---
title: "Send or visualize Graphite metrics | Grafana Cloud documentation"
description: "Send or visualize Graphite metrics With Grafana Cloud, you can: Send metrics to the Graphite backend in your stack using a pre-provisioned data source. Visualize metrics by creating a data source that points to the external source where metrics are stored. Note"
---

# Send or visualize Graphite metrics

With Grafana Cloud, you can:

- Send metrics to the Graphite backend in your stack using a pre-provisioned data source.
- Visualize metrics by creating a data source that points to the external source where metrics are stored.

> Note
> 
> The Graphite metrics system is stable, but older, and does not receive major feature upgrades. If you already use Graphite, this content can help.
> 
> Make sure to read the official Graphite documentation that is for the version that is specific to the release you are using. If you are deploying a new metrics stack and deciding what to use, we recommend Prometheus.

The [main Graphite docs](https://graphite.readthedocs.io/en/stable/) are the canonical source for information about Graphite. [Graphite query functions](https://graphite.readthedocs.io/en/latest/functions.html) are supported and available in the Grafana UI, whether using the Grafana [Explore](/docs/grafana/latest/explore/) feature or writing queries for panels. The caveat is that functions that only exist in later Graphite releases are not be available if your Graphite installation is an older release.

## Send Graphite metrics to Grafana Cloud

Your hosted Grafana instance includes a pre‑provisioned Graphite data source. This data source queries the managed Graphite backend in your stack where the metrics you send are stored. Complete the following to send Graphite metrics.

### Find your API endpoints

The two endpoints for use are provided on your Grafana Cloud Stack details page under “Graphite”.

The endpoints look something like:

- `<ingest_endpoint>` : `https://something.grafana.net/graphite/metrics`
- `<query_endpoint>` : `https://something.grafana.net/graphite`

### Send data

Refer to [Graphite data ingestion](data-ingestion/) to send your data.

#### Out-of-order ingestion support

By default Cloud Graphite accepts only in-order samples within 1–2 hours of the newest sample across all metrics. Cloud Graphite can accept out-of-order samples, but this is not enabled by default; contact support to enable it. Keep in mind these caveats:

- The maximum recommended out-of-order window is 10 hours. Cloud Graphite compares a sample timestamp to the newest timestamps across all metrics. If the gap exceeds the window, the sample is rejected. You can adjust the window.
- Overriding a sample is not supported. A second sample with the same timestamp produces undefined results. Stock Graphite overrides; Cloud Graphite does not guarantee that behavior.
- A cache in front of the query path stores the last 10 minutes of data. Out-of-order samples for a cached series may not appear until the cache expiry.

For details, refer to [Understand out-of-order](/docs/mimir/latest/configure/configure-out-of-order-samples-ingestion/#understand-out-of-order). The Discarded Metric Samples panel on the [Billing/Usage dashboard](../../../cost-management-and-billing/understand-your-invoice/) shows whether constraints reject samples.

## Visualize Graphite metrics in Grafana Cloud

If you do not send metrics to the managed Cloud Graphite backend, add a Graphite data source that points to your external Graphite instance. Refer to the Grafana Graphite [Grafana Graphite data source documentation](/docs/grafana/latest/datasources/graphite/#configure-the-data-source).