Managing Plugins

1. Installing Plugins via CLI

Command	Description	Options	Notes
grafana-cli plugins install	Install a plugin from the Grafana Plugin Registry	`--repo`, `--pluginVersion`	Requires Grafana server to be running
grafana-cli plugins list	List installed plugins	`--installed`, `--update`	Shows plugin ID, name, and version
grafana-cli plugins uninstall	Uninstall a plugin by ID	`--pluginId`	Removes plugin from disk and database

Example: Install a plugin via CLI

grafana-cli plugins install grafana-azure-monitor-datasource

Example: Install a specific version of a plugin

grafana-cli plugins install grafana-azure-monitor-datasource 1.2.3

Note: Plugin installation requires Grafana server to be running. After installing, restart the Grafana server for changes to take effect.

2. Installing Plugins via UI

Example: Installing a Plugin via Grafana UI

1. Navigate to Grafana UI
2. Go to Configuration > Plugins
3. Search for desired plugin (e.g., "Prometheus")
4. Click "Install" button
5. Restart Grafana server if prompted

Step	Description	Action
Access UI	Open Grafana web interface	Browser access to Grafana URL
Navigate to Plugins	Go to plugin management section	Configuration > Plugins menu
Search Plugin	Find plugin by name or category	Use search bar in plugin list
Install Plugin	Initiate plugin installation	Click "Install" button on plugin card
Restart Server	Apply changes to Grafana instance	Restart Grafana service (if required)

Note: Some plugins may require additional configuration after installation, such as setting up data sources or dashboards.

Warning: Ensure that the plugin is compatible with your Grafana version to avoid issues.

3. Installing Unsigned Plugins

Note: Installing unsigned plugins is disabled by default for security reasons. You must explicitly enable this feature in Grafana's configuration.

Configuration Option	Value	Description
plugins.allowUnsigned	`false`	Set to `true` to allow installation of unsigned plugins

Example: Enabling Unsigned Plugin Installation

[plugins]
allowUnsigned = true

Warning: Enabling unsigned plugin installation can pose security risks. Only enable this setting if you trust the source of the plugins.

Security Considerations

Unsigned plugins may contain malicious code
Enable plugins.allowUnsigned only in trusted environments
Regularly audit installed plugins for security vulnerabilities

4. Updating Plugins

Plugin	Current Version	Latest Version	Status
Grafana	`11.2.0`	`11.3.0`	NEW
Prometheus	`2.3.0`	`2.4.0`	DEPRECATED
Elasticsearch	`1.2.0`	`1.3.0`	BETA

Example: Update Plugin via CLI

grafana-cli plugins update &lt;plugin-id&gt;

Example: Update All Plugins

grafana-cli plugins update-all

Note: Ensure Grafana server is running before updating plugins.

Warning: Updating plugins may cause compatibility issues with older versions of Grafana.

5. Removing Plugins

Plugin ID	Removal Command	Notes
grafana-plugin-id	`grafana-cli plugins remove grafana-plugin-id`	Removes the specified plugin from Grafana

Example: Removing a Plugin

grafana-cli plugins remove grafana-worldmap-panel

Note: Ensure Grafana is restarted after removing a plugin to fully unload it from memory.

6. Configuring Plugin Settings

Setting	Description	Default Value	Notes
plugin.enabled	Enables or disables a plugin	`true`	Set to `false` to disable a plugin
plugin.allow_loading	Allows loading of plugins from external sources	`false`	Requires explicit configuration to enable
plugin.trust_external	Trusts external plugins without user confirmation	`false`	Use with caution in production environments

Example: Enabling a Plugin via Configuration

{
  "plugins": {
    "enabled": true,
    "allow_loading": false,
    "trust_external": false
  }
}

Note: Plugin settings can also be managed through the Grafana UI under Configuration > Plugins.

7. Using Panel Plugins

Property	Value	Description
panel.type	`graph`	Panel type to display data
targets	`[{...}]`	Array of query targets to fetch data from
datasource	`prometheus`	Name of the data source to use for queries

Example: Adding a Graph Panel

{
  "panel": {
    "type": "graph",
    "targets": [
      {
        "expr": "up",
        "legendFormat": "{{job}}"
      }
    ],
    "datasource": "prometheus"
  }
}

Note: Panel plugins can be installed via the Grafana UI or using the grafana-cli command-line tool.

Warning: Ensure that the panel plugin is compatible with your Grafana version to avoid unexpected behavior.

Panel Plugin Usage Summary

Install plugins through the Grafana UI or CLI.
Use panel.type to define the visualization type (e.g., graph, table).
Define targets to specify data queries.
Set the datasource to connect to your data source.

8. Using Data Source Plugins

Property	Value	Description
type	`datasource`	Indicates the plugin type is a data source
name	`MySQL`	Name of the data source plugin
id	`mysql`	Unique identifier for the plugin
version	`1.0.0`	Version of the plugin installed

Example: Configuring a MySQL Data Source

{
  "name": "MySQL-DS",
  "type": "mysql",
  "access": "proxy",
  "url": "localhost:3306",
  "database": "grafana_db",
  "user": "admin",
  "password": "secret123"
}

Note: Ensure the data source plugin is compatible with your Grafana version.

Warning: Never store passwords in plain text in configuration files.

Configuration Option	Description	Default Value
url	Database connection URL	`localhost:3306`
database	Name of the database to connect to	`grafana_db`
user	Database user for authentication	`admin`
password	Password for the database user	`secret123`

9. Using App Plugins

App plugins in Grafana are powerful extensions that provide additional functionality, such as new data sources, panels, or application features. They are designed to be self-contained and can be installed and managed through the Grafana interface or CLI.

Property	Description	Example
appPlugin.id	Unique identifier for the app plugin	`"myapp-plugin"`
appPlugin.name	Display name of the app plugin	`"My App Plugin"`
appPlugin.version	Version of the app plugin	`"1.0.0"`
appPlugin.type	Indicates the plugin type (e.g., datasource, panel)	`"app"`

Example: Installing an App Plugin via CLI

grafana-cli plugins install myapp-plugin

Example: Enabling an App Plugin in Grafana

{
  "plugins": [
    {
      "id": "myapp-plugin",
      "enabled": true
    }
  ]
}

Note: App plugins must be signed and verified by Grafana to ensure security and compatibility.

Warning: Installing unsigned or untrusted plugins can pose security risks. Always verify plugin sources.

Key Points About App Plugins

App plugins extend Grafana’s functionality with custom features.
They can be installed via the Grafana UI or CLI.
Plugins must be enabled in the configuration to be active.
Ensure plugins are from trusted sources to avoid security vulnerabilities.

10. Managing Plugin Permissions

Permission	Resource	Description	Level
plugins:install	plugin	Allows installing plugins from the Grafana plugin repository	Admin
plugins:uninstall	plugin	Allows uninstalling plugins	Admin
plugins:configure	plugin	Allows configuring plugin settings and options	Editor
plugins:read	plugin	Allows reading plugin metadata and status	Viewer

Example: Configure Plugin Permissions via API

curl -X POST "http://localhost:3000/api/plugins/grafana-piechart-panel" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <your_token>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"enabled": true, "pluginId": "grafana-piechart-panel"}'

Note: Plugin permissions can be managed through the Grafana UI under Configuration > Plugins. Admins can enable or disable plugins and configure their settings.