---
aliases:
  - ../../data-sources/elasticsearch/query-editor/
  - ../../data-sources/elasticsearch/template-variables/
description: Guide for using the Elasticsearch data source's query editor
keywords:
  - grafana
  - elasticsearch
  - lucene
  - metrics
  - logs
  - queries
labels:
  products:
    - cloud
    - enterprise
    - oss
    - data source
menuTitle: Query editor
title: Elasticsearch query editor
weight: 300
refs:
  query-and-transform-data:
    - pattern: /docs/grafana/
      destination: /docs/grafana/<GRAFANA_VERSION>/panels-visualizations/query-transform-data/
    - pattern: /docs/grafana-cloud/
      destination: /docs/grafana-cloud/visualizations/panels-visualizations/query-transform-data/
---

# Elasticsearch query editor

Grafana provides a query editor for Elasticsearch. Elasticsearch queries are in Lucene format.
See [Lucene query syntax](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/kibana/current/lucene-query.html) and [Query string syntax](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/8.9/query-dsl-query-string-query.html#query-string-syntax) if you are new to working with Lucene queries in Elasticsearch.

{{% admonition type="note" %}}
When composing Lucene queries, ensure that you use uppercase boolean operators: `AND`, `OR`, and `NOT`. Lowercase versions of these operators are not supported by the Lucene query syntax.
{{% /admonition %}}

{{< figure src="/static/img/docs/elasticsearch/elastic-query-editor-10.1.png" max-width="800px" class="docs-image--no-shadow" caption="Elasticsearch query editor" >}}

For general documentation on querying data sources in Grafana, including options and functions common to all query editors, see [Query and transform data](ref:query-and-transform-data).

## Aggregation types

Elasticsearch groups aggregations into three categories:

- **Bucket** - Bucket aggregations don't calculate metrics, they create buckets of documents based on field values, ranges and a variety of other criteria. See [Bucket aggregations](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/search-aggregations-bucket.html) for additional information. Use bucket aggregations under `Group by` when creating a metrics query in the query builder.

- **Metrics** - Metrics aggregations perform calculations such as sum, average, min, etc. They can be single-value or multi-value. See [Metrics aggregations](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/search-aggregations-metrics.html) for additional information. Use metrics aggregations in the metrics query type in the query builder.

- **Pipeline** - Elasticsearch pipeline aggregations work with inputs or metrics created from other aggregations (not documents or fields). There are parent and sibling and sibling pipeline aggregations. See [Pipeline aggregations](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/8.9/search-aggregations-pipeline.html) for additional information.

## Select a query type

There are three types of queries you can create with the Elasticsearch query builder. Each type is explained in detail below.

### Metrics query type

Metrics queries aggregate data and produce a variety of calculations such as count, min, max, etc. Click on the metric box to view a list of options in the dropdown menu. The default is `count`.

- **Alias** - Aliasing only applies to **time series queries**, where the last group is `date histogram`. This is ignored for any other type of query.

- **Metric** - Metrics aggregations include:

  - count - see [Value count aggregation](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/8.9/search-aggregations-metrics-valuecount-aggregation.html)
  - average - see [Avg aggregation](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/8.9/search-aggregations-metrics-rate-aggregation.html)
  - sum - see [Sum aggregation](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/search-aggregations-metrics-sum-aggregation.html)
  - max - see [Max aggregation](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/8.9/search-aggregations-metrics-max-aggregation.html)
  - min - see [Min aggregation](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/8.9/search-aggregations-metrics-min-aggregation.html)
  - extended stats - see [Extended stats aggregation](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/search-aggregations-metrics-extendedstats-aggregation.html)
  - percentiles - see [Percentiles aggregation](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/8.9/search-aggregations-metrics-percentile-aggregation.html)
  - unique count - see [Cardinality aggregation](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/8.9/search-aggregations-metrics-cardinality-aggregation.html)
  - top metrics - see [Top metrics aggregation](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/8.9/search-aggregations-metrics-top-metrics.html)
  - rate - see [Rate aggregation](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/8.9/search-aggregations-metrics-rate-aggregation.html)

You can select multiple metrics and group by multiple terms or filters when using the Elasticsearch query editor.

Use the **+ sign** to the right to add multiple metrics to your query. Click on the **eye icon** next to **Metric** to hide metrics, and the **garbage can icon** to remove metrics.

- **Group by options** - Create multiple group by options when constructing your Elasticsearch query. Date histogram is the default option. Below is a list of options in the dropdown menu.

  - terms - see [Terms aggregation](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/search-aggregations-bucket-terms-aggregation.html).
  - filter - see [Filter aggregation](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/search-aggregations-bucket-filter-aggregation.html).
  - geo hash grid - see [Geohash grid aggregation](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/search-aggregations-bucket-geohashgrid-aggregation.html).
  - date histogram - for time series queries. See [Date histogram aggregation](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/search-aggregations-bucket-datehistogram-aggregation.html).
  - histogram - Depicts frequency distributions. See [Histogram aggregation](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/search-aggregations-bucket-histogram-aggregation.html).
  - nested (experimental) - See [Nested aggregation](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/search-aggregations-bucket-nested-aggregation.html).

Each group by option will have a different subset of options to further narrow your query.

The following options are specific to the **date histogram** bucket aggregation option.

- **Time field** - Depicts date data options. The default option can be specified when configuring the Elasticsearch data source in the **Time field name** under the [**Elasticsearch details**](/docs/grafana/latest/datasources/elasticsearch/configure-elasticsearch-data-source/#elasticsearch-details) section. Otherwise **@timestamp** field will be used as a default option.
- **Interval** - Group by a type of interval. There are option to choose from the dropdown menu to select seconds, minutes, hours or day. You can also add a custom interval such as `30d` (30 days). `Auto` is the default option.
- **Min doc count** - The minimum amount of data to include in your query. The default is `0`.
- **Thin edges** - Select to trim edges on the time series data points. The default is `0`.
- **Offset** - Changes the start value of each bucket by the specified positive(+) or negative (-) offset duration. Examples include `1h` for 1 hour, `5s` for 5 seconds or `1d` for 1 day.
- **Timezone** - Select a timezone from the dropdown menu. The default is `Coordinated universal time`.

Configure the following options for the **terms** bucket aggregation option:

- **Order** - Sets the order of data. Options are `top` or `bottom.`
- **Size** - Limits the number of documents, or size of the data set. You can set a custom number or `no limit`.
- **Min doc count** - The minimum amount of data to include in your query. The default is `0`.
- **Order by** - Order terms by `term value`, `doc count` or `count`.
- **Missing** - Defines how documents missing a value should be treated. Missing values are ignored by default, but they can be treated as if they had a value. See [Missing value](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/search-aggregations-bucket-terms-aggregation.html#_missing_value_5) in Elasticsearch's documentation for more information.

Configure the following options for the **filters** bucket aggregation option:

- **Query** - Specify the query to create a bucket of documents (data). Examples are `hostname:"hostname1"`, `product:"widget5"`. Use the \* wildcard to match any number of characters.
- **Label** - Add a label or name to the bucket.

Configure the following options for the **geo hash grid** bucket aggregation option:

- **Precision** - Specifies the number of characters of the geo hash.

Configure the following options for the **histogram** bucket aggregation option:

- **Interval** - Group by a type of interval. There are option to choose from the dropdown menu to select seconds, minutes, hours or day. You can also add a custom interval such as `30d` (30 days). `Auto` is the default option.
- **Min doc count** - The minimum amount of data to include in your query. The default is `0`

The **nested** group by option is currently experimental, you can select a field and then settings specific to that field.

Click the **+ sign** to add multiple group by options. The data will grouped in order (first by, then by).

{{< figure src="/static/img/docs/elasticsearch/group-by-then-by-10.2.png" max-width="850px" class="docs-image--no-shadow" caption="Group by options" >}}

### Logs query type

Logs queries analyze Elasticsearch log data. You can configure the following options:

- **Logs Options/Limit** - Limits the number of logs to analyze. The default is `500`.

### Raw data query type

Run a raw data query to retrieve a table of all fields that are associated with each log line.

- **Raw data size** - Number of raw data documents. You can specify a different amount. The default is `500`.

{{% admonition type="note" %}}
The option to run a **raw document query** is deprecated as of Grafana v10.1.
{{% /admonition %}}

## Use template variables

You can also augment queries by using [template variables]({{< relref "./template-variables/" >}}).

Queries of `terms` have a 500-result limit by default.
To set a custom limit, set the `size` property in your query.
