Documentation Grafana Cloud Visualize data Dashboards Variables Global variables

Global variables

Grafana has global built-in variables that can be used in expressions in the query editor. You can use these variables in queries, dashboard links, panel links, and data links. This page lists them in alphabetical order and defines them.

$__dashboard

This variable is the name of the current dashboard.

$__from and $__to

Grafana has two built-in time range variables: $__from and $__to. They’re currently always interpolated as epoch milliseconds by default, but you can control date formatting.

The syntax above also works with ${__to}.

You can use this variable in URLs, as well. For example, you can send a user to a dashboard that shows a time range from six hours ago until now: https://play.grafana.org/d/000000012/grafana-play-home?viewPanel=2&orgId=1?from=now-6h&to=now

$__interval

You can use the $__interval variable as a parameter to group by time (for InfluxDB, MySQL, Postgres, MSSQL), Date histogram interval (for Elasticsearch), or as a summarize function parameter (for Graphite).

Grafana automatically calculates an interval that can be used to group by time in queries. When there are more data points than can be shown on a graph, then queries can be made more efficient by grouping by a larger interval. It’s more efficient to group by 1 day than by 10s when looking at 3 months of data. The graph looks the same and the query is faster. The $__interval is calculated using the time range and the width of the graph (the number of pixels).

Approximate Calculation: (to - from) / resolution

For example, when the time range is 1 hour and the graph is full screen, then the interval might be calculated to 2m - points are grouped in 2 minute intervals. If the time range is 6 months and the graph is full screen, then the interval might be 1d (1 day) - points are grouped by day.

In the InfluxDB data source, the legacy variable $interval is the same variable. $__interval should be used instead.

The InfluxDB and Elasticsearch data sources have Group by time interval fields that are used to hard code the interval or to set the minimum limit for the $__interval variable (by using the > syntax -> >10m).

$__interval_ms

This variable is the $__interval variable in milliseconds, not a time interval formatted string. For example, if the $__interval is 20m then the $__interval_ms is 1200000.

$__name

This variable is only available in the Singlestat panel and can be used in the prefix or suffix fields on the Options tab. The variable is replaced with the series name or alias.

$__org

This variable is the ID of the current organization. ${__org.name} is the name of the current organization.

$__user

${__user.id} is the ID of the current user. ${__user.login} is the login handle of the current user. ${__user.email} is the email for the current user.

$__range

Currently only supported for Prometheus and Loki data sources. This variable represents the range for the current dashboard. It’s calculated by to - from. It has a millisecond and a second representation called $__range_ms and $__range_s.

$__rate_interval

Currently only supported for Prometheus data sources. The $__rate_interval variable is meant to be used in the rate function. Refer to Prometheus query variables for details.

$__rate_interval_ms

This variable is the $__rate_interval variable in milliseconds, not a time-interval-formatted string. For example, if the $__rate_interval is 20m then the $__rate_interval_ms is 1200000.

$timeFilter or $__timeFilter

The $timeFilter variable returns the currently selected time range as an expression. For example, the time range interval Last 7 days expression is time > now() - 7d.

This is used in several places, including:

• The WHERE clause for the InfluxDB data source. Grafana adds it automatically to InfluxDB queries when in Query Editor mode. You can add it manually in Text Editor mode: WHERE $timeFilter.
• Log Analytics queries in the Azure Monitor data source.
• SQL queries in MySQL, Postgres, and MSSQL.
• The $__timeFilter variable is used in the MySQL data source.

$__timezone

The $__timezone variable returns the currently selected time zone, either utc or an entry of the IANA time zone database (for example, America/New_York).

If the currently selected time zone is Browser Time, Grafana tries to determine your browser time zone.