Documentation

Create a variable

This page documents an earlier version of InfluxDB OSS. InfluxDB 3 Core is the latest stable version.

API token hashing is enabled by default in InfluxDB OSS 2.9.0

Stronger token security: tokens are stored as hashes on disk, so a copy of the database file doesn’t expose usable tokens. Existing tokens are hashed on first startup and the original strings can’t be recovered afterward — capture any plaintext tokens you still need before you upgrade.

For more information, see Token hashing.

Create dashboard variables in the Data Explorer, from the Settings section, or import a variable. Variable names must be unique.

There are multiple variable types that provide different means of populating your list of variable values. For information about variable types, see Variable types.

Variable name restrictions

Variable names must begin with a letter or underscore (_).

The following names cannot be used as dashboard variables because they are reserved keywords in Flux: and, import, not, return, option, test, empty, in, or, package, and builtin.

Create a variable in the Data Explorer

InfluxData recommends using the Data Explorer to create Query dashboard variables. The Table visualization type and View Raw Data option to provide human-readable query results.

  1. Click the Data Explorer icon in the sidebar.

  2. Use the Query Builder or Script Editor to build a query.

  3. Use the Table visualization type or enable the View Raw Data option to view human-readable query results.

  4. Click Save As in the upper right.

  5. In the window that appears, select Variable.

  6. Enter a name for your variable in the Name field.

  7. Click Create.

For information about common Query variables, see Common variable queries.

Create a variable in the Settings section

  1. Click the Settings icon in the navigation bar.

  2. Select the Variables tab.

  3. Enter a name for your variable.

  4. Select your variable type. For details on each type, see Variable types.

  5. Enter the appropriate variable information.

  6. Click Create.

Import a variable

InfluxDB lets you import variables exported from InfluxDB in JSON format.

  1. Click the Settings icon in the navigation bar.

  2. Select the Variables tab.

  3. Click the Create Variable drop-down menu and select Import Variable.

  4. In the window that appears:

  • Select Upload File to drag and drop or select a file.
  • Select Paste JSON to paste in JSON.
  1. Click Import JSON as Variable.

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InfluxDB OSS 2.9.0: API tokens are hashed by default

Stronger token security in InfluxDB OSS 2.9.0 — tokens are hashed on disk by default. Existing tokens are hashed on first startup and can’t be recovered afterward. Capture any plaintext tokens you still need before you upgrade.

View InfluxDB OSS 2.9.0 release notes

Hashed tokens authenticate exactly like unhashed tokens — clients and integrations keep working.

Also new in 2.9.0:

  • Configurable backup compression
  • Restore support for backups containing hashed tokens
  • Tighter Edge Data Replication queue validation
  • Flux upgrade
  • Compaction reliability improvements

Key enhancements in Explorer 1.8

Explorer 1.8 is now available with streaming data subscriptions (beta), line protocol preview, and query history & saved queries.

View Explorer 1.8 release notes

Explorer 1.8 includes new features and improvements that make it easier to ingest, explore, and manage data.

Highlights:

  • Streaming data subscriptions (beta): Stream data into Explorer from MQTT, Kafka, and AMQP sources.
  • Line protocol preview: Preview line protocol, schema, and parse errors before data is written.
  • Custom sample data: Generate custom sample datasets with line protocol and schema preview.
  • Query history and saved queries: Browse query history and save/re-run named queries.
  • Retention period management: Set, update, or clear retention periods on databases and tables.

For more details, see Explorer 1.8 release notes

InfluxDB 3.9: Performance upgrade preview

InfluxDB 3 Enterprise 3.9 includes a beta of major performance upgrades with faster single-series queries, wide-and-sparse table support, and more.

InfluxDB 3 Enterprise 3.9 includes a beta of major performance and feature updates.

Key improvements:

  • Faster single-series queries
  • Consistent resource usage
  • Wide-and-sparse table support
  • Automatic distinct value caches for reduced latency with metadata queries

Preview features are subject to breaking changes.

For more information, see:

Telegraf Enterprise now in public beta

Get early access to the Telegraf Controller and provide feedback to help shape the future of Telegraf Enterprise.

See the Blog Post

The upcoming Telegraf Enterprise offering is for organizations running Telegraf at scale and is comprised of two key components:

  • Telegraf Controller: A control plane (UI + API) that centralizes Telegraf configuration management and agent health visibility.
  • Telegraf Enterprise Support: Official support for Telegraf Controller and Telegraf plugins.

Join the Telegraf Enterprise beta to get early access to the Telegraf Controller and provide feedback to help shape the future of Telegraf Enterprise.

For more information:

Telegraf Controller v0.0.7-beta now available

Telegraf Controller v0.0.7-beta is now available with new features, improvements, bug fixes, and an important breaking change.

View the release notes
Download Telegraf Controller v0.0.7-beta

InfluxDB Docker latest tag changing to InfluxDB 3 Core

On May 27, 2026, the latest tag for InfluxDB Docker images will point to InfluxDB 3 Core. To avoid unexpected upgrades, use specific version tags in your Docker deployments.

If using Docker to install and run InfluxDB, the latest tag will point to InfluxDB 3 Core. To avoid unexpected upgrades, use specific version tags in your Docker deployments. For example, if using Docker to run InfluxDB v2, replace the latest version tag with a specific version tag in your Docker pull command–for example:

docker pull influxdb:2