---
title: "Manage resources | Grafana documentation"
description: "Use gcx to manage resources."
---

> For a curated documentation index, see [llms.txt](/llms.txt). For the complete documentation index, see [llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt).

# Manage resources with `gcx`

## Migrate resources between environments

Grafana resources can be migrated from one environment to another, for example from a development to production environment.

You need to [configure one context per environment](https://grafana.com/docs/grafana/next/ai-tools/grafana-cli/gcx/configuration#define-contexts). In this example scenario, use `dev` for the development environment and `prod` for production.

1. Make changes to dashboards and other resources using the Grafana UI in your **development instance**.
2. Pull those resources from the development environment to your local machine:
   
   shell ![Copy code to clipboard](https://grafana.com/media/images/icons/icon-copy-small-2.svg) Copy
   
   ```shell
   gcx resources pull --context dev # Add `-o yaml` export resources as YAML 
   ```
3. Push the resources to production:
   
   shell ![Copy code to clipboard](https://grafana.com/media/images/icons/icon-copy-small-2.svg) Copy
   
   ```shell
   gcx resources push --context prod
   ```

> Note
> 
> Resources are pulled and pushed from the `./resources` directory by default. Configure this path with the `--path`/`-p` flags.

Resources are pulled and pushed from the `./resources` directory by default. Configure this path with the `--path`/`-p` flags.

## Name pulled files by title

By default, `gcx resources pull` names each file using the resource’s `metadata.name` (usually its UID). Use `--filename-by=title` for readable filenames:

shell ![Copy code to clipboard](https://grafana.com/media/images/icons/icon-copy-small-2.svg) Copy

```shell
gcx resources pull dashboards --filename-by=title --path ./dashboard-backup
```

For example, a dashboard titled `Ventas Overview` becomes `ventas-overview.json` inside its usual resource-type directory. Resources without a usable title fall back to `metadata.name`. The resource contents retain their original identity, so push, validate, and serve use these files normally.

Title mode resolves filename collisions with both the current pull and existing destination files, preserving files that belong to other resources. See the [file naming rules](https://github.com/grafana/gcx/blob/main/docs/design/naming.md#92-file-naming) for the full algorithm.

Pull does not remove old files. Title-mode pull warns on stderr when it finds another file for the same resource at a different path, such as after a rename or switching naming modes. Reading resources also warns when skipping duplicate identities. Pull into a clean directory or remove stale files (for example, with `git rm`) before pushing.

## Back up and restore resources

Follow this workflow to back up all Grafana resources from one instance and later restore them. This can be useful to replicate a configuration or perform disaster recovery.

1. Ensure the current context points to the Grafana instance to backup/restore:
   
   shell ![Copy code to clipboard](https://grafana.com/media/images/icons/icon-copy-small-2.svg) Copy
   
   ```shell
   gcx config use-context YOUR_CONTEXT  # for example "prod"
   ```
2. Pull all resources from your target environment:
   
   shell ![Copy code to clipboard](https://grafana.com/media/images/icons/icon-copy-small-2.svg) Copy
   
   ```shell
   gcx resources pull --path ./backup-prod # Add `-o yaml` to export resources as YAML
   ```
3. Save the exported resources to version control or cloud storage.
4. Push the resources to restore them:
   
   shell ![Copy code to clipboard](https://grafana.com/media/images/icons/icon-copy-small-2.svg) Copy
   
   ```shell
   gcx resources push --path ./backup-prod
   ```