# Grafana Dashboard JSON Compatibility
This document provides a comprehensive feature-parity table between the [Grafana Dashboard JSON Model](https://grafana.com/docs/grafana/latest/dashboards/build-dashboards/json-model/) and what Grafatui currently supports.
**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
| `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` | ❌ Not Implemented | Uses `--refresh-rate` CLI option instead |
| `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
| `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 | |
### Panel Common Fields
| `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)
| `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` | ❌ Not Implemented | All queries use `query_range` |
| `targets[].format` | ❌ Not Implemented | Always treated as time_series |
| `targets[].hide` | ❌ Not Implemented | All targets are visible |
| `targets[].exemplar` | ❌ Not Implemented | |
| `targets[].editorMode` | ⛔ Not Applicable | UI-only setting |
### PromQL Special Variables
| `$__rate_interval` | ✅ Supported | Computed as `max(step × 4, 60s)` |
| `$__interval` | ❌ Not Implemented | |
| `$__interval_ms` | ❌ Not Implemented | |
| `$__range` | ❌ Not Implemented | |
| `$__range_s` | ❌ Not Implemented | |
| `$__range_ms` | ❌ Not Implemented | |
---
## Templating (Variables)
| `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 `$__all`, falls back to `.*` |
| `templating.list[].type` | ❌ Not Implemented | All variables treated as simple values |
| `templating.list[].query` | ❌ Not Implemented | No dynamic variable queries |
| `templating.list[].datasource` | ❌ Not Implemented | |
| `templating.list[].regex` | ❌ Not Implemented | |
| `templating.list[].sort` | ❌ Not Implemented | |
| `templating.list[].multi` | ❌ Not Implemented | Multi-value selection not supported |
| `templating.list[].includeAll` | ❌ Not Implemented | |
| `templating.list[].refresh` | ❌ Not Implemented | Variables are static after import |
| `templating.list[].options` | ❌ Not Implemented | No dropdown/picker UI |
| `templating.list[].hide` | ❌ Not Implemented | |
| CLI `--var KEY=VALUE` override | ✅ Supported | Overrides dashboard defaults from command line |
| Config file `vars` override | ✅ Supported | Overrides via TOML config |
### Variable Substitution
| `$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`)
> **⚠️ This entire section is currently NOT implemented.** This is the area most commonly expected by users coming from Grafana.
| `fieldConfig` | ❌ Not Implemented | Top-level field config object is ignored |
| `fieldConfig.defaults` | ❌ Not Implemented | |
| `fieldConfig.defaults.unit` | ❌ Not Implemented | Values displayed as raw numbers with SI suffixes |
| `fieldConfig.defaults.min` | ✅ Supported | Used for interpolating percentage thresholds and Gauge limits |
| `fieldConfig.defaults.max` | ✅ Supported | Used for scaling gauges and threshold boundaries |
| `fieldConfig.defaults.decimals` | ❌ Not Implemented | Always uses 2 decimal places |
| `fieldConfig.defaults.color` | ❌ Not Implemented | Uses theme palette instead |
| `fieldConfig.defaults.mappings` | ❌ Not Implemented | Value mappings not supported |
| `fieldConfig.defaults.noValue` | ❌ Not Implemented | |
| `fieldConfig.defaults.displayName` | ❌ Not Implemented | |
| `fieldConfig.defaults.custom` | 🟡 Partially Supported | Used for thresholds style and axis grid visibility |
| `fieldConfig.defaults.custom.drawStyle` | ❌ Not Implemented | Always drawn as lines |
| `fieldConfig.defaults.custom.lineWidth` | ❌ Not Implemented | TUI limitation |
| `fieldConfig.defaults.custom.fillOpacity` | ⛔ Not Applicable | TUI limitation |
| `fieldConfig.defaults.custom.pointSize` | ⛔ Not Applicable | TUI limitation |
| `fieldConfig.defaults.custom.stacking` | ❌ Not Implemented | No stacked charts |
| `fieldConfig.defaults.custom.axisPlacement` | ❌ Not Implemented | |
| `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.scaleDistribution` | ❌ Not Implemented | Always linear |
| `fieldConfig.overrides` | ❌ Not Implemented | |
### Thresholds
| `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`)
> **⚠️ This entire section is currently NOT implemented.**
| `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 |
| `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
| `annotations` | ❌ Not Implemented | |
| `annotations.list` | ❌ Not Implemented | |
---
## Data Links & Transformations
| `options.dataLinks` | ⛔ Not Applicable | No browser navigation in TUI |
| `transformations` | ❌ Not Implemented | |
| `transformations[].id` | ❌ Not Implemented | (e.g., `organize`, `merge`, `reduce`) |
---
## Alert Rules
| `alert` | ❌ Not Implemented | Panel-level alerts |
| `alert.conditions` | ❌ Not Implemented | |
| `alert.notifications` | ❌ Not Implemented | |
---
## Datasource Configuration
| Prometheus (`query_range`) | ✅ Supported | Primary and only supported datasource |
| Prometheus (`query` instant) | ❌ Not Implemented | |
| Prometheus labels API | ❌ Not Implemented | (for dynamic variable population) |
| Mixed datasource | ❌ Not Implemented | |
| InfluxDB | ❌ Not Implemented | |
| Loki | ❌ Not Implemented | |
| Elasticsearch | ❌ Not Implemented | |
| Other datasources | ❌ Not Implemented | |
---
## Summary Statistics
| Dashboard Properties | 1 | 0 | 10 | 4 |
| Panel Types | 6 | 1 | 14 | 4 |
| Panel Common Fields | 5 | 0 | 6 | 2 |
| Targets / Queries | 3 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| PromQL Variables | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Templating | 6 | 1 | 11 | 0 |
| Variable Substitution | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Field Config | 0 | 0 | 14 | 2 |
| Thresholds | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Panel Options | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Annotations | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Data Links / Transforms | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Alert Rules | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Datasources | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| **Total** | **27** | **2** | **102** | **14** |
---
## Most Requested Missing Features
Based on user feedback, the following missing features are most commonly expected:
1. **Thresholds** (`fieldConfig.defaults.thresholds`) — Color-changing values based on threshold steps
2. **Unit formatting** (`fieldConfig.defaults.unit`) — Display values as bytes, percent, duration, etc.
3. **Min/Max for gauges** (`fieldConfig.defaults.min/max`) — Proper gauge scaling
4. **Value mappings** (`fieldConfig.defaults.mappings`) — Map numeric values to text labels
5. **Dynamic template variables** (`templating.list[].type: "query"`) — Auto-populate variables from Prometheus
6. **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:
| **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 |
| **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 |
| **TOML configuration** | Persistent config file for all CLI options |
---
*This document was generated from the Grafatui source code at v0.1.4. If you notice any inaccuracies, please open an issue or PR.*