Using Dashboard Rows

1. Adding Row Containers

Property	Description	Default Value	Notes
row	Defines a new row container in the dashboard layout	None	Used to group panels vertically
collapsed	Indicates whether the row is collapsed by default	false	Set to true to hide the row initially
height	Height of the row in pixels	200px	Adjusts vertical space for panels inside

Example: Adding a Row Container

{
  "dashboard": {
    "rows": [
      {
        "id": 1,
        "title": "System Metrics",
        "collapsed": false,
        "height": 300
      }
    ]
  }
}

2. Naming Row Titles

Property	Value	Description
title	`string`	The name displayed for the row in the dashboard
collapsed	`boolean`	If true, the row is collapsed by default when the dashboard loads

Example: Setting Row Title

{
  "title": "Server Metrics",
  "collapsed": false
}

3. Collapsing and Expanding Rows

Option	Values	Notes
collapsed	`true` / `false`	Controls initial state of the row

Example: Collapsing a Row

{
  "collapsed": true,
  "panels": [
    {
      "id": 1,
      "type": "graph"
    }
  ]
}

Note: When a row is collapsed, all panels within it are hidden from view but remain in the dashboard JSON.

Warning: Collapsed rows can be difficult to re-expand if the dashboard is viewed on a small screen or in a mobile layout.

4. Moving Rows (drag and drop)

Rows in a Grafana dashboard can be repositioned using drag and drop functionality. This allows for dynamic rearrangement of panels within the dashboard layout.

Step	Action	Description
1	Click and hold	Click and hold the row handle (a small bar or icon at the top of each row) to initiate dragging.
2	Drag row	Drag the row to the desired position in the dashboard layout.
3	Release	Release the mouse button to drop the row into its new position.

Note: The row handle is typically visible as a small horizontal bar or icon at the top of each dashboard row. This feature works in both edit and view modes.

Example: Reordering Rows

To reorder rows in Grafana:

Enter dashboard edit mode.
Locate the row handle (a small bar) at the top of a row.
Click and drag the row to a new position in the dashboard.
Release the mouse to drop the row into place.

5. Using Repeating Rows

Repeating rows in Grafana allow you to dynamically create multiple rows based on a variable's values, which is particularly useful for grouping panels by dimensions like environment, service, or region.

Property	Description	Example
repeat	Defines the variable to repeat the row by. The row will be repeated for each value of this variable.	`repeat: env`
repeatDirection	Controls the direction of repeating rows. Options are `h` (horizontal) or `v` (vertical). Default is `v`.	`repeatDirection: h`
maxPerRow	Limits the number of panels per row when repeating horizontally. Default is `0` (no limit).	`maxPerRow: 2`

Example: Repeating Rows by Environment

{
  "panels": [
    {
      "id": 1,
      "type": "row",
      "repeat": "env",
      "repeatDirection": "v"
    },
    {
      "id": 2,
      "type": "graph",
      "title": "CPU Usage - {{env}}"
    }
  ]
}

Note: The variable env must be defined in the dashboard's variables. Each repeated row will have a unique context based on the variable value.

6. Deleting Rows

Rows in Grafana dashboards can be deleted either individually or in bulk. This action removes the row and all panels within it from the dashboard.

Action	Description	Notes
Delete Single Row	Click the row's gear icon and select "Delete row"	Available in Grafana v9.0+
Delete Multiple Rows	Use the selection mode to select multiple rows and delete them together	Requires selecting rows first using the checkbox in the row header

Example: Deleting a Row via UI

1. Click the row's gear icon (⚙️)
2. Select "Delete row" from the dropdown menu
3. Confirm deletion in the modal dialog

Note: Deleting a row is irreversible. Panels within the row will be permanently removed from the dashboard.

7. Setting Row Height

Property	Values	Description
height	`200px`, `100%`	Sets the height of the row in pixels or percentage
collapsed	`true`, `false`	Controls whether the row is collapsed by default

Example: Setting Row Height

{
  "id": 1,
  "title": "Row One",
  "height": "200px",
  "collapsed": false
}

Note: The height property can be set in pixels or as a percentage of the dashboard width.

8. Organizing Panels in Rows

Property	Description	Values
panels	List of panels in the row	`[]`
collapsed	Whether the row is collapsed by default	`false` or `true`
gridPos	Position of the row in the grid	`{ x: number, y: number, w: number, h: number }`

Example: Creating a Row with Panels

{
  "panels": [
    {
      "id": 1,
      "type": "graph",
      "title": "CPU Usage"
    },
    {
      "id": 2,
      "type": "stat",
      "title": "Memory Usage"
    }
  ],
  "collapsed": false,
  "gridPos": {
    "x": 0,
    "y": 0,
    "w": 24,
    "h": 8
  }
}

Note: Rows can contain multiple panels and are useful for grouping related metrics together.

9. Using Row for Summary Metrics

Property	Description	Values
panels	Array of panels to include in the row	`[]`
collapsed	Whether the row is collapsed by default	`false`
title	Display title of the row	`"Summary Metrics"`

Example: Define a Summary Metrics Row

{
  "title": "Summary Metrics",
  "collapsed": false,
  "panels": [
    {
      "type": "stat",
      "title": "Total Users"
    },
    {
      "type": "gauge",
      "title": "CPU Usage"
    }
  ]
}