Visualization settings

• Reference
• 10-min read
• Updated on Oct 05, 2026

Data Explorer offers nine visualization types. You select and configure a visualization here, and a visualization you pin to a dashboard keeps its settings as a dashboard tile.

Visualization types

Select a visualization from the list in the upper-left corner of Data Explorer. When you switch visualizations, settings that don't apply to the new visualization are ignored, and an information icon in the list warns you. If you switch back, you might need to reconfigure them.

To choose which metrics of a multi-metric query a visualization shows, select the letter next to a metric or .

For how each visualization looks as a dashboard tile, see Visualizations in the Dashboards section.

Graph

A graph shows metric values over time as lines, columns, or areas. A graph can show any selection of metrics in the query, with up to 20 series per metric.

Graph with an area metric and a line metric in Data Explorer

Chart mode sets each metric to Line, Column, or Area.

Baselines, correlated metrics, and focus are graph actions rather than settings. See Add a baseline, Add correlated metrics, and Focus on a metric series.

For how the tile looks, see Graph tiles.

Shared settings that apply: Unit and format, resolution, legend, connect gaps, rename, color palette, color override, axes, and thresholds. See Shared settings.

Stacked column

A stacked column chart shows metric values over time as stacked columns. Your metric selection controls which metrics are stacked, and only metrics with the same unit can be stacked.

Stacked column chart of several metrics in Data Explorer

Chart mode sets each metric to Line, Column, or Area.

For how the tile looks, see Stacked column tiles.

Shared settings that apply: Unit and format, resolution, legend, connect gaps, rename, color palette, color override, axes, and thresholds. See Shared settings.

Stacked area

A stacked area chart shows metric values over time as stacked areas. Your metric selection controls which metrics are stacked, and only metrics with the same unit can be stacked.

Stacked area chart of several metrics in Data Explorer

For how the tile looks, see Stacked area tiles.

Shared settings that apply: Unit and format, resolution, legend, connect gaps, rename, color palette, color override, axes, and thresholds. See Shared settings.

Pie

A pie shows query results as a pie or doughnut chart. By default, it shows the first metric of a multi-metric query. Thresholds don't apply to a pie.

For how the tile looks, see Pie tiles.

Shared settings that apply: Unit and format, legend, fold transformation, rename, color palette, and color override. See Shared settings.

Single value

A single value shows one metric and merges all its dimensions into a single aggregate.

Single value visualization in Data Explorer

Show trend

Show trend shows the trend in the tile, based on the first and last data points of the selected timeframe.

Show sparkline

Show sparkline shows a sparkline in the tile.

Threshold background

Threshold background reflects the threshold color in the tile background when turned on.

For how the tile looks, see Single value tiles.

Shared settings that apply: Unit and format, fold transformation, rename, and thresholds. See Shared settings.

Table

A table shows query results as rows, with one metric per column. A table can show any selection of metrics in the query, and shows 100 rows by default.

Table with two metrics split by dimension in Data Explorer

Sort

Columns

The Columns section turns individual columns on or off. The selection also applies to table tiles.

Rows

In Data Explorer, results are limited to 100 rows by default. Limit sets another value, and Limit > Maximum removes the limit, as does removing :limit(100) in advanced mode. For the row limit on a table tile, see Table tiles.

Pages

Page controls are at the bottom of the Result section, and on table tiles. For the page size of a table tile, see Table tiles.

Table thresholds

For how the tile looks, see Table tiles.

Shared settings that apply: Unit and format, fold transformation, rename, and thresholds. See Shared settings.

Top list

A top list shows a ranked list of results. A top list doesn't show multiple metrics: only the metric selected in the query editor runs, and the first metric is selected by default.

Top list visualization in Data Explorer

For how the tile looks, see Top list tiles.

Shared settings that apply: Unit and format, fold transformation, rename, color override, and thresholds. See Shared settings.

Heatmap

A heatmap shows the value distribution in buckets. By default, it shows the first metric of a multi-metric query.

Heatmap visualization in Data Explorer

Y axis shows the Y axis by value or split by dimensions. Buckets sets the number of buckets on each axis. The default is Auto; clear a number to return to Auto.

For how the tile looks, see Heatmap tiles.

Shared settings that apply: Unit and format, resolution, legend, show labels, rename, color palette, and thresholds. See Shared settings.

Honeycomb

A honeycomb shows one cell per result, colored by threshold. By default, it shows the first metric of a multi-metric query and 100 cells. To show more, use Limit > Maximum, or remove :limit(100) from the query in advanced mode. Hover over a cell on a tile to see details, and select it for drilldown options.

Honeycomb visualization in Data Explorer

Show hive works with Show legend:

For how the tile looks, see Honeycomb tiles.

Shared settings that apply: Unit and format, legend, show labels, fold transformation, rename, color palette, and thresholds. See Shared settings.

Shared settings

These options appear in the Settings section. Its contents depend on the selected visualization.

The Settings section also lists options for each metric in the query.

Resolution

Some resolutions are unavailable for some timeframes. If you select an incompatible combination, Dynatrace applies a resolution automatically and displays a message such as Auto-resolution applied. Resolution value of [6 hours] applied. Selected timeframe doesn't allow for [5 minutes] resolution. Select a different resolution to override it.

For the data point limit of a dashboard tile, see Tile behavior.

Connect gaps

Connect gaps draws a continuous line across intervals without data. It's available for Graph, Stacked column, and Stacked area.

Legend

The legend is active: select a legend entry to turn the display of that entry on or off.

Fold transformation values

The fold transformation affects the resolution:

All metric selectors use the same total value mechanism, fold or Inf, so adding a selector that requires fold might change the results of the other selectors. To see the query Data Explorer sends, select > Copy request in the Result section.

Unit and format

Unit and Format set how values are displayed, and also apply to values you export to a CSV file.

In advanced mode, use :setUnit(<unit>) to select from a wider range of units.

Dynatrace uses this order-of-magnitude notation:

Examples:

Axes

The Axes section is available for Graph, Stacked column, and Stacked area. The section lists the X axis and each Y axis.

Thresholds

The Threshold section sets threshold values and colors for every visualization except Pie, and the colors also apply to dashboard tiles.

Result problems

For missing series and empty table cells, see Troubleshoot results.