Enable auto-apply on Grafana Labs

Exemptions come first

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 15:16:42 +0200

Exemptions come first

Before you enable auto-apply, create exemptions for the metrics and labels whose full detail you need. Auto-apply then leaves them out, so their series aren’t combined into fewer series. To create one, refer to Use exemptions.

Choose a mode

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 15:16:42 +0200

Choose a mode

When you turn on auto-apply for a segment, you choose a mode: Coverage-first or Cost-first. The mode decides which recommendations auto-apply applies.

Adaptive Metrics looks at how your metrics are used in dashboards, alerts, recording rules, and queries. For metrics you don’t fully use, it recommends an aggregation rule. An aggregation rule combines a metric’s series into fewer series, so Grafana Cloud stores less and the cost of that volume goes down. If a metric you already aggregated starts being queried again, it recommends updating its aggregation rule to add series back. Coverage-first applies both kinds. Cost-first applies the ones that reduce series, and adds series back only up to the number those reductions removed.

Which mode fits your segment?

If the segment is at or near its limit on aggregation rules, both modes might skip some or all recommendations. You can change the mode later on Segments.

Mode	What it does
Coverage-first	Applies every recommendation, including ones expected to add series for new usage, so your costs can go up. Choose it when adapting to usage matters more than limiting estimated series growth.
Cost-first	Applies every recommendation expected to reduce or keep the estimated series count. It also applies recommendations that add series, smallest first, up to the number those reductions removed at the same time, so the estimated total doesn’t grow. For example, if reductions remove 20 series, increases can add up to 20. Choose it when limiting estimated series growth matters more than adapting to new usage.

Mode

What it does

Coverage-first

Applies every recommendation, including ones expected to add series for new usage, so your costs can go up. Choose it when adapting to usage matters more than limiting estimated series growth.

Cost-first

Applies every recommendation expected to reduce or keep the estimated series count. It also applies recommendations that add series, smallest first, up to the number those reductions removed at the same time, so the estimated total doesn’t grow. For example, if reductions remove 20 series, increases can add up to 20. Choose it when limiting estimated series growth matters more than adapting to new usage.

Cost-first works from the series estimates in the latest Adaptive Metrics analysis, not your live series count, so your actual series count can still rise.

What you still control

Every rule in the following table is a kind of aggregation rule. Most combine a metric’s series into fewer series, and a drop rule discards the metric instead. After auto-apply is on for a segment, it handles each kind differently, and some recommendations still wait for you.

Rule or recommendation	What stays in your control
Custom rules	A rule you created yourself. You can still add and edit custom rules after auto-apply is on. If a custom rule matches one exact metric name, auto-apply can later remove or replace it unless you exempt that metric.
Affix or drop rules	An affix rule matches a prefix or suffix in the metric name. A drop rule discards the metric. Auto-apply leaves these rules as they are.
Exact-match rules	A rule for one metric name. Auto-apply can remove or replace it unless you exempted that metric.
Recommendations that add too many series	In Cost-first, auto-apply doesn’t apply an increase that would make the estimated total grow. It stays pending, and you can still apply it from the UI.

Enable auto-apply using the UI

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 15:16:42 +0200

Enable auto-apply using the UI

You need the Admin role to enable auto-apply. You can enable it on a segment you already have, or while you add one.

Start with the Default segment if you don’t use segmentation yet. If it’s your only segment, clicking Enable auto-apply on Overview shows a recommendation to create more segments, and you can still enable auto-apply for Default. Refer to Configure segmentation.

Your situation	What you do
You use only the Default segment	On Overview, click Enable auto-apply, select Default, select an Auto-apply mode, and click Apply.
You want several segments at once	On Overview, click Enable auto-apply, select the segments and an Auto-apply mode, then click Apply. The mode you select applies to every segment you selected.
You want one segment	On Segments, click Edit segment or Edit default segment. Select Enable auto-apply, select an Auto-apply mode, then click Apply for Default or Save for a named segment.
You applied all recommendations	On Metrics, after you click Apply all recommendations and confirm with Apply, select an Auto-apply mode and click Enable auto-apply for this segment. The prompt doesn’t appear if you applied only some recommendations, if auto-apply is already on for that segment, or if you selected Do not show this again and clicked Dismiss.
Auto-apply is on for every segment	Enable auto-apply on Overview is unavailable, because there’s no segment left to turn on. You can still change each segment on Segments.

Check the results

After auto-apply is on, open Overview and check Time series reduction. That graph shows the change in series. To check one metric, on Metrics use Filter and open the rule. Refer to Monitor and validate results.

Turn auto-apply off

To turn auto-apply off, on Segments click Edit segment or Edit default segment, clear Enable auto-apply, then click Apply for Default or Save for a named segment. The rules stay as they were applied at that moment. You can still change them yourself.

Choose the UI, the API, or Terraform

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 15:16:42 +0200

Choose the UI, the API, or Terraform

You can enable auto-apply in the UI, with the API, or with Terraform. The steps for each are on Enable auto-apply.

Method	When you use it	How you set the mode
UI	It’s your first setup, or you’re a smaller organization. The UI is the recommended way for both.	Select Coverage-first or Cost-first in Auto-apply mode.
API	You automate setup, keep it in version control, or manage many teams.	Set `auto_apply.gate.policy` to `unbounded` for Coverage-first or `no-increase` for Cost-first. If you leave it out, auto-apply uses Coverage-first.
Terraform	You already manage your infrastructure as code.	Use `grafana-adaptive-metrics_recommendations_config` for the Default segment and `grafana-adaptive-metrics_segment` for named segments. Set `auto_apply.gate.policy` to the same values as the API.

Resources

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 15:16:42 +0200

Enable auto-apply on Grafana Labs

Exemptions come first

Exemptions come first

Choose a mode

Choose a mode

Which mode fits your segment?

What you still control

Enable auto-apply using the UI

Enable auto-apply using the UI

Check the results

Turn auto-apply off

Choose the UI, the API, or Terraform

Choose the UI, the API, or Terraform

Resources

Resources

Documentation