---
title: "Rename data sources safely | Grafana Labs"
description: "Rename a data source without breaking dashboards, panels, or alert rules"
---

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

## Dashboards reference a data source by ID, not name

A common pitfall after connecting involves how Grafana tracks your data sources. Every data source has a unique identifier (UID). Your dashboards, panels, and alert rules point to that UID behind the scenes, not to the display name you see.

[Renaming a data source in place keeps the same UID, so a panel keeps working. Deleting and recreating it gives a new UID, so the panel can't find the data source.](data-source-uid.svg "Renaming a data source in place keeps the same UID, so a panel keeps working. Deleting and recreating it gives a new UID, so the panel can't find the data source.")

This matters most when you change a data source:

- **Rename in place** when you want a new name. An edited name keeps the same UID, so everything that uses the data source keeps working.
- **Avoid delete-and-recreate.** A recreated data source gets a new UID, so existing panels and alert rules can no longer find it and fail to load.
- **Imported dashboards** from another organization may reference a UID that doesn’t exist in your stack. Repoint each panel to a data source you have.