Grafana Dashboard Content Optimization (Observability / SRE)

Audit and optimize dashboard content for observability best practices. Apply RED/USE/Golden Signals methodology, improve diagnostic value, and reduce cognitive load for on-call teams.

Not suitable for: Code structure refactoring (use grafana-jsonnet-refactor), initial JSON conversion (use grafana-json-to-jsonnet), or code style formatting.

Workflow with progress tracking

Copy this checklist and track your progress:

Optimization Progress:
- [ ] Step 1: Understand context (purpose, audience, strategy)
- [ ] Step 2: Run seven-dimensional content audit
- [ ] Step 3: Produce prioritized recommendations report
- [ ] Step 4: Apply changes (if requested)
- [ ] Step 5: Validate improvements

Step 1: Understand context

Before any edits, document:

• •Dashboard purpose and target audience (SRE/on-call/management)
• •Current monitoring strategy and key questions it should answer
• •Datasources, variables, time range settings
• •Row structure and panel organization
• •Annotations, dashboard metadata (__inputs, __requires, schemaVersion, graphTooltip, version), and pluginVersion

See references/full-optimization-playbook.md for detailed context gathering. If optimizing dashboards in a specific repo or stack, review local Jsonnet defaults and docs in the working directory for current conventions.

Step 2: Run seven-dimensional content audit

Audit across these dimensions:

1. •Panel semantics: Missing/duplicated views, diagnostic coverage
2. •Query optimization: rate/increase usage, aggregation, cardinality
3. •Variable design: Names, defaults, cascading relationships
4. •Visualization: Panel types, units, thresholds, legends, table field pruning
5. •Layout: Overview → symptoms → root cause flow
6. •Titles/descriptions: Unified title style, clarity, context, troubleshooting hints, every panel has a description
7. •Proactive additions: SLO/SLI, annotations, comparisons, runbooks, dashboard metadata parity

For the full audit checklist and visualization/layout guidance, see references/full-optimization-playbook.md. For observability strategies (RED/USE/Golden Signals), see references/observability-strategies.md. For color, thresholds, and table styling aligned with local repo conventions, see references/visual-style-guides.md.

Step 3: Produce prioritized recommendations

Create structured assessment report with:

• •Critical: Missing essential metrics, broken queries, misleading visualizations
• •Recommended: Important improvements with clear ROI
• •Optional: Nice-to-have enhancements

Include rationale and expected impact for each recommendation. Use template in references/report-template.md.

Step 4: Apply changes (if requested)

If user approves changes:

• •Use available unified libraries when present (commonly panels, standards, themes)
• •Keep code structure changes minimal (content-only optimization)
• •Include Jsonnet snippets for high-impact changes
• •Preserve datasource selection patterns and any __inputs / __requires blocks if present
• •Preserve schemaVersion, graphTooltip, version, and pluginVersion when present
• •Add or improve panel descriptions so every panel has a clear, actionable description
• •Match existing repo/dashboard structure (imports → config → constants → helpers → panels → rows → variables → dashboard)
• •For table panels, use the panels lib (no raw Grafonnet) and follow the detailed table guidance in references/full-optimization-playbook.md.

For query optimization patterns, see references/query-optimization.md.

Step 5: Validate improvements

Re-check:

• •Queries are efficient and bounded
• •Units and thresholds use standards.*
• •Panel titles are consistent in style and descriptions are present
• •Layout follows diagnostic flow
• •RED/USE/Golden Signals coverage is complete
• •Table panels remove unused fields and apply table optimization guidance (overrides/thresholds, colors, widths, cell types)
• •Variables return values in Grafana (non-empty dropdowns)
• •No duplicate or extra variables after cleanup
• •__inputs / __requires, annotations, and dashboard metadata remain valid and intentional
• •Regex filters preserved or added where needed for variable values
• •Row membership is correct (panels align to row gridPos.y and rows include panels)
• •Every panel has a description that explains intent and troubleshooting value

Quick optimization checklist

• • RED/USE/Golden Signals coverage is complete
• • Queries are efficient and bounded
• • Units and thresholds use standards.*
• • Panel titles are consistent and descriptions exist for every panel
• • Layout follows overview → symptoms → root cause
• • Table panels remove unused fields and apply table optimization guidance (overrides/thresholds, colors, widths, cell types)
• • Variables return values and have no duplicates/extras
• • Regex filters preserved or added when needed
• • Row membership is correct
• • Every panel has a clear, actionable description

Assessment report format

Use this structure for recommendations:

# Dashboard Optimization Assessment

## Overview
- Purpose: [what this dashboard monitors]
- Audience: [SRE/on-call/management]
- Current state: [summary]

## Critical Issues
1. [Issue with rationale and impact]
2. [Issue with rationale and impact]

## Recommended Improvements
1. [Improvement with expected benefit]
2. [Improvement with expected benefit]

## Optional Enhancements
1. [Enhancement idea]
2. [Enhancement idea]

## Implementation Priority
- Week 1: Critical issues
- Week 2: Recommended improvements
- Week 3+: Optional enhancements

Guardrails

• •Do not refactor code structure; use grafana-jsonnet-refactor for that.
• •Avoid broad rewrites; focus on content quality and observability value.
• •Keep deep guidance in references/ instead of bloating this file.
• •Do not run jsonnetfmt / jsonnet fmt on generated Jsonnet files.

References (load as needed)

• •references/visual-style-guides.md
• •references/full-optimization-playbook.md for the complete framework
• •references/observability-strategies.md for RED/USE/Golden Signals
• •references/query-optimization.md for PromQL/SQL guidance
• •references/report-template.md for the assessment report format