Using Kibana Canvas

1. Understanding Canvas

Example: Basic Canvas Expression

{&#34;type&#34;: &#34;canvas&#34;, &#34;expression&#34;: &#34;data() | filter &#34;}

Property	Description	Values
type	Defines the type of Kibana object	`"canvas"`
expression	Defines the expression to execute in Canvas	`"data() \| filter "`

Note: Canvas expressions are built using a domain-specific language (DSL) that allows for complex data transformations and visualizations.

2. Creating Canvas Workpads

Example: Basic Canvas Workpad Structure

{
  "title": "My Workpad",
  "version": 1,
  "objects": [
    {
      "id": "chart-1",
      "type": "visualization",
      "params": {
        "visType": "area",
        "data": {
          "query": "match_all()"
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}

Property	Description	Values
title	Name of the workpad	`string`
version	Canvas version (currently 1)	`number`
objects	List of visualizations and layouts	`array`

Note: Workpads are saved as JSON documents in Kibana's canvas workspace.

Workflow: Creating a New Canvas Workpad

Navigate to Kibana > Canvas
Click + New Workpad
Set title and version
Add visualization objects using the UI or JSON editor
Save and preview workpad

3. Adding Elements

Example: Adding a Text Element

{
  "name": "myCanvas",
  "elements": [
    {
      "type": "text",
      "content": "Hello, Kibana Canvas!",
      "position": {
        "x": 10,
        "y": 10
      },
      "size": {
        "width": 200,
        "height": 50
      }
    }
  ]
}

Property	Description	Values
type	Element type	`text`, `image`, `chart`
content	Content to display (for text elements)	`string`
position.x	X coordinate of element	`number`
position.y	Y coordinate of element	`number`
size.width	Width of element	`number`
size.height	Height of element	`number`

Note: Canvas elements are positioned absolutely within the canvas area.

Example: Adding a Chart Element

{
  "name": "salesChart",
  "elements": [
    {
      "type": "chart",
      "data": "salesData",
      "chartType": "bar",
      "position": {
        "x": 250,
        "y": 50
      },
      "size": {
        "width": 400,
        "height": 300
      }
    }
  ]
}

4. Using Data Sources

Example: Configuring a Data Source in Kibana Canvas

{
  "dataSources": [
    {
      "name": "sales_data",
      "type": "elasticsearch",
      "index": "sales-2025",
      "query": {
        "size": 1000,
        "query": {
          "range": {
            "date": {
              "gte": "2025-01-01",
              "lt": "2025-12-31"
            }
          }
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}

Data Source Type	Description	Usage
elasticsearch	Connects to Elasticsearch indices	Used for querying and visualizing log data
search	Performs search queries on Elasticsearch	Allows filtering and aggregation of data
saved_search	Uses a saved search from Kibana	Reuses existing Kibana search queries

Note: Data sources in Kibana Canvas must be defined within the dataSources array of a Canvas template.

Warning: Ensure that the Elasticsearch index specified in the data source has proper mappings to avoid query errors.

5. Configuring Element Expressions

Property	Description	Values	Notes
element	Defines the type of element to render	`text`, `image`, `chart`, `table`	Required field for all elements
label	Human-readable label for the element	`string`	Used in UI for identification
expression	Expression defining how to compute or display data	`string`	Can use Kibana Canvas DSL or Elasticsearch queries
style	Styling properties for the element	`object`	Supports color, size, font, etc.

Example: Text Element with Expression

{
  "element": "text",
  "label": "Total Logs",
  "expression": "count(logs)",
  "style": {
    "fontSize": "16px",
    "color": "#007bff"
  }
}

Example: Chart Element with Expression

{
  "element": "chart",
  "label": "Log Volume Over Time",
  "expression": "timeseries(logs)",
  "style": {
    "width": "100%",
    "height": "300px"
  }
}

6. Using Canvas Functions

Function	Description	Parameters	Example
canvas.add	Adds a new element to the canvas	`element`, `position`	`canvas.add("rectangle", { x: 10, y: 10 })`
canvas.image	Inserts an image into the canvas	`url`, `position`	`canvas.image("https://example.com/image.png", { x: 0, y: 0 })`
canvas.text	Adds a text element to the canvas	`text`, `position`, `style`	`canvas.text("Hello World", { x: 50, y: 50 }, { fontSize: 16 })`
canvas.shape	Draws a shape (rectangle, circle, etc.)	`type`, `position`, `size`	`canvas.shape("circle", { x: 100, y: 100 }, { radius: 50 })`

Example: Creating a Canvas with Text and Shape

const canvas = new KibanaCanvas();
canvas.text("Welcome to Kibana Canvas", { x: 10, y: 10 });
canvas.shape("rectangle", { x: 10, y: 30 }, { width: 200, height: 50 });

7. Styling Elements

Property	Description	Values	Notes
color	Text or background color	`"#FF0000"`, `"red"`, `"rgb(255, 0, 0)"`	Supports hex, named colors, and RGB values
fontSize	Size of the font	`12`, `"14px"`	Can be specified in pixels or numeric values
fontFamily	Font family to use	`"Arial"`, `"Helvetica"`	Must be a valid font name or family
fontWeight	Font weight (bold, normal, etc.)	`"normal"`, `"bold"`	Supports standard CSS font weights
textAlign	Text alignment within the element	`"left"`, `"center"`, `"right"`	Aligns text inside the element
border	Border style and properties	`"1px solid #000"`	Accepts standard CSS border syntax

Example: Applying Styles to Text

const textElement = {
  type: "text",
  content: "Hello World",
  style: {
    color: "#FF0000",
    fontSize: 16,
    fontWeight: "bold"
  }
};

Example: Styling a Rectangle

const rectangle = {
  type: "rectangle",
  width: 100,
  height: 50,
  style: {
    color: "blue",
    border: "2px solid black"
  }
};

8. Creating Reusable Elements

Example: Creating a Reusable Canvas Element

// Define a reusable element for a Kibana Canvas
const reusableElement = {
  name: "salesReportCard",
  type: "canvasElement",
  properties: {
    title: "Sales Report",
    width: 300,
    height: 200
  },
  content: {
    type: "text",
    value: "Quarterly Sales Summary"
  }
};

console.log("Reusable element defined:", reusableElement);

Property	Description	Value Type	Notes
name	Unique identifier for the element	`string`	Must be unique within the Kibana instance
type	Element type definition	`string`	Must be `canvasElement`
properties	Configuration options for the element	`object`	Includes title, dimensions, etc.
content	Content to display in the element	`object`	Can be text, image, or chart

Note: Reusable elements can be shared across multiple Kibana Canvas workspaces.

Warning: Changes to a reusable element will update all instances where it is used.

Best Practices for Reusable Elements

Use descriptive names to identify the purpose of each element
Define consistent properties for similar elements
Test elements in different contexts before deploying
Document element usage and dependencies

9. Using Variables

Example: Defining a Variable in Kibana Canvas

{
  "name": "myVariable",
  "value": "100"
}

Property	Description	Values
name	Name of the variable	`string`
value	Value assigned to the variable	`string`

Note: Variables in Kibana Canvas are used to store and reuse values across different parts of a canvas expression.

10. Configuring Auto-Refresh

Setting	Description	Default Value	Notes
autoRefresh	Enables or disables auto-refresh in Kibana Canvas	`false`	Set to `true` to enable automatic refresh
autoRefreshInterval	Time interval (in seconds) between auto-refreshes	`30`	Valid range: 1 to 3600 seconds

Example: Enabling Auto-Refresh in Kibana Canvas

{
  "autoRefresh": true,
  "autoRefreshInterval": 60
}

Note: Auto-refresh is useful for dashboards that require real-time data updates. Adjust the interval to balance between responsiveness and performance.

11. Exporting Canvas

Option	Values	Description
export.format	`png`, `pdf`, `svg`	Format to export the Canvas as
export.width	`1024`, `1920`	Width in pixels for PNG/PDF export
export.height	`768`, `1080`	Height in pixels for PNG/PDF export

Example: Export Canvas as PDF

canvas.export({
  format: "pdf",
  width: 1920,
  height: 1080
})

Note: PDF exports support embedded fonts and high-resolution rendering for print-quality outputs.

Option	Values	Notes
workpad.share	`true`	Enable sharing of workpads
workpad.public	`false`	Make workpad publicly accessible
workpad.access	`private`	Access level: `private`, `restricted`, or `public`

{
  "title": "Sales Report",
  "share": {
    "public": true,
    "access": "public"
  }
}

Note: Public workpads are accessible to anyone with the URL. Use carefully.

Warning: Sharing workpads publicly may expose sensitive data. Ensure appropriate access controls are in place.