# Metrics explorer

Ad-hoc PromQL against any registered source, with the same query editor rules use.

Last reviewed 2026-10-10

Where this page ends: one PromQL query running against any registered Prometheus-type source, a clear idea of why Table and Graph do not show the same numbers, and four ways to take that query somewhere useful.

## 1. Pick a source and run the first query[​](#1-pick-a-source-and-run-the-first-query "Direct link to 1. Pick a source and run the first query")

**Explorer → Metrics** (`/metric/explorer`) opens on the **Explorer** tab.

![Metrics explorer](https://n9e.github.io/img/docs/query/metric-explorer.webp)![Metrics explorer](https://n9e.github.io/img/docs/query/metric-explorer.dark.webp)

The top row:

| Control             | What it does                                                                              |
| ------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Filter views        | Saves a set of query conditions so you can pick them again later                          |
| Data source         | Lists Prometheus-type sources only. A fresh install has exactly one, `embedded-tsdb`      |
| Enable autocomplete | Completes metric names and labels in the input; turn it off when cardinality is very high |

Type PromQL into the box and click **Execute**:

```
up
```

Expected result: the **Table** tab lists series with their instant values, and "Series (N)" at the top left gives the count. If nothing comes back, start at [Why does a data source connect but return no data?](https://n9e.github.io/docs/troubleshooting/no-data.md).

## 2. Table and Graph do not show the same data[​](#2-table-and-graph-do-not-show-the-same-data "Direct link to 2. Table and Graph do not show the same data")

This is the part people misread:

| Tab   | What it queries                                                     | When to use it                                                                               |
| ----- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Table | An **instant query** at one point in time — the raw reported values | Checking whether a metric is arriving at all, and whether its value and timestamp look right |
| Graph | A **range query** over a time window, resampled to a step           | Looking at a trend                                                                           |

The Table side has three more controls: **Time** (empty means now; set a moment to query that moment), **Unit** (display only, e.g. SI short) and **Export (CSV)** for the current series and values.

The Graph side has a time range picker plus **Max data points** and **Min step**. When the step does not line up with the scrape interval, the points on the chart are resampled, so **they will not match the raw values in Table — that is expected**, not a bug. Below the chart you also get load time, resolution and result-series count; that is where to look first when a query feels slow.

## 3. You do not have to write PromQL by hand[​](#3-you-do-not-have-to-write-promql-by-hand "Direct link to 3. You do not have to write PromQL by hand")

Three helpers sit around the input:

* **Built-in metrics** (left of the input): pick a metric by component type and category, and it drops straight into the box. How that catalogue is maintained is covered in [Built-in metric views](https://n9e.github.io/docs/query/built-in-views.md);
* **The magnifier** (right of the input): search metric names, see which labels they carry and what values those labels take;
* **Historical records**: the PromQL you have run against this source, up to 100 entries; click one to put it back in the box. It is stored in your own browser, so it does not follow you to another machine.

## 4. Compare several queries side by side[​](#4-compare-several-queries-side-by-side "Direct link to 4. Compare several queries side by side")

**Add panel** at the bottom stacks another complete query panel below the current one, each with its own data source and PromQL — handy for putting the same metric from two sources next to each other. With more than one panel, each gets a close icon.

**It is not "add to dashboard".** These panels live only on this page and disappear on refresh. To keep something, go to [Build a dashboard](https://n9e.github.io/docs/query/dashboards.md).

## Take the query somewhere[​](#take-the-query-somewhere "Direct link to Take the query somewhere")

Once it works, the same PromQL has four destinations:

* **An alert rule**: Alerts & Notifications → Alert rules → Add, paste the source and the PromQL as they are, and put the threshold into the expression. See [Metric rules](https://n9e.github.io/docs/alerting/metric-rules.md);
* **A panel**: dashboard panels use the same query editor, see [Build a dashboard](https://n9e.github.io/docs/query/dashboards.md);
* **A new metric**: if the query is expensive, precompute it — see [Recording rules](https://n9e.github.io/docs/query/recording-rules.md);
* **A link for someone to glance at**: switch to **Graph**, and the share icon at the top right stores the current query as a temporary chart and gives you a `/chart/<id>` link that opens without login. **That link never expires and cannot be revoked**, so do not treat it as controlled sharing — see [Anonymous time-limited sharing](https://n9e.github.io/docs/query/sharing.md).

## Next[​](#next "Direct link to Next")

* Querying logs: [Log explorer and index patterns](https://n9e.github.io/docs/query/log-explorer.md)
* Starting from one host instead: [Object quick view](https://n9e.github.io/docs/query/object-view.md)
* Where metric names and labels come from: [Metrics, labels and series](https://n9e.github.io/docs/concepts/data-model.md)