---
title: "Send native histograms to Mimir | Grafana Mimir documentation"
description: "Learn how to send metric data to Grafana Mimir."
---

# Send native histograms to Mimir

Prometheus [native histograms](https://prometheus.io/docs/specs/native_histograms/) are a data type in the Prometheus ecosystem that enable the following use cases:

1. Produce, store, and query a high-resolution histogram of observations. Use native histograms with exponential buckets in your instrumentation for this purpose.
2. Store classic histograms in a more resilient and cost effective way, without changes to instrumentation. Use native histograms with custom buckets for this purpose.

The following topics cover each use case:

- [Native histograms standard buckets](/docs/mimir/latest/send/native-histograms/_exponential_buckets/)
- [Native histograms with custom buckets](/docs/mimir/latest/send/native-histograms/_custom_buckets/)