# Creating Trace Analytics Dashboards

> Guide to creating Trace Analytics Dashboards from aggregated queries in Traces Explorer

Source: https://last9.io/docs/creating-trace-analytics-dashboards-from-traces-explorer/

Creating custom trace analytics dashboards in Last9 allows you to visualize and monitor trace data through aggregated metrics. This guide explains how to create and promote trace queries into dashboard visualizations.

:::tip
For a complete overview of dashboard features including panel configuration, variables, and sharing, see the [Dashboards documentation](/docs/dashboards/).
:::

## Starting with Traces Explorer

### Using Query Builder Mode

    1. Navigate to the [Traces Explorer](https://app.last9.io/traces) in Last9
    2. Use the **Span** or **Trace** tabs to build your query
    3. Add a FILTER stage to narrow down your data

        ```
        Service Name exists
        Trace Status = STATUS_CODE_ERROR
        ```

    4. Add an AGGREGATE stage with a timeslice to create a time-series visualization

        ```
        count as _count
        groupby Service Name as service_name
        timeslice 15 minutes
        ```

    5. Click **Run Query** to preview your visualization

    6. Promote the query to a dashboard by clicking the **Add to Dashboard** button

        ![Promote to TraceMetrics Dashboard](../../../../assets/content/docs/traces/add-to-dashboard/promote-to-dashboard.png)

    7. Create a new dashboard or add it to an existing dashboard by providing a descriptive panel name

        ![Create TraceMetrics Dashboard](../../../../assets/content/docs/traces/add-to-dashboard/create-dashboard.png)

    8. You will be redirected to the dashboard with your query added as a panel

        ![New TraceMetrics Dashboard](../../../../assets/content/docs/traces/add-to-dashboard/new-dashboard.png)

    9.  Edit the panel by clicking the **⋮** button and selecting **edit**

        ![Edit TraceMetrics Panel](../../../../assets/content/docs/traces/add-to-dashboard/edit-panel.png)

    10. Add multiple panels to the dashboard by following the same steps

## Query Construction Guidelines

### Aggregation Requirements

To create dashboard visualizations from traces:

- **timeslice** parameter is required for time-series charts
- Use **groupby** to split metrics across different dimensions
- Choose appropriate aggregation functions based on your analysis needs

### Common Aggregation Patterns

Error rate tracking by service:

```
count as error_count
groupby Service Name as service
timeslice 5 minutes
```

P99 latency monitoring:

```
quantile(0.99, duration) as p99_latency
groupby Service Name as service
timeslice 10 minutes
```

Request volume by endpoint:

```
count as request_count
groupby http.route as endpoint
timeslice 15 minutes
```

## Supported Aggregation Functions

Last9 supports several aggregation functions for creating meaningful visualizations:

- Count-based aggregations:

  - **count**: Counts the number of spans or traces
  - **count field**: Counts non-null values of a specific field

- Statistical aggregations:

  - **sum**: Sums the values of a numeric field
  - **avg**: Averages the values of a numeric field
  - **min**: Finds the minimum value of a numeric field
  - **max**: Finds the maximum value of a numeric field
  - **median**: Finds the median value of a numeric field
  - **stddev**: Calculates the sample standard deviation
  - **stddev_pop**: Calculates the population standard deviation
  - **variance**: Calculates the sample variance
  - **variance_pop**: Calculates the population variance

- Quantile functions:
  - **quantile**: Calculates approximate quantile (value between 0 and 1)
  - **quantile_exact**: Calculates exact quantile (value between 0 and 1)

## Best Practices

### Time Range Selection

- Match timeslice interval to your dashboard's time range
- For real-time monitoring, use shorter intervals (1-5 minutes)
- For historical analysis, use longer intervals (15-60 minutes)
- Consider query performance when selecting time ranges

### Query Performance

- Filter on Service Name for significantly faster query execution
- Use **exists** operator for field presence checks
- Test queries with smaller time ranges before expanding
- Leverage indexed fields for better performance

### Dashboard Organization

- Group related trace metrics together
- Use clear, descriptive panel titles
- Include service context in dashboard descriptions
- Set appropriate refresh intervals based on monitoring needs
- Consider creating separate dashboards for different services or teams

### Visualization Tips

- Use groupby to compare metrics across services
- Combine error counts with latency metrics for comprehensive monitoring
- Create separate panels for different percentiles (p50, p95, p99)
- Monitor both successful and failed requests for complete visibility

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## Troubleshooting

Please get in touch with us on [Discord](https://discord.com/invite/Q3p2EEucx9) or [Email](mailto:support@last9.io) if you have any questions.