Deploying dashboards with Git Sync on Grafana Labs

Deployment options

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 10:11:48 +0200

Deploy your dashboards

You have dashboard JSON from the Foundation SDK. Next you need that JSON to show up as a live dashboard in Grafana. Grafana supports several ways to do that. The right choice depends on the workflow your team already uses.

Ways to get JSON into Grafana

Method	How it works	Use it for	Considerations
Git Sync	Store dashboard JSON in a Git repository; Grafana keeps that path synchronized with your instance	Git-native teams that want the repo as the source of truth	You configure sync and auth in Grafana; changes follow Git and sync settings
Terraform	Define dashboards with the Grafana Terraform provider and run plan/apply	Teams that already manage infrastructure with Terraform	Another tool and state workflow if you don’t already use it
Grafana API	Send HTTP requests to Grafana yourself; other methods build on this	Full custom control in your own scripts	More code to write and maintain

This journey covers Git Sync. You’ll commit SDK-generated JSON to Git and let Grafana synchronize it. To deploy that same SDK JSON with Terraform instead, take the Terraform version of this journey.

Dashboards as Code with the Foundation SDK and Terraform

How Git Sync works

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 10:11:48 +0200

What Git Sync manages

Git Sync keeps dashboards and folders in a Git repository synced with your Grafana instance. Resources managed this way are called provisioned resources. You can still create other dashboards in Grafana outside that synced path.

By default Git Sync uses folder sync: Grafana creates a folder (named after the repository) and places synced dashboards inside it.

What you configure

When you set up Git Sync you create a repository resource: Grafana configuration that points at a Git repository, branch, path, and sync behavior.

To authenticate, this journey’s hands-on path uses a GitHub personal access token (a credential string that lets Grafana read and write the repository). Other methods exist, such as a GitHub App. GitLab, Bitbucket, and Pure Git are also supported; the next steps use GitHub so you can follow one clear path.

How updates move

Git Sync is bidirectional: you can change provisioned dashboards in the Grafana UI or in Git, and those changes can be reflected in both places according to your workflow settings (for example direct commit or pull request).

Without webhooks, Grafana polls Git on an interval (the default is 60 seconds). With webhooks enabled, updates can appear almost immediately.

The Foundation SDK still only generates JSON. Git Sync is what keeps Grafana aligned with the files in Git.

Deploy a dashboard with Git Sync

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 10:11:48 +0200

Hands-on: sync your dashboard JSON with Git Sync

Use the dashboard JSON you exported with the Foundation SDK. Connect Git Sync to a GitHub repository, commit that JSON into the synced path, and verify the dashboard appears as a provisioned dashboard in Grafana.

Step	What you’ll do	Outcome
1. Open Provisioning	Sign in as Grafana Admin and go to Administration > General > Provisioning	Git Sync setup screen
2. Connect GitHub	Choose GitHub and authenticate (personal access token or another method you use)	Grafana can access your repository
3. Configure the repository	Set repository, branch, and path for folder sync	A repository resource watching that path
4. Commit your JSON	Add the Foundation SDK dashboard JSON file under the synced path and push	JSON available for sync
5. Pull and verify	Use Pull if needed, then open Dashboards and find the provisioned dashboard	Live dashboard from Git

Before you start

Make sure you have the following:

Grafana Admin access on your instance
A GitHub repository you can commit to
Dashboard JSON exported from the Foundation SDK (with a stable UID)
Authentication for GitHub (for example a personal access token)

Set up, then practice

Complete steps 1–3 with the Git Sync setup docs (this journey’s connection path). Then commit your SDK JSON (steps 4–5) and verify the provisioned dashboard.

After Git Sync is connected, these learning paths help you navigate Provisioning and work with provisioned dashboards in the UI. They assume a repository is already configured; they do not replace the setup docs or the SDK JSON commit in the table above.

Learning path

Use Git Sync to manage resources

Welcome to the learning path that shows you how to use Git Sync to manage your Grafana resources with version control.

10 min

Beginner

Docs & blog posts

Open in Grafana Cloud

Complete this learning path directly in your Grafana Cloud stack with an interactive learning experience.

Open in Grafana Cloud

View on website

Learning path

Work with dashboards using Git Sync

Welcome to the learning path that shows you how to create, edit, and manage dashboards using Git Sync workflows with version control.

16 min

Beginner

Docs & blog posts

Open in Grafana Cloud

Complete this learning path directly in your Grafana Cloud stack with an interactive learning experience.

Open in Grafana Cloud

View on website