Variables & Filter Segments

Variables & Filter Segments

Gen2 dashboards used management zone filters. Gen3 dashboards use variables (dropdown filters) and segments (data partitions).

Dashboard Variables

{
  "version": 2,
  "key": "HostFilter",
  "type": "query",
  "visible": true,
  "editable": true,
  "input": "fetch dt.entity.host | fields entity.name | sort entity.name",
  "multiple": false,
  "defaultValue": "*"
}

Using Variables in Queries

// Single-select variable
timeseries avg(dt.host.cpu.usage)
| filter dt.entity.host == $HostFilter

// Multi-select variable
fetch logs, from:now() - 1h
| filter in(dt.process_group.detected_name, array($ServiceFilter))

Variable Types

Type        Source                          Example
──────────  ──────────────────────────────  ──────────────────────────
query       DQL query returns options       Host list from entity query
code        Static list in JSON             ["prod", "staging", "dev"]

Segments as Dashboard Filters

Segments replace management zone filters on dashboards. Instead of selecting a management zone, users select a segment that filters all tiles.

GEN2: Dashboard → Management Zone dropdown → filters all tiles
GEN3: Dashboard → Segment selector → filters all DQL queries

Best Practices

• Use key not id for variable identifiers
• Set "version": 2 on every variable
• Use defaultValue: "*" for "show all" behavior
• Don't hardcode time ranges in tile queries — let the dashboard timeframe control it
• Use :noquote suffix for variables in string contexts