---
title: "How direct query works | Grafana Labs"
description: "Visualize cloud data without storing it using Grafana data sources."
---

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

## How it works

[Direct query architecture: Grafana queries cloud provider APIs in real-time](cp-olly-direct-query-light.svg "Direct query architecture: Grafana queries cloud provider APIs in real-time")

> **Important:** This module covers **Grafana data source plugins**, which are a core Grafana capability available in **all Grafana editions** (OSS, Enterprise, and Cloud). Data sources are **not part of the Cloud Provider Observability product**. They’re included in this course because they offer an alternative path to cloud visibility that may suit certain use cases.

## How it works

| Step | Description                                                  |
|------|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1    | Configure cloud provider credentials in Grafana.             |
| 2    | Data stays in CloudWatch / Azure Monitor / Cloud Monitoring. |
| 3    | Grafana queries cloud API in real-time.                      |
| 4    | No data duplication or additional storage.                   |

## When to choose this approach

| Choose direct query when…       | Choose storage when…           |
|---------------------------------|--------------------------------|
| Quick visualization needed      | Long-term retention required   |
| Cost sensitivity is high        | Unified PromQL/LogQL wanted    |
| Data already has good retention | Cross-cloud correlation needed |
| Simple dashboards               | Complex alerting required      |