How to add a Global Filter?

Question

How to add a Global Filter?

Aaron Knapp-Corona 20 Microsoft Employee

I just want a basic filter that impacts multiple tiles at once. Is that possible? It's standard on most analytics platforms.

Suchitra Suregaunkar 13,785 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-20T00:10:16.5466667+00:00

Hello Aaron Knapp-Corona

Could you please share us the additional details of the issue you are facing?

Thanks,

Suchitra.
Aaron Knapp-Corona 20 Reputation points Microsoft Employee

2026-03-20T19:57:16.23+00:00

I have a Grafana dashboard with many tiles. I want 1 filter that impacts all the tiles. For example, filtering all tiles to a particular region. Currently, I have to edit each tile individually and apply a filter for the region.

I attached a photo of an example dashboard (link: https://networkingtycoon-prod-b0f6a3afe7g3fxan.wus3.grafana.azure.com/d/ef6a28bc-9380-451d-a601-dc45e4c1b5cb/vnc-bb-canary?orgId=1&from=now-30d&to=now&timezone=browser).

image (1).png
Suchitra Suregaunkar 13,785 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-26T15:40:53.9833333+00:00

Hello Aaron Knapp-Corona

If the answer is helpful, could you please click "upvote" it and this helps other community members who may encounter a similar issue in the future.

If you’re still experiencing the problem or need further clarification, please feel free to share additional information so we can continue investigating and assist you further.

Thanks,

Suchitra.

Answer accepted by question author

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Suchitra Suregaunkar 13,785 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-20T00:10:16.5466667+00:00

Hello Aaron Knapp-Corona

Could you please share us the additional details of the issue you are facing?

Thanks,

Suchitra.
Aaron Knapp-Corona 20 Reputation points Microsoft Employee

2026-03-20T19:57:16.23+00:00

I have a Grafana dashboard with many tiles. I want 1 filter that impacts all the tiles. For example, filtering all tiles to a particular region. Currently, I have to edit each tile individually and apply a filter for the region.

I attached a photo of an example dashboard (link: https://networkingtycoon-prod-b0f6a3afe7g3fxan.wus3.grafana.azure.com/d/ef6a28bc-9380-451d-a601-dc45e4c1b5cb/vnc-bb-canary?orgId=1&from=now-30d&to=now&timezone=browser).

image (1).png
Suchitra Suregaunkar 13,785 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-26T15:40:53.9833333+00:00

Hello Aaron Knapp-Corona

If the answer is helpful, could you please click "upvote" it and this helps other community members who may encounter a similar issue in the future.

If you’re still experiencing the problem or need further clarification, please feel free to share additional information so we can continue investigating and assist you further.

Thanks,

Suchitra.

Answer 1

Hello Aaron Knapp-Corona

Yes, Grafana does support a single “global filter” that affects all tiles, but it’s implemented using Dashboard Variables (also called templating variables), not a separate “global filter” control like in some BI tools.

In Grafana, a dashboard variable appears as a dropdown at the top of the dashboard. Any panel that references this variable will automatically update when the variable changes.

This is how you create a single Region filter that impacts all tiles. [grafana.com]

Your requirement

One filter (e.g., region)
Applies to all tiles
Avoid editing filters separately per tile every time

Grafana solution

Create one dashboard variable called region
Reference $region in each panel’s query
Change region once → all panels update

Create a dashboard variable

Go to Dashboard Settings (⚙️) → Variables
Add a variable named region
Type: Query (or Custom if regions are static)
This variable is shown globally at the top of the dashboard

Use the variable in panel queries:

Replace hard‑coded region values in panel queries with the variable:

region = "$region"

or (for multi‑select):

region =~ "$region"

Any panel using $region will now respond to the dropdown selection. You will see below result.

One dropdown at the top of the dashboard
All tiles update automatically
No need to manually edit each panel again

This is the standard Grafana pattern for global filtering.

Grafana does NOT have a separate “global filter” UI element like some BI tools.

Instead:

Dashboard variables ARE the global filter
This is absolutely possible and is natively supported in Grafana using dashboard variables. A variable defined at the dashboard level acts as a global filter, and any panel that references the variable will update automatically when its value changes. This is the recommended and standard way to apply a single filter (such as region) across multiple tiles in Grafana dashboards.

Official reference: Grafana documentation – Variables (Templating) [grafana.com]

Could you please let us know if the comment above resolved your issue? If you need any further assistance, feel free to reach out—we're always here to support you.

If you found the comment helpful, please consider clicking "Upvote it."

Thanks,
Suchitra.

Suchitra Suregaunkar 13,785 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-26T17:59:49.73+00:00

Hello Aaron Knapp-Corona

Thank you for the upvote.

We are glad that the provided information helped you. Along with that Accepting the answer is equally important because it confirms the resolution and helps others in the community quickly find verified solutions. It also reflects the success of our joint effort to resolve your query. If anything is still unclear or you need further assistance, please let us know.

We are happy to help.

So, kindly consider marking the answer as Accepted and this helps other community members who may encounter a similar issue in the future.

Thanks,

Suchitra.

Answer 2

Hi Aaron,

To create a global filter in Azure Managed Grafana that impacts all tiles at once, you should use Dashboard Variables (also known as Template Variables). Instead of hard-coding values like "Region" into every individual tile, you create a single variable at the dashboard level that acts as a dynamic dropdown menu for your users.

Create the Variable: Go to Dashboard Settings (gear icon) > Variables > Add variable, set the type to "Query," and define your list (e.g., all Azure Regions).

Update Your Tiles: Edit each tile's query to replace the static filter with the variable name preceded by a dollar sign (e.g., change WHERE Region = 'East US' to WHERE Region = '$Region').

Enable Multi-Select: In the variable settings, toggle "Multi-value" to ON if you want the filter to allow selecting multiple regions at once.

Global Sync: Once saved, selecting a value from the dropdown at the top of the dashboard will instantly update all connected tiles simultaneously.

Would you like me to show you the specific KQL or SQL syntax to u

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How to add a Global Filter?

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