--- title: Explore data in Chronograf description: Query and visualize data in the Data Explorer. menu: chronograf_v1: name: Explore data in Chronograf weight: 130 parent: Guides --- Explore and visualize your data in the **Data Explorer**. For both InfluxQL and Flux, Chronograf allows you to move seamlessly between using the builder or templates and manually editing the query; when possible, the interface automatically populates the builder with the information from your raw query. Choose between [visualization types](/chronograf/v1/guides/visualization-types/) for your query. To open the **Data Explorer**, click the **Explore** icon in the navigation bar: ## Select local time or UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) - In the upper-right corner of the page, select the time to view metrics and events by clicking one of the following: - **UTC** for Coordinated Universal Time - **Local** for the local time reported by your browser {{% note %}} **Note:** If your organization spans multiple time zones, we recommend using UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) to ensure that everyone sees metrics and events for the same time. {{% /note %}} ## Explore data with InfluxQL InfluxQL is a SQL-like query language you can use to interact with data in InfluxDB. For detailed tutorials and reference material, see our [InfluxQL documentation](/influxdb/v1/query_language/). {{% note %}} #### Limited InfluxQL support in InfluxDB Cloud and OSS 2.x Chronograf interacts with **InfluxDB Cloud** and **InfluxDB OSS 2.x** through the [v1 compatibility API](/influxdb/cloud/reference/api/influxdb-1x/). The v1 compatibility API provides limited InfluxQL support. For more information, see [InfluxQL support](/influxdb/cloud/query-data/influxql/#influxql-support). {{% /note %}} 1. Open the Data Explorer and click **Add a Query**. 2. To the right of the source dropdown above the graph placeholder, select **InfluxQL** as the source type. 3. Use the builder to select from your existing data and allow Chronograf to format the query for you. Alternatively, manually enter and edit a query. 4. You can also select from the dropdown list of **Metaquery Templates** that manage databases, retention policies, users, and more. _See [Metaquery templates](#metaquery-templates)._ 5. To display the templated values in the query, click **Show template values**. 6. Click **Submit Query**. ## Explore data with Flux Flux is InfluxData's new functional data scripting language designed for querying, analyzing, and acting on time series data. The **Script Builder** lets you build a complete Flux script scoped to a selected time range. View new tag keys and tag values based on already selected tag keys and tag values. Search for key names and values. To learn more about Flux, see [Getting started with Flux](/influxdb/v2/query-data/get-started). 1. Open the Data Explorer by clicking **Explore** in the left navigation bar. 2. Select **Flux** as the source type. 3. Click **Script Builder**. 4. The **Schema**, **Script**, and **Flux Functions** panes appear. - Use the **Schema** pane to explore your available data. Click the **{{< icon "plus" >}}** sign next to a bucket name to expand its content. - Use the **Script** pane to enter and view your Flux script. - Use the **Flux Functions** pane to view details about the available Flux functions. 5. To get started building a new script, click **Script Builder**. Using the Flux script builder, you can select a bucket, measurements and tags, fields and an aggregate function. Click **{{< icon "plus" >}} Load More** to expand any truncated lists. You can also choose a variety of time ranges on your schema data. 6. When you are finished creating your script, click **Submit**. 7. Click **Script Editor** to view and edit your query. 8. If you make changes to the script using the **Script Builder**, you will receive a message when clicking **Submit** warning you that submitting changes will override the script in the Flux editor, and that the script cannot be recovered. ## Visualize your query Select the **Visualization** tab at the top of the **Data Explorer**. For details about all of the available visualization options, see [Visualization types in Chronograf](/chronograf/v1/guides/visualization-types/). ## Add queries to dashboards To add your query and graph to a dashboard: 1. Click **Send to Dashboard** in the upper right. 2. In the **Target Dashboard(s)** dropdown, select at least one existing dashboard to send the cell to, or select **Send to a New Dashboard**. 3. Enter a name for the new cell and, if you created a new dashboard, the new dashboard. 4. If using an **InfluxQL** data source and you have multiple queries in the Data Explorer, select which queries to send: - **Active Query**: Send the currently viewed query. - **All Queries**: Send all queries. 5. Click **Send to Dashboard(s)**. ## Metaquery templates Metaquery templates provide templated InfluxQL queries manage databases, retention policies, users, and more. Choose from the following options in the **Metaquery Templates** dropdown list: ###### Manage databases - [Show Databases](/influxdb/v1/query_language/explore-schema/#show-databases) - [Create Database](/influxdb/v1/query_language/manage-database/#create-database) - [Drop Database](/influxdb/v1/query_language/manage-database/#delete-a-database-with-drop-database) ###### Measurements, Tags, and Fields - [Show Measurements](/influxdb/v1/query_language/explore-schema/#show-measurements) - [Show Tag Keys](/influxdb/v1/query_language/explore-schema/#show-tag-keys) - [Show Tag Values](/influxdb/v1/query_language/explore-schema/#show-tag-values) - [Show Field Keys](/influxdb/v1/query_language/explore-schema/#show-field-keys) ###### Cardinality - [Show Field Key Cardinality](/influxdb/v1/query_language/spec/#show-field-key-cardinality) - [Show Measurement Cardinality](/influxdb/v1/query_language/spec/#show-measurement-cardinality) - [Show Series Cardinality](/influxdb/v1/query_language/spec/#show-series-cardinality) - [Show Tag Key Cardinality](/influxdb/v1/query_language/spec/#show-tag-key-cardinality) - [Show Tag Values Cardinality](/influxdb/v1/query_language/spec/#show-tag-values-cardinality) ###### Manage retention policies - [Show Retention Polices](/influxdb/v1/query_language/explore-schema/#show-retention-policies) - [Create Retention Policy](/influxdb/v1/query_language/manage-database/#create-retention-policies-with-create-retention-policy) - [Drop Retention Policy](/influxdb/v1/query_language/manage-database/#delete-retention-policies-with-drop-retention-policy) ###### Manage continuous queries - [Show Continuous Queries](/influxdb/v1/query_language/continuous_queries/#listing-continuous-queries) - [Create Continuous Query](/influxdb/v1/query_language/continuous_queries/#syntax) - [Drop Continuous Query](/influxdb/v1/query_language/continuous_queries/#deleting-continuous-queries) ###### Manage users and permissions - [Show Users](/influxdb/v1/query_language/spec/#show-users) - [Show Grants](/influxdb/v1/query_language/spec/#show-grants) - [Create User](/influxdb/v1/query_language/spec/#create-user) - [Create Admin User](/influxdb/v1/administration/authentication_and_authorization/#admin-user-management) - [Drop User](/influxdb/v1/query_language/spec/#drop-user) ###### Delete data - [Drop Measurement](/influxdb/v1/query_language/manage-database/#delete-measurements-with-drop-measurement) - [Drop Series](/influxdb/v1/query_language/manage-database/#drop-series-from-the-index-with-drop-series) - [Delete](/influxdb/v1/query_language/manage-database/#delete-series-with-delete) ###### Analyze queries - [Explain](/influxdb/v1/query_language/spec/#explain) - [Explain Analyze](/influxdb/v1/query_language/spec/#explain-analyze) ###### Inspect InfluxDB internal metrics - [Show Stats](/influxdb/v1/query_language/spec/#show-stats) - [Show Diagnostics](/influxdb/v1/query_language/spec/#show-diagnostics) - [Show Subscriptions](/influxdb/v1/query_language/spec/#show-subscriptions) - [Show Queries](/influxdb/v1/troubleshooting/query_management/#list-currently-running-queries-with-show-queries) - [Show Shards](/influxdb/v1/query_language/spec/#show-shards) - [Show Shard Groups](/influxdb/v1/query_language/spec/#show-shard-groups)