> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.chronosphere.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Visualize values in ranges with gauge charts
[Classic dashboards](/observe/dashboards/classic-dashboards) have their own panels
and methods of configuring them. For details about panels in classic dashboards,
see [Classic dashboard panels](/observe/dashboards/classic-dashboards/classic-panels).
A *gauge chart* visualizes numeric data returned by a [query](/investigate/querying).
The chart depicts a specified value, such as the last numeric value in a time series
or the result's sum, average, or minimum or maximum value, within a radial gauge
representing a specified range.
Each gauge displays its series name or alias, the configured numeric value representing
that series, and an indicator pointing to where that value falls within its range.
Two bars on the gauge indicate the gauge's thresholds by their colors:
* A thick bar indicates in which threshold the value falls.
* A thin bar indicates the thresholds' ranges on the gauge.
You can visualize the results of multiple queries in a single gauge chart panel
to visually compare them. This can help you quickly identify whether values from
related queries, such as resource usage of different services or cumulative failure
and error counts, are within expected thresholds.
To create a gauge chart or learn more about the configuration options common
to all panels, see [Panels](/observe/dashboards/panels).
## Gauge chart queries
Gauge charts use one or more
[queries](/observe/dashboards/panels#change-a-panels-query) to retrieve data to
visualize. Gauge charts use the following query **Options** to refine the
displayed information, depending on your **Datasource**:
* **Series naming**: Select a method to filter for metrics:
* **Labels** require a **Naming pattern**. Use `{{ label_name }}` to include a
label value. For example, `{{ env }}` will be replaced with values like staging-1, prod-1.
* **Regex**: Use a [regular expression](/investigate/querying/regular-expressions)
in the **Regex** text field to match a time series. You can also use a
**Naming pattern** to rename series using capture groups.
* **Type**: The [PromQL query](/investigate/querying/promql#basic-querying)
type: **Instant**, or **Range**.
- **Truncation strategy**: Truncation strategy to apply to the query. This modifies
the raw query. Observability Platform selects the best strategy for fit when
possible, and displays `Auto` as the selected strategy.
Available strategies are:
* `Auto`
* `Off`
* `Avg`
* `Min`
* `Max`
Changing your truncation strategy adds truncation information as additional bands
or bars on your chart and details into the legend.
**Series naming**: Select a method to filter for metrics:
* **Labels** require a **Naming pattern**. Use `{{ label_name }}` to include a
label value. For example, `{{ env }}` will be replaced with values like staging-1, prod-1.
* **Regex**: Use a [regular expression](/investigate/querying/regular-expressions)
in the **Regex** text field to match a time series. You can also use a
**Naming pattern** to rename series using capture groups.
## Configure a gauge chart
You can configure a gauge chart by [modifying its **Settings**](/observe/dashboards/panels#edit-a-panel).
Any changes you make in the panel's **Settings** tab are immediately reflected in the
**Preview** pane, but take effect only when you click **Apply** in the **Edit panel**
interface and then **Save** the dashboard.
Observability Platform doesn't fully support directly editing a panel's JSON
representation and recommends configuring panels in the user interface. Use the JSON
representation only for managing your configuration as code with tools such as
[Chronoctl](/tooling/chronoctl) and [Terraform](/tooling/infrastructure/terraform).
### Modify a gauge chart's visual representation
The **Visual** section in a gauge chart's **Settings** tab controls how Observability
Platform visualizes data in the gauge chart.
* **Mode**: Select a display mode: **Gauge** or **Bar**.
* **Sort**: Determines how the gauge chart sorts the rendered bars.
* **Default** sorts in the original data order.
* **Ascending** sorts from the lowest value at the top, to the highest
value at the bottom. **Descending** sorts in the opposite direction.
### Modify a gauge chart's units and formatting
The **Unit and formatting** section in a gauge's **Settings** tab defines how the
gauge interprets and displays the panel's query units.
* **Unit**: Defines the unit used to render the Y-axis. This has the most significant
effect when you enable Abbreviate. Defaults to `Decimal`.
* **Decimal**: Base 10 values. Observability Platform renders a value of
`1000000` as `1M`.
* **Bytes**: As decimal multiple-byte units. Observability Platform renders a
value of `1000000` as `1MB`.
* **Time**: Determines the [unit of time](/overview/concepts/time-units)
that Observability Platform uses to interpret a numeric value.
* **Percent**: Interprets the value as a percentile, representing 0% to 100% in a
range of either 0.0 to 1.0 (**Percent (0.0-1.0)**) or 0 and 100
(**Percent (0-100)**).
For example, Observability Platform renders a value of `1.0` in **Percent
(0.0-1.0)** as `100%`, and in **Percent (0-100)** as `1%`.
* **Decimals**: Defines how many decimal places Observability Platform renders for
values.
**Default** renders decimal places only if necessary and rounds to the nearest
value. Numeric values from `0` to `4` render the corresponding number of decimal
places.
* **Abbreviate**: Toggles whether to abbreviate units on the Y-axis. For example, if
enabled, Observability Platform renders a value of `100000000` as `100M`. You can
toggle this setting only if you set the **Unit** to `Decimal` or `Bytes`; `Time`
units are always abbreviated and `Percent` values don't require the toggle.
Defaults to `true`.
### Modify a gauge chart's thresholds
The **Thresholds** section in a gauge chart's **Settings** tab defines values where
Observability Platform renders each threshold range. You can define threshold values
as either absolute numeric values or percentiles.
The threshold's **Mode** defines whether all thresholds use **Absolute** numeric
values, which is the default mode, or **Percent** values. Percent values are relative
to the Y axis' minimum and maximum.
Observability Platform assumes that the **Default** threshold always starts at the
left-most beginning of the gauge's range and end at the first threshold value. Each
subsequent threshold value defines the end of the previous threshold's range.
Observability Platform also assumes the last threshold range begins at the last
threshold value and ends at the right-most ending of the gauge's range.
To create a new threshold value:
1. Click the plus sign (**+**) in the **Thresholds** section header.
2. In the field that displays, enter a value where you want Observability Platform to
end the previous threshold range and begin the next range.
3. Click either **Absolute** or **Percent** to select the mode you want the panel to
display.
If you choose **Absolute** as the **Mode** and select any unit other than
**Percent**, you must enter a maximum value in the **Max** field for the gauge
chart to correctly display data. Otherwise, the chart has no upper limit and will
display data incorrectly.
4. Optional: Click the color indicator, depicted as a colored circle, to open a
color selector and choose a color for the threshold line.
5. Optional: Click the caret (**>**) to expand the threshold definition, and enter text
in the **Message** field to display on the chart if the threshold is met.
To display only the text from the **Message** field, click the
**Show only message** toggle.
6. In the **Edit panel** dialog, click **Apply** to save your changes.
7. After you've finished editing the panel, click **Save** on the dashboard to save
your changes.
To delete a threshold value, click the caret (**>**) to expand the threshold definition,
and then click the
** Delete** icon on its corresponding
row of the Thresholds section.