Introduction
Grafana 13 isn't just another update—it's a paradigm shift in how you can turn raw data into actionable insights faster than ever. Whether you're building dashboards from scratch or scaling observability across hundreds of teams, this release streamlines every step. In this guide, you'll learn exactly how to leverage Grafana 13's new features to reduce dashboard creation time, improve visualization choices, and operate at scale with confidence.
What You Need
- A Grafana 13 instance (any edition: OSS, Cloud, Enterprise, or Grafana Cloud)
- At least one configured data source (e.g., Prometheus, InfluxDB, Elasticsearch)
- Basic familiarity with Grafana navigation
- Access to your data source's metrics or logs
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Install or Upgrade to Grafana 13
Why it matters: All new features—especially suggested dashboards and visualization suggestions—are exclusive to Grafana 13. If you're running an earlier version, you'll miss out on the streamlined workflow.
To upgrade, follow the official documentation for your environment (Docker, Kubernetes, Linux package, or manual binary). After the upgrade, confirm you're on version 13.0 or later by checking the home screen or grafana-server --version.
Note: If you upgraded prior to April 16, check the Grafana docs for an important Git Sync update.
Step 2: Connect Your Data Source
Before you can take advantage of pre-built dashboards, you need a data source that Grafana can query. Go to Configuration > Data Sources, then click Add data source. Choose your type (e.g., Prometheus, AWS CloudWatch, Datadog) and fill in the connection details. Grafana 13 supports over 100 data sources, so you're likely covered.
Step 3: Create a Dashboard Using Suggested Dashboards
This is where Grafana 13 shines. Instead of starting from a blank canvas, you can now access curated, pre-built dashboards tailored to your data source.
- In the Dashboards tab, click New Dashboard.
- You'll see a From suggestions option (replacing the old “Build a dashboard” button). Click it.
- Grafana displays a list of provisioned dashboards maintained by Grafana Labs for supported data sources, plus community dashboards that are searchable.
- If you're using Prometheus, each suggested dashboard shows a compatibility score that indicates how well the dashboard's queries match the exact metrics available in your data source. Higher scores mean less customization needed.
- Select a dashboard that fits your use case (e.g., “Kubernetes Cluster Monitoring”). Grafana will import it automatically, pre-configured with the data source.
Pro tip: Use the built-in search to filter by name, data source, or tag. Suggested dashboards are in public preview in all Grafana editions.
Step 4: Refine Your Visualization with Suggestion Engine
Once you have a dashboard, you may want to change how a panel displays its data. Grafana 13's visualization suggestions help you choose the best chart type without guesswork.
- Click a panel title to open the panel editor.
- In the Visualization section, look for a new “Suggest” button (or a dropdown labeled “Visualization suggestions”).
- Grafana analyzes your query results and presents a list of suitable chart types (e.g., time series, bar gauge, stat, table, heatmap). For each option, you get a preview of how the data would appear.
- Click any suggestion to apply it immediately. You can also compare two suggestions side-by-side before committing.
- Tweak the visualization settings as needed—colors, thresholds, legends—then save the dashboard.
This feature dramatically reduces the trial-and-error process, especially when dealing with unfamiliar data sets.
Step 5: Evaluate and Customize Based on Compatibility
For Prometheus users, the compatibility score is a game changer. To get the most out of it:
- When browsing suggested dashboards, sort by compatibility score (descending).
- If a dashboard has a low score, hover over the score to see which metrics are missing. This helps you decide whether to adjust your data source or customize the dashboard.
- To customize a low-scoring dashboard, clone it, then edit the query expressions to use available metrics. Grafana's query builder intellisense makes this easy.
Step 6: Scale Management with Folders, Permissions, and Provisioning
Grafana 13 introduces improvements for operating at scale. Follow these best practices:
- Organize dashboards into folders by team, service, or use case. Right-click any dashboard and choose Move to folder.
- Set granular permissions on folders or individual dashboards. Go to Dashboard settings > Permissions and assign view, edit, or admin roles. Use teams for bulk management.
- Use provisioning (configuration as code) to automate dashboard, datasource, and alert deployment. Store YAML files in a Git repository and enable the Git Sync feature (check the April 16 note if needed).
- For large deployments, leverage Grafana 13's performance enhancements in query caching and dashboard rendering to reduce load on backing data sources.
Step 7: Explore Additional Resources
To fully understand all Grafana 13 features, watch the Grafana 13 deep dive session from GrafanaCON 2026 (available on demand). Also review the What’s New documentation and the changelog for the complete list of updates.
Tips for Success
- Start with suggested dashboards – They save significant time, especially if you're new to a data source.
- Don't ignore compatibility scores – They help you predict effort before you import a dashboard.
- Experiment with visualization suggestions – Even if your current chart works, you might find a more effective representation.
- Scale early – Use folders and provisioning from day one to avoid messy reorganization later.
- Check the Grafana Blog for the full GrafanaCON announcements to stay updated on future developments.
With Grafana 13, you're not just getting a new version—you're getting a faster, smarter path from raw data to actionable insights. Follow these steps and you'll be up and running in minutes, not hours.