---
title: Explore metrics with InfluxDB
description: Explore and visualize your data in InfluxDB’s Data Explorer. The InfluxDB user interface (UI) allows you to move seamlessly between using the Flux builder and manually editing the query.
url: https://docs.influxdata.com/influxdb/cloud/visualize-data/explore-metrics/
estimated_tokens: 1152
product: InfluxDB Cloud (TSM)
version: cloud
publisher: InfluxData
canonical: https://docs.influxdata.com/influxdb/cloud/visualize-data/explore-metrics/
date: '2021-11-10T10:54:18-06:00'
lastmod: '2021-11-10T10:54:18-06:00'
---
Explore and visualize your data in the **Data Explorer**.
The InfluxDB user interface (UI) allows you to move seamlessly between using the
Flux builder or templates and manually editing the query.
Choose between [visualization types](/influxdb/cloud/visualize-data/visualization-types/) for your query.
To open the **Data Explorer**, click the **Explore** (**Data Explorer**) icon in the left navigation menu:
Data Explorer
## Explore data with Flux and the Data Explorer
Flux is InfluxData’s functional data scripting language designed for querying,
analyzing, and acting on time series data.
See [Get started with Flux](/influxdb/cloud/query-data/get-started) to learn more about Flux.
1. In the navigation menu on the left, click **Data Explorer**.
Data Explorer
2. Use the Flux builder in the bottom panel to create a Flux query:
* Select a bucket to define your data source or select `+ Create Bucket` to add a new bucket.
* Edit your time range with the [time range option](#select-time-range) in the dropdown menu.
* Add filters to narrow your data by selecting attributes or columns in the dropdown menu.
* Select **Group** from the **Filter** dropdown menu to group data into tables. For more about how grouping data in Flux works, see [Group data](/influxdb/cloud/query-data/flux/group-data/).
1. Alternatively, click **Script Editor** to manually edit the query.
To switch back to the query builder, click **Query Builder**. Note that your updates from the Script Editor will not be saved.
2. Use the **Functions** list to review the available Flux functions.
Click a function from the list to add it to your query.
3. Click **Submit** (or press `Control+Enter`) to run your query. You can then preview your graph in the above pane.
To cancel your query while it’s running, click **Cancel**.
4. To work on multiple queries at once, click the to add another tab.
* Click the eye icon on a tab to hide or show a query’s visualization.
* Click the name of the query in the tab to rename it.
## Visualize your query
* Select an available [visualization types](/influxdb/cloud/visualize-data/visualization-types/) from the dropdown menu in the upper-left:
## Control your dashboard cell
To open the cell editor overlay, click the gear icon in the upper right of a cell and select **Configure**.
The cell editor overlay opens.
### View raw data
Toggle the **View Raw Data** option to see your data in table format instead of a graph. Scroll through raw data using arrows, or click page numbers to find specific tables. [Group keys](/influxdb/cloud/reference/glossary/#group-key) and [data types](/influxdb/cloud/reference/glossary/#data-type) are easily identifiable at the top of each column underneath the headings. Use this option when data can’t be visualized using a visualization type.
### Save as CSV
Click the CSV icon to save the cells contents as a CSV file.
### Manually refresh dashboard
Click the refresh button () to manually refresh the dashboard’s data.
### Select time range
1. Select from the time range options in the dropdown menu.
2. Select **Custom Time Range** to enter a custom time range with precision up to nanoseconds.
The default time range is 5m.
>
>
> The custom time range uses the selected timezone (local time or UTC).
>
>
### Query Builder or Script Editor
Click **Query Builder** to use the builder to create a Flux query. Click **Script Editor** to manually edit the query.
#### Keyboard shortcuts
In **Script Editor** mode, the following keyboard shortcuts are available:
| Key | Description |
|------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|
|`Control + /` (`⌘ + /` on Mac)|Comment/uncomment current or selected lines|
| `Control + Enter` | Submit query |
## Save your query as a dashboard cell or task
**To save your query**:
Click **Save as** in the upper right, then:
* To add your query to a dashboard, click **Dashboard Cell**.
* To save your query as a task, click **Task**.
* To save your query as a variable, click **Variable**.
| Key | Description |
| --- | --- |
| Key | Description |
| Control + / ( ⌘ + / on Mac) | Comment/uncomment current or selected lines |
| Control + Enter | Submit query |