to add an `ORDER BY` statement.
- **Order by** - Select a column to order by from the drop-down. Select ascending (`ASC`) or descending (`DESC`) order.
- **Limit** - You can add an optional limit on the number of retrieved results. Default is 50.
- **Preview** - Toggle for a preview of the SQL query generated by the query builder. Preview is toggled on by default.

## PostgreSQL Code mode

To create advanced queries, switch to **Code mode** by clicking **Code** in the upper right of the editor window. Code mode supports the auto-completion of tables, columns, SQL keywords, standard SQL functions, Grafana template variables, and Grafana macros. Columns cannot be completed before a table has been specified.

> Note
> 
> If a table or column name is a reserved word or contains mixed case or special characters, use double quotes in SQL. For example, `"user"` or `"Created At"`.

[](/static/img/docs/v92/sql_code_editor.png)

Select **Table** or **Time Series** as the format. Click the **{}** in the bottom right to format the query. Click the **downward caret** to expand the Code mode editor. **CTRL/CMD + Return** serves as a keyboard shortcut to execute the query.

> Warning
> 
> Changes made to a query in Code mode will not transfer to Builder mode and will be discarded. You will be prompted to copy your code to the clipboard to save any changes.

## Macros

You can add macros to your queries to simplify the syntax and enable dynamic elements, such as date range filters.

PostgreSQL expands macros into native SQL. When the [TimescaleDB](https://www.timescale.com/) extension is enabled, `$__timeGroup` and `$__timeGroupAlias` use `time_bucket()` for more efficient grouping.

Expand table

| Macro example                                         | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
|-------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| `$__time(dateColumn)`                                 | Renames the column to `time`. Example: `dateColumn AS "time"`. Use for native date/time columns.                                                                                                                          |
| `$__timeEpoch(dateColumn)`                            | Converts to UNIX epoch (seconds) and renames the column to `time`. Example: `extract(epoch from dateColumn) as "time"`.                                                                                                   |
| `$__timeFilter(dateColumn)`                           | Replaces the value with a time range filter using the specified column name. Example: `dateColumn BETWEEN '2020-07-13T20:19:09.254Z' AND '2020-07-13T21:19:09.254Z'`.                                                     |
| `$__timeFrom()`                                       | Replaces the value with the start of the currently active time selection (RFC3339Nano). Example: `'2020-07-13T20:19:09.254Z'`.                                                                                            |
| `$__timeTo()`                                         | Replaces the value with the end of the currently active time selection (RFC3339Nano). Example: `'2020-07-13T20:19:09.254Z'`.                                                                                              |
| `$__timeGroup(dateColumn,'5m')`                       | Replaces the value with an expression suitable for use in a `GROUP BY` clause. Example: `floor(extract(epoch from dateColumn)/300)*300`. With TimescaleDB: `time_bucket('300s', dateColumn)`.                             |
| `$__timeGroup(dateColumn,'5m', 0)`                    | Same as the `$__timeGroup(dateColumn,'5m')` macro, but includes a fill parameter to ensure missing points in the series are added by Grafana, using 0 as the default value. **This applies only to time series queries.** |
| `$__timeGroup(dateColumn,'5m', NULL)`                 | Same as the `$__timeGroup(dateColumn,'5m', 0)` but `NULL` is used as the value for missing points. *This applies only to time series queries.*                                                                            |
| `$__timeGroup(dateColumn,'5m', previous)`             | Same as `$__timeGroup(dateColumn,'5m', 0)` but uses the previous value in the series as the fill value. If no previous value exists, it uses `NULL`. *This applies only to time series queries.*                          |
| `$__timeGroupAlias(dateColumn,'5m')`                  | Same as `$__timeGroup` but with an added column alias `AS "time"`. With TimescaleDB, uses `time_bucket()`.                                                                                                                |
| `$__unixEpochFilter(dateColumn)`                      | Replaces the value with a time range filter for columns storing UNIX epoch (seconds). Example: `dateColumn >= 1494410783 AND dateColumn <= 1494497183`.                                                                   |
| `$__unixEpochFrom()`                                  | Replaces the value with the start of the currently active time selection as a UNIX timestamp (seconds). Example: `1494410783`.                                                                                            |
| `$__unixEpochTo()`                                    | Replaces the value with the end of the currently active time selection as a UNIX timestamp (seconds). Example: `1494497183`.                                                                                              |
| `$__unixEpochNanoFilter(dateColumn)`                  | Replaces the value with a time range filter for columns storing UNIX epoch in nanoseconds. Example: `dateColumn >= 1494410783152415214 AND dateColumn <= 1494497183142514872`.                                            |
| `$__unixEpochNanoFrom()`                              | Replaces the value with the start of the currently active time selection as a nanosecond timestamp. Example: `1494410783152415214`.                                                                                       |
| `$__unixEpochNanoTo()`                                | Replaces the value with the end of the currently active time selection as a nanosecond timestamp. Example: `1494497183142514872`.                                                                                         |
| `$__unixEpochGroup(dateColumn,'5m', [fillmode])`      | Same as `$__timeGroup` but for columns storing UNIX epoch (seconds). Example: `floor((dateColumn)/300)*300`. `fillMode` only works with time series queries.                                                              |
| `$__unixEpochGroupAlias(dateColumn,'5m', [fillmode])` | Same as `$__unixEpochGroup` but with an added column alias `AS "time"`. `fillMode` only works with time series queries.                                                                                                   |

## Table SQL queries

If the **Format** option is set to **Table**, you can execute virtually any type of SQL query. The Table panel will automatically display the resulting columns and rows from your query.

You can change or customize the name of a Table panel column by using the SQL keyword `AS` syntax.

SQL ![Copy code to clipboard](/media/images/icons/icon-copy-small-2.svg) Copy

```sql
SELECT
  title as "Title",
  "user".login as "Created By",
  dashboard.created as "Created On"
FROM dashboard
INNER JOIN "user" on "user".id = dashboard.created_by
WHERE $__timeFilter(dashboard.created)
```

You can use [template variables](/docs/grafana-cloud/connect-externally-hosted/data-sources/postgres/template-variables/) in queries. For example, to filter by a variable named `hostname`: `WHERE hostname IN($hostname)`.

## Time series queries

Set the **Format** option to **Time series** to create and run time series queries.

> Note
> 
> To run a time series query you must include a column named `time` that returns either a SQL `datetime` value or a numeric datatype representing the UNIX epoch time in seconds. Additionally, the query results must be sorted by the `time` column for proper visualization in panels.

The examples in this section refer to the data in the following table:

text ![Copy code to clipboard](/media/images/icons/icon-copy-small-2.svg) Copy

```text
+---------------------+--------------+---------------------+----------+
| time_date_time      | value_double | CreatedAt           | hostname |
+---------------------+--------------+---------------------+----------+
| 2020-01-02 03:05:00 | 3.0          | 2020-01-02 03:05:00 | 10.0.1.1 |
| 2020-01-02 03:06:00 | 4.0          | 2020-01-02 03:06:00 | 10.0.1.2 |
| 2020-01-02 03:10:00 | 6.0          | 2020-01-02 03:10:00 | 10.0.1.1 |
| 2020-01-02 03:11:00 | 7.0          | 2020-01-02 03:11:00 | 10.0.1.2 |
| 2020-01-02 03:20:00 | 5.0          | 2020-01-02 03:20:00 | 10.0.1.2 |
+---------------------+--------------+---------------------+----------+
```

Time series query results are returned in [wide data frame format](/developers/plugin-tools/key-concepts/data-frames#wide-format). In the data frame query result, any column, except for time or string-type columns, transforms into value fields. String columns, on the other hand, become field labels.

> Note
> 
> For backward compatibility, an exception to this rule applies to queries that return three columns, one of which is a string column named `metric`. Instead of converting the metric column into field labels, it is used as the field name, while the series name is set to its value. See the following example for reference.

**Example with `metric` column:**

SQL ![Copy code to clipboard](/media/images/icons/icon-copy-small-2.svg) Copy

```sql
SELECT
  $__timeGroupAlias("time_date_time",'5m'),
  min("value_double"),
  'min' as metric
FROM test_data
WHERE $__timeFilter("time_date_time")
GROUP BY time
ORDER BY time
```

Data frame result:

text ![Copy code to clipboard](/media/images/icons/icon-copy-small-2.svg) Copy

```text
+---------------------+-----------------+
| Name: time          | Name: min       |
| Labels:             | Labels:         |
| Type: []time.Time   | Type: []float64 |
+---------------------+-----------------+
| 2020-01-02 03:05:00 | 3               |
| 2020-01-02 03:10:00 | 6               |
+---------------------+-----------------+
```

To customize default series name formatting, refer to [Standard options definitions](/docs/grafana/next/panels-visualizations/configure-standard-options/#display-name).

Following are time series query examples.

**Example with no grouping (raw points):**

To return raw time and value points without grouping, use `$__time` to alias your date/time column as `time`:

SQL ![Copy code to clipboard](/media/images/icons/icon-copy-small-2.svg) Copy

```sql
SELECT
  $__time("time_date_time"),
  "value_double" as value
FROM test_data
WHERE $__timeFilter("time_date_time")
ORDER BY time
```

**Example using the fill parameter in the $\_\_timeGroupAlias macro to convert null values to zero:**

SQL ![Copy code to clipboard](/media/images/icons/icon-copy-small-2.svg) Copy

```sql
SELECT
  $__timeGroupAlias("CreatedAt",'5m',0),
  sum(value) as value,
  hostname
FROM test_data
WHERE
  $__timeFilter("CreatedAt")
GROUP BY time, hostname
ORDER BY time
```

Based on the data frame result in the following example, the time series panel will generate two series named *value 10.0.1.1* and *value 10.0.1.2*. To display the series names as *10.0.1.1* and *10.0.1.2*, use the [Standard options definitions](/docs/grafana/next/panels-visualizations/configure-standard-options/#display-name) display value `${__field.labels.hostname}`.

Data frame result:

text ![Copy code to clipboard](/media/images/icons/icon-copy-small-2.svg) Copy

```text
+---------------------+---------------------------+---------------------------+
| Name: time          | Name: value               | Name: value               |
| Labels:             | Labels: hostname=10.0.1.1 | Labels: hostname=10.0.1.2 |
| Type: []time.Time   | Type: []float64           | Type: []float64           |
+---------------------+---------------------------+---------------------------+
| 2020-01-02 03:05:00 | 3                         | 4                         |
| 2020-01-02 03:10:00 | 6                         | 7                         |
+---------------------+---------------------------+---------------------------+
```

**Example with multiple columns:**

SQL ![Copy code to clipboard](/media/images/icons/icon-copy-small-2.svg) Copy

```sql
SELECT
  $__timeGroupAlias("time_date_time",'5m'),
  min("value_double") as "min_value",
  max("value_double") as "max_value"
FROM test_data
WHERE $__timeFilter("time_date_time")
GROUP BY time
ORDER BY time
```

Data frame result:

text ![Copy code to clipboard](/media/images/icons/icon-copy-small-2.svg) Copy

```text
+---------------------+-----------------+-----------------+
| Name: time          | Name: min_value | Name: max_value |
| Labels:             | Labels:         | Labels:         |
| Type: []time.Time   | Type: []float64 | Type: []float64 |
+---------------------+-----------------+-----------------+
| 2020-01-02 03:04:00 | 3               | 4               |
| 2020-01-02 03:05:00 | 6               | 7               |
+---------------------+-----------------+-----------------+
```

**Example with UNIX epoch time column:**

When your time column stores UNIX epoch (seconds), use `$__timeEpoch` to alias it as `time` and `$__unixEpochFilter` in the WHERE clause:

SQL ![Copy code to clipboard](/media/images/icons/icon-copy-small-2.svg) Copy

```sql
SELECT
  $__timeEpoch(epoch_seconds_column),
  value_column as value
FROM my_table
WHERE $__unixEpochFilter(epoch_seconds_column)
ORDER BY time
```

For grouped time series with epoch columns, use `$__unixEpochGroupAlias` and `$__unixEpochFilter`. See the [Macros](#macros) table for details.

## Next steps

- Use [template variables](/docs/grafana-cloud/connect-externally-hosted/data-sources/postgres/template-variables/) to create dynamic, reusable dashboards.
- Add [annotations](/docs/grafana-cloud/connect-externally-hosted/data-sources/postgres/annotations/) from PostgreSQL to overlay events on your panels.
- [Set up alerting](/docs/grafana-cloud/connect-externally-hosted/data-sources/postgres/alerting/) to get notified when metrics cross thresholds (time series format only).
- [Troubleshoot](/docs/grafana-cloud/connect-externally-hosted/data-sources/postgres/troubleshooting/) issues if you encounter problems with queries.