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Run a TraceQL query in Explore to verify traces flow through the new Tempo data source.

Estimated time: 2 min

Verify traces in Explore

Passing the Save & test check confirms connectivity, but it doesn’t confirm that traces are flowing. In this milestone, you run a TraceQL query against your new data source in Explore and see real trace data.

To verify traces in Explore, complete the following steps:

  1. In the Grafana Cloud navigation menu, click Explore.

  2. From the data source picker at the top-left, select your Tempo data source.

    For example, select Production Tempo.

  3. The Tempo query editor defaults to the TraceQL query type. In the query editor, enter a TraceQL query to list some traces.

    Try one of the following examples:

    • List recent traces — enter {} to return every trace in the current time range.
    • Filter by service name — enter {resource.service.name="your-service"}, replacing your-service with a service that’s emitting traces.

    Tip: If your application isn’t producing traces yet, you can upload a sample trace JSON file using the Search or Import trace option in the query editor.

  4. Click Run query to execute the TraceQL query.

    You should see a Table view of matching traces at the top of the results pane. Select any trace ID to open the full trace view with its spans, durations, and attributes.

Verify successful trace access

After running your query, you should see:

  • A table of traces in the Explore results panel
  • No authentication or connection errors
  • Trace IDs that you can click to drill into the full trace timeline
  • Spans, services, and durations that match what you expect from your application

Congratulations! You’ve successfully connected a Tempo data source to Grafana Cloud and verified trace data.

More to explore (optional)