---
title: "Azure Data Explorer annotations | Grafana Plugins documentation"
description: "Use annotations with the Azure Data Explorer data source to overlay events on Grafana graphs."
---

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

# Azure Data Explorer annotations

Annotations overlay event markers on graphs. Use an Azure Data Explorer query to add annotations that mark points in time across your dashboard panels.

## Before you begin

Before you create annotations, ensure you have the following:

- A [configured Azure Data Explorer data source](/docs/plugins/grafana-azure-data-explorer-datasource/latest/configure/).
- A [dashboard](/docs/grafana/latest/dashboards/) to add annotations to.

## Create an annotation query

To add an annotation query that uses Azure Data Explorer data:

1. Navigate to **Dashboard settings** > **Annotations**.
2. Click **Add annotation query**.
3. Enter a name for the annotation query.
4. Select the Azure Data Explorer data source.
5. Write a Kusto query that returns the required columns, as described in the following section.

## Query requirements

An annotation query can return up to three columns per row. Because annotation rendering is expensive, limit the number of rows returned.

Return the following columns:

- A column with the `datetime` type for the annotation time. This column is required.
- A column aliased as `Text` or `text` for the annotation text.
- A column aliased as `Tags` or `tags` for the annotation tags. Return a comma-separated string of tags, such as `'tag1,tag2'`.

## Examples

The following query returns annotations with text and tags from a log table:

kusto ![Copy code to clipboard](/media/images/icons/icon-copy-small-2.svg) Copy

```kusto
MyLogs
| where $__timeFilter(Timestamp)
| project Timestamp, Text=Message, Tags="tag1,tag2"
```

The text and tags columns are optional. The following query returns annotations with only a time and text column:

kusto ![Copy code to clipboard](/media/images/icons/icon-copy-small-2.svg) Copy

```kusto
MyLogs
| where $__timeFilter(Timestamp)
| project Timestamp, Text=Message
```

For more information about adding and using annotations, refer to [Annotations](/docs/grafana/latest/dashboards/build-dashboards/annotate-visualizations/).