Grafana Dashboard JSON Compatibility

This document provides a comprehensive feature-parity table between the Grafana Dashboard JSON Model and what Grafatui currently supports.

Snapshot: Grafatui v0.1.9. The roadmap prioritizes Grafana parity first, then user-visible product value. See the roadmap for milestone slices built from this compatibility ladder.

Legend:

✅ Supported — Fully implemented and working
🔶 Partial — Partially implemented or with limitations
❌ Not Implemented — Recognized but not yet functional
⛔ Not Applicable — Cannot be implemented in a TUI context (e.g., browser-only features)

Dashboard-Level Properties

JSON Field	Status	Notes
`title`	✅ Supported	Displayed in the title bar
`uid`	❌ Not Implemented	Not used (not needed for local JSON import)
`id`	❌ Not Implemented	Not used
`version`	❌ Not Implemented	Not used
`tags`	❌ Not Implemented	Ignored
`timezone`	❌ Not Implemented	All timestamps displayed in UTC
`editable`	⛔ Not Applicable	Grafatui is read-only
`style`	⛔ Not Applicable	TUI has its own theme system
`schemaVersion`	❌ Not Implemented	Not validated
`refresh`	✅ Supported	Used as the default data refresh interval; overridden by config or `--refresh-rate`
`time`	❌ Not Implemented	Uses `--range` CLI option instead
`time.from` / `time.to`	❌ Not Implemented	Uses `--range` CLI option instead
`fiscalYearStartMonth`	⛔ Not Applicable
`liveNow`	❌ Not Implemented	Uses `0` key to reset to live instead
`weekStart`	⛔ Not Applicable

Panels

Panel Types

Panel Type	Status	Notes
`graph` (legacy)	✅ Supported	Rendered as a line chart (Braille markers)
`timeseries`	✅ Supported	Mapped to graph renderer
`stat`	✅ Supported	Big value + sparkline
`gauge`	✅ Supported	Horizontal gauge bar
`bargauge`	✅ Supported	Vertical bar chart
`table`	✅ Supported	Two-column table (Series, Value)
`heatmap`	✅ Supported	Character-based block heatmap
`row`	🔶 Partial	Row panels are traversed for nested panels, but row headers/collapse are not rendered
`text`	❌ Not Implemented	Skipped during import
`dashlist`	❌ Not Implemented	Skipped during import
`alertlist`	❌ Not Implemented	Skipped during import
`news`	⛔ Not Applicable
`annolist`	❌ Not Implemented
`barchart`	❌ Not Implemented	Skipped (distinct from `bargauge`)
`candlestick`	❌ Not Implemented
`canvas`	⛔ Not Applicable	Interactive canvas not feasible in TUI
`datagrid`	❌ Not Implemented
`debug`	⛔ Not Applicable
`geomap`	⛔ Not Applicable	Map visualization not feasible in TUI
`histogram`	❌ Not Implemented
`logs`	❌ Not Implemented
`nodeGraph`	⛔ Not Applicable
`piechart`	❌ Not Implemented
`state-timeline`	❌ Not Implemented
`status-history`	❌ Not Implemented
`trend`	❌ Not Implemented
`xychart`	❌ Not Implemented

Graph & Timeseries Parity

Feature	JSON Field	Behavior	Grafana	Grafatui
Draw styles	`fieldConfig.defaults.custom.drawStyle`	Line, points, and bars map to terminal graph styles	🟡	✅
Point display	`fieldConfig.defaults.custom.showPoints`	`always` overlays visible point markers; `never` suppresses area/line point markers	🟡	🔶
Area fill	`fieldConfig.defaults.custom.fillOpacity`	Nonzero fill opacity renders terminal/SVG area fill behind the line	🟡	🔶
Stacking	`fieldConfig.defaults.custom.stacking`	Parsed and retained; non-off modes render non-stacked in this slice	🟡	🔶
Axis placement	`fieldConfig.defaults.custom.axisPlacement`	`hidden` suppresses y-axis labels; left/right map to the terminal y-axis	🟡	🔶
Axis grid	`fieldConfig.defaults.custom.axisGridShow`	Controls per-panel autogrid guide lines	🟡	✅
Threshold style	`fieldConfig.defaults.custom.thresholdsStyle`	Dashed/line style is parsed for graph threshold rendering	🟡	🔶

Panel Common Fields

JSON Field	Status	Notes
`title`	✅ Supported	Displayed as the panel border title
`type`	✅ Supported	Used to select the renderer
`gridPos`	✅ Supported	24-column grid layout fully supported
`gridPos.x`	✅ Supported
`gridPos.y`	✅ Supported
`gridPos.w`	✅ Supported
`gridPos.h`	✅ Supported
`id`	❌ Not Implemented	Not used
`description`	❌ Not Implemented	Not displayed
`transparent`	⛔ Not Applicable	TUI panels always have borders
`links`	⛔ Not Applicable	No browser navigation
`repeat`	❌ Not Implemented	Template repeat not supported
`repeatDirection`	❌ Not Implemented
`maxPerRow`	❌ Not Implemented
`collapsed` (row)	❌ Not Implemented	Rows are always expanded
`panels` (nested in row)	✅ Supported	Nested panels are extracted recursively

Targets (Queries)

JSON Field	Status	Notes
`targets` (array)	✅ Supported	Multiple targets per panel supported
`targets[].expr`	✅ Supported	PromQL expression
`targets[].legendFormat`	✅ Supported	`{{label}}` syntax for legend formatting
`targets[].refId`	❌ Not Implemented	Not used
`targets[].datasource`	❌ Not Implemented	Only Prometheus datasource is supported
`targets[].interval`	❌ Not Implemented	Uses global `--step` instead
`targets[].intervalFactor`	❌ Not Implemented
`targets[].instant`	✅ Supported	Uses Prometheus instant `query` when true; Gauge, BarGauge, and Table default to instant
`targets[].format`	❌ Not Implemented	Always treated as time_series
`targets[].hide`	✅ Supported	Hidden targets are skipped during import
`targets[].exemplar`	❌ Not Implemented
`targets[].editorMode`	⛔ Not Applicable	UI-only setting

PromQL Special Variables

Variable	Status	Notes
`$__rate_interval`	✅ Supported	Computed as `max(step × 4, 60s)`
`$__rate_interval_ms`	✅ Supported	Millisecond form of `$__rate_interval`
`$__interval`	✅ Supported	Computed from the current range and panel resolution, bounded by `--step`
`$__interval_ms`	✅ Supported	Millisecond form of `$__interval`
`$__range`	✅ Supported	Current dashboard time range
`$__range_s`	✅ Supported	Current dashboard time range in seconds
`$__range_ms`	✅ Supported	Current dashboard time range in milliseconds

Templating (Variables)

JSON Field	Status	Notes
`templating.list`	✅ Supported	Variables extracted from dashboard
`templating.list[].name`	✅ Supported	Used as `$var` or `${var}` in queries
`templating.list[].current.value`	✅ Supported	Used as default value
`templating.list[].current.text`	🔶 Partial	Used as fallback if `value` is missing
`templating.list[].allValue`	✅ Supported	Used when value is `$__all`, falls back to `.*`
`templating.list[].type`	🔶 Partial	`query` variables are resolved for Prometheus
`templating.list[].query`	🔶 Partial	Supports Prometheus `label_values(...)` and `query_result(...)`
`templating.list[].definition`	🔶 Partial	Used as a fallback query expression for dynamic query variables
`templating.list[].datasource`	❌ Not Implemented
`templating.list[].regex`	🔶 Partial	Applied to dynamic query variable results
`templating.list[].sort`	❌ Not Implemented
`templating.list[].multi`	❌ Not Implemented	Multi-value selection not supported
`templating.list[].includeAll`	❌ Not Implemented
`templating.list[].refresh`	🔶 Partial	Dynamic variables refresh before panel queries
`templating.list[].options`	❌ Not Implemented	No dropdown/picker UI
`templating.list[].hide`	❌ Not Implemented
CLI `--var KEY=VALUE` override	✅ Supported	Overrides dashboard defaults from command line
Config file `vars` override	✅ Supported	Overrides via TOML config

Variable Substitution

Pattern	Status	Notes
`$varname`	✅ Supported	Simple substitution
`${varname}`	✅ Supported	Braced substitution
`${varname:regex}`	❌ Not Implemented	Format modifiers not supported
`${varname:pipe}`	❌ Not Implemented
`${varname:csv}`	❌ Not Implemented
`${varname:json}`	❌ Not Implemented
`${varname:queryparam}`	❌ Not Implemented
`$__all`	✅ Supported	Replaced with `allValue` or `.*`

Field Configuration (`fieldConfig`)

fieldConfig is partially implemented. Thresholds, explicit min/max bounds, selected display formatting fields, threshold style, and per-panel autogrid settings are parsed; value mappings, display names, and field overrides remain major gaps.

JSON Field	Status	Notes
`fieldConfig`	🔶 Partial	Parsed for supported defaults/custom fields below
`fieldConfig.defaults`	🔶 Partial	Parsed for min/max, thresholds, and selected custom fields
`fieldConfig.defaults.unit`	🔶 Partial	Common units such as bytes, bits, seconds, milliseconds, percent, percentunit, ops, request rate, and byte rate are formatted; unknown units fall back to Grafatui’s compact SI formatter
`fieldConfig.defaults.min`	✅ Supported	Used for Graph y-axis lower bounds, percentage thresholds, and Gauge limits
`fieldConfig.defaults.max`	✅ Supported	Used for Graph y-axis upper bounds, gauge scaling, and threshold boundaries
`fieldConfig.defaults.decimals`	✅ Supported	Controls numeric precision in panel values, graph axes, legends, and exports
`fieldConfig.defaults.color`	❌ Not Implemented	Uses theme palette instead
`fieldConfig.defaults.mappings`	❌ Not Implemented	Value mappings not supported; import diagnostics warn when mappings are ignored
`fieldConfig.defaults.noValue`	🔶 Partial	Used for null Stat/Table values and exports; empty panels still show Grafatui’s `No data` state
`fieldConfig.defaults.displayName`	❌ Not Implemented
`fieldConfig.defaults.custom`	🔶 Partial	Used for graph draw style, fill/points, axis placement, stacking metadata, threshold style, and axis grid visibility
`fieldConfig.defaults.custom.lineWidth`	❌ Not Implemented	TUI limitation
`fieldConfig.defaults.custom.fillOpacity`	🔶 Partial	Nonzero values enable terminal/SVG area fill; exact browser opacity is approximated
`fieldConfig.defaults.custom.pointSize`	⛔ Not Applicable	TUI points use fixed terminal-cell markers
`fieldConfig.defaults.custom.axisLabel`	❌ Not Implemented
`fieldConfig.defaults.custom.axisGridShow`	✅ Supported	Controls per-panel autogrid guide lines for graph/time-series panels
`fieldConfig.defaults.custom.thresholdsStyle`	🔶 Partial	`mode` is parsed for threshold rendering; glyph style is also controlled by Grafatui’s marker setting
`fieldConfig.defaults.custom.scaleDistribution`	❌ Not Implemented	Always linear
`fieldConfig.overrides`	❌ Not Implemented

Thresholds

JSON Field	Status	Notes
`fieldConfig.defaults.thresholds`	✅ Supported	Applied to Graph limit lines and dynamic coloring for Stat, Gauge & BarGauge
`fieldConfig.defaults.thresholds.mode`	✅ Supported	(`absolute` / `percentage`)
`fieldConfig.defaults.thresholds.steps`	✅ Supported
`fieldConfig.defaults.thresholds.steps[].value`	✅ Supported	Evaluated mathematically against metric values
`fieldConfig.defaults.thresholds.steps[].color`	✅ Supported	Maps keywords (e.g., `green`) and hex codes (e.g., `#FF0000`)

Panel Options (`options`)

Panel-specific options are not parsed yet. Grafatui currently applies its own compact TUI defaults for legends, stat sparklines, gauges, and inspect-mode tooltips.

JSON Field	Status	Notes
`options`	❌ Not Implemented	Panel-specific options object is ignored
`options.legend`	❌ Not Implemented	Grafatui uses its own compact legend
`options.legend.displayMode`	❌ Not Implemented	Always shows inline legend
`options.legend.placement`	❌ Not Implemented	Always bottom
`options.legend.calcs`	❌ Not Implemented	No calculated legend values (min/max/avg)
`options.tooltip`	❌ Not Implemented	Inspect mode serves as tooltip substitute
`options.tooltip.mode`	❌ Not Implemented
`options.orientation`	❌ Not Implemented
`options.reduceOptions`	❌ Not Implemented	Stat/Gauge always use last value; import diagnostics warn when reduce options are ignored
`options.reduceOptions.calcs`	❌ Not Implemented
`options.reduceOptions.fields`	❌ Not Implemented
`options.textMode`	❌ Not Implemented
`options.colorMode`	❌ Not Implemented
`options.graphMode`	❌ Not Implemented	Stat always shows sparkline

Annotations

JSON Field	Status	Notes
`annotations`	❌ Not Implemented
`annotations.list`	❌ Not Implemented

Data Links & Transformations

JSON Field	Status	Notes
`options.dataLinks`	⛔ Not Applicable	No browser navigation in TUI
`transformations`	❌ Not Implemented
`transformations[].id`	❌ Not Implemented	(e.g., `organize`, `merge`, `reduce`)

Alert Rules

JSON Field	Status	Notes
`alert`	❌ Not Implemented	Panel-level alerts
`alert.conditions`	❌ Not Implemented
`alert.notifications`	❌ Not Implemented

Datasource Configuration

Feature	Status	Notes
Prometheus (`query_range`)	✅ Supported	Primary and only supported datasource
Prometheus (`query` instant)	✅ Supported	Used for dynamic template variables and instant panel targets
Prometheus labels API	✅ Supported	Used for dynamic variable `label_values(...)`
Mixed datasource	❌ Not Implemented
InfluxDB	❌ Not Implemented
Loki	❌ Not Implemented
Elasticsearch	❌ Not Implemented
Other datasources	❌ Not Implemented

Summary Statistics

Category	Supported	Partial	Not Implemented	Not Applicable
Dashboard Properties	1	0	10	4
Panel Types	7	1	14	5
Panel Common Fields	8	0	6	2
Targets / Queries	3	0	8	1
PromQL Variables	7	0	0	0
Templating	6	6	6	0
Variable Substitution	3	0	5	0
Field Config	4	6	10	2
Thresholds	5	0	0	0
Panel Options	0	0	14	0
Annotations	0	0	2	0
Data Links / Transforms	0	0	2	1
Alert Rules	0	0	3	0
Datasources	3	0	5	0
Total	47	13	85	15

Most Requested Missing Features

Based on user feedback, the following missing features are most commonly expected:

Value mappings (fieldConfig.defaults.mappings) — Map numeric values to text labels
Broader unit formatting (fieldConfig.defaults.unit) — Extend the current common-unit subset to more Grafana unit families
Reduce options (options.reduceOptions) — Use min/max/mean/total instead of always using the latest value
Import diagnostics — Warn clearly about skipped panel types and ignored high-impact fields
Additional panel types — text, piechart, histogram, logs

What Grafatui Does Instead

Grafatui provides several TUI-native capabilities that don’t map directly to Grafana JSON features:

Grafatui Feature	Description
8 color themes	`default`, `dracula`, `monokai`, `solarized-dark`, `solarized-light`, `gruvbox`, `tokyo-night`, `catppuccin`
Keyboard navigation	Vim-style (`j`/`k`), arrow keys, page up/down
Panel search	`/` opens a fuzzy-search popup
Fullscreen mode	`f` to focus on a single panel
Inspect mode	`v` enables cursor-based point-in-time inspection
Y-axis toggle	`y` switches between auto-scale and zero-based
Series toggling	`1`–`9` to show/hide individual series
Autogrid toggle	`g` toggles automatic guide lines
Mouse support	Click to select, scroll to navigate, drag cursor in fullscreen
Smart caching	Request deduplication and caching for identical queries
Client-side downsampling	Max-pooling to ~200 points to preserve peaks
SVG/PNG export and recordings	Save dashboard snapshots or changed-frame recording bundles
TOML configuration	Persistent config file for all CLI options

This document was reviewed against the Grafatui source code at v0.1.9. If you notice any inaccuracies, please open an issue or PR.

Keyboard shortcuts

Grafatui User Guide