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Honeycomb has several types of graph options to explore your query results in multiple ways. Customize your display and how you interact with your data by using:

Markers

Markers signal interesting occurrences within the context of your queries. Use Markers to identify points in time, such as:
  • Deploys
  • Incidents
  • Activated/resolved Triggers
  • On/Off feature flags
Markers can apply to an entire environment or a specific dataset. Create an environment marker when the range of time is relevant across multiple datasets and Services, such as a deployment marker. Create a dataset marker when the range of time is relevant to the specific dataset or Service.
Honeycomb Classic does not support Environment markers. Learn more about Honeycomb versus Honeycomb Classic.
To create a marker from the UI:
  1. In your query results, move your cursor over the graph to your desired time point.
  2. Select your desired time point, which causes the graph menu options to appear.
  3. Select Add marker. The Add a Marker modal appears.
    Screenshot illustrating the 'Add a Marker' dialog box
  4. Enter the following information:
    1. A Message for your marker, such as “Deploy #299” or “Abnormal Spike in Products Page Traffic”.
    2. A Type for the marker, such as “deploy” or “trigger”. After creation, the type appears as a preface to the marker’s message when viewing the marker details.
    3. The URL field is optional, but provides a great way for more context about the marker.
    4. Select the “Environment-wide” checkbox to apply this marker to all datasets in your environment.
      Honeycomb Classic users must migrate first to use this Environment-wide feature.
  5. When finished, select Create to add your marker to the graph.
To add markers via a command line tool or further manage existing markers, use either curl or honeymarker, a lightweight marker management tool that provides a CRUD command line interface. Refer to our Markers CLI documentation for more information.

View Markers in the UI

Once created, markers appear on any queries that run within the same time period as the marker(s). Each marker type can appear in its own color.
To change marker color, configure dataset markers in Dataset Settings or environment markers in Environment Settings.
Hover over the Marker icon () to view a marker’s details. A solid vertical line appears and a window displays the marker’s name, description, and if applicable, a selectable URL. To persist the marker’s vertical line and information window, select the Persist icon (). To close the persisted display, use the Close icon () that appears in the window after selection.
Screenshot illustrating a selected marker and marker details

Access Graph Settings

The Marker Options (), Download Query Results (), and Display Settings ()menu icons appear after a query runs in Query Builder. These three icons appear directly below the time picker and the Query Builder interface. Select each icon to open its menu options.
Markers text bubble icon, Download Query Results icon, and Graph Settings gear icon display

Markers Settings Menu

Control how Markers display on the query results, either by filtering or changing the markers’ appearance. By default, Honeycomb shows environment markers in environment-wide queries and dataset markers in dataset queries.

Hide or Show Markers

Hide or show markers in the results display either by using the Graph Settings menu or the m keyboard shortcut.

Filter Markers

To access Filter Markers, either:
  1. Press l on your keyboard
  2. Select the Marker Options icon () below the time picker in your query results, and select Filter Markers.
The Filter Markers modal appears. Use to modify what markers appear based on:
  1. their value
  2. whether or not markers of the opposite type (environment/dataset) are allowed
  3. their marker type
Select Submit to update the display of markers.
Screenshot illustrating the 'Filter Markers' dialog box for a dataset query

Download Query Results Menu

These download options remain static in the menu.

Download CSV

Use Download CSV to download the query results in .csv format.
We may process or alter the data returned in the CSV to prevent CSV injection vulnerabilities. For more information, contact Support via support.honeycomb.io or email at support@honeycomb.io.

Download JSON

Use Download JSON to download the query results in JSON format.

Display Settings Menu

These Display Settings menu options control the appearance of all your charts. Select an option to apply it to all charts. The selected option in the menu then updates all charts.
First set of Graph Settings menu

Prefer Overlaid Charts

Honeycomb renders a separate chart for every VISUALIZE clause in your query by default. Checking Prefer Overlaid Charts combines any visualized AVG, MIN, MAX, and PERCENTILE clauses into a single chart.
Prefer overlaid charts that shows charts rendered together
Supported operations include:
  • AVG
  • MAX
  • MIN
  • P001
  • P01
  • P05
  • P10
  • P20
  • P25
  • P50
  • P75
  • P80
  • P90
  • P95
  • P99
  • P999
Charts will not overlay for queries that have a GROUP BY clause. Unsupported operations include:
  • CONCURRENCY
  • COUNT
  • COUNT_DISTINCT
  • GROUP BY (removes overlays)
  • HEATMAP
  • RATE
  • SUM

Display UTC Time X-Axis or Localtime X-Axis

UTC Time : Displays the x-axis in Coordinated Universal Time, the time at 0° longitude. UTC is sometimes referred to as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). UTC does not observe Daylight Savings Time. Local Time : Displays the x-axis in your browser’s local time.

Hide or Show Graph Hovers

Graph Hovers appear in the results display when hovering over a graph. Hide or show Graph Hovers either by using the Graph Settings menu or the o keyboard shortcut. For example, use this setting to remove any obstruction to the overall graph display, or to optimize for screenshot purposes.

Modify Chart Menu

The chart settings menu controls the appearance of individual charts. Select an option to apply it to the corresponding chart. The selected option in the menu then updates the chart.
Menu showing options available for chart type
Menu showing options available for chart settings

Chart Types

Select a chart type to update the corresponding chart. The following charts are available: Line Graph : [default] Displays each group as a line of values over time. Read the value at a particular time directly from the y-axis on the left side of the graph. Bar Chart (Time Series) : Displays each group as bars of values over time. Read the value at a particular time directly from the y-axis on the left side of the graph. Stacked Graph : Displays groups as stacked colored areas under their line graphs. Each shows a group’s relative contribution to the total. The y-axis reflects the sum of all groups. Stat Chart : Displays a single value and graph sparkline. Bar Chart (Categorical) : Displays each group as a horizontal bar representing a single, non-time-based value. Each bar corresponds to a unique value of a categorical field. (For example, endpoint or status code.) Read the category and value from the label on the right side of the bar. Pie Chart (Categorical) : Displays each group as a slice of a circle, representing a single, non-time-based value. Each slice corresponds to a unique value of a categorical field. (For example, endpoint or status code.) Read the category and value from the legend or from the hover menu when hovering over a slice.

Chart Settings

Display Log Scale or Linear Scale

Log Scale : The y-axis of a Log Scale graph increases exponentially. Each Y value increase represents an order of magnitude (10n) change. A Log Scale graph is useful for data with an extremely large range of values. Linear Scale : [default] The y-axis of a Linear Scale graph increases by a fixed amount as values increase. It is useful for data with a limited range of expected values.

Omit Missing Values or Fill Missing Values with Zeros

Omit Missing Values : Interpolates between points when the intervening time buckets have no matching events. Use to display a continuous line graph with no drops to zero. Fill Missing Values with Zeros : [default] Substitutes zero values for time buckets with no matching events.

Other categories

Show other categories : [default] Includes a bar or pie slice representing categories beyond the query’s limit. Hide other categories : Does not display information about categories beyond the query’s limit.

Chart Thresholds

Chart thresholds help you quickly assess system health and identify when your data cross values that require additional attention or action. Thresholds apply only to time series charts: line, stacked area, bar, and stat charts.

Defining a Threshold

Defining a threshold lets you control when a threshold takes effect and how it appears on a chart. You choose the condition, value, and visual style used to display the threshold. To add a threshold:
  1. Select the Modify Chart menu.
  2. Toggle on Set Threshold.
    Modify chart menu showing the Set Threshold switch
  3. Enter the threshold settings:
    SettingDescription
    Active conditionCondition that triggers the threshold, based on whether values are greater than (>) or less than (<) the threshold value.
    ValueNumeric value that defines when the threshold condition is met.
    ColorColor used to display the threshold on the chart or indicate a met condition.
    LabelText shown on the chart to identify what the threshold represents.
    StyleVisual style of the threshold line. Available for line, stacked area, and bar charts only.
    Modify chart menu showing Threshold settings
  4. Select Done.
The Modify Chart menu closes, and your changes are saved. When you save the query to a Board or to My Saved Queries, the threshold is saved with it and remains visible.

Threshold Displays

For line, stacked area, and bar charts, thresholds appear as lines labeled with the threshold name.
Line chart when condition is met
For stat charts, the stat changes color only when the threshold condition is met:
Stat chart when condition is met
If the condition is not met, the stat chart remains neutral:
Stat chart when condition is not met