--- title: Define custom partitions description: Use the influxctl CLI to define custom partition strategies when creating a database or table. url: https://docs.influxdata.com/influxdb3/clustered/admin/custom-partitions/define-custom-partitions/ estimated_tokens: 4831 product: InfluxDB Clustered version: clustered --- # Define custom partitions Use the Admin UI, the [`influxctl` CLI](/influxdb3/clustered/reference/cli/influxctl/), or the [Management HTTP API](/influxdb3/clustered/api/management/) to define custom partition strategies when creating a database or table. By default, InfluxDB Clustered partitions data by day. The partitioning strategy of a database or table is determined by a [partition template](/influxdb3/clustered/admin/custom-partitions/#partition-templates) which defines the naming pattern for [partition keys](/influxdb3/clustered/admin/custom-partitions/#partition-keys). Partition keys uniquely identify each partition. When a partition template is applied to a database, it becomes the default template for all tables in that database, but can be overridden when creating a table. - [Create a database with a custom partition template](#create-a-database-with-a-custom-partition-template) - [Create a table with a custom partition template](#create-a-table-with-a-custom-partition-template) - [Partition template requirements and guidelines](#partition-template-requirements-and-guidelines) - [Example partition templates](#example-partition-templates) ## Create a database with a custom partition template The following examples show how to create a new `example-db` database and apply a partition template that partitions by distinct values of two tags (`room` and `sensor-type`), bucketed values of the `customerID` tag, and by day using the time format `%Y-%m-%d`: **influxctl:** ```bash influxctl database create \ --template-tag room \ --template-tag sensor-type \ --template-tag-bucket customerID,500 \ --template-timeformat '%Y-%m-%d' \ example-db ``` The following command flags identify [partition template parts](/influxdb3/clustered/admin/custom-partitions/partition-templates/#tag-part-templates): - `--template-timeformat`: A [Rust strftime date and time](/influxdb3/clustered/admin/custom-partitions/partition-templates/#time-part-templates) string that specifies the time part in the partition template and determines the time interval to partition by. Use one of the following: - `%Y-%m-%d` (daily) - `%Y-%m` (monthly) - `%Y` (annually) - `--template-tag`: An [InfluxDB tag](/influxdb3/clustered/reference/glossary/#tag) to use in the partition template. - `--template-tag-bucket`: An [InfluxDB tag](/influxdb3/clustered/reference/glossary/#tag) and number of “buckets” to group tag values into. Provide the tag key and the number of buckets to bucket tag values into separated by a comma: `tagKey,N`. **Management API:** ```bash curl \ --location "https://console.influxdata.com/api/v0/accounts/ACCOUNT_ID/clusters/CLUSTER_ID/databases" \ --header "Authorization: Bearer MANAGEMENT_TOKEN" \ --json '{ "name": "example-db", "maxTables": 500, "maxColumnsPerTable": 250, "retentionPeriod": 2592000000000, "partitionTemplate": [ { "type": "tag", "value": "room" }, { "type": "tag", "value": "sensor-type" }, { "type": "bucket", "value": { "tagName": "customerID", "numberOfBuckets": 500 } }, { "type": "time", "value": "%Y-%m-%d" } ] }' ``` Replace the following in your request: - `ACCOUNT_ID`: the [account](/influxdb3/cloud-dedicated/admin/account/) ID for the cluster *(list details via the [Admin UI](/influxdb3/cloud-dedicated/admin/clusters/list/) or [CLI](/influxdb3/cloud-dedicated/admin/clusters/list/#detailed-output-in-json))* - `CLUSTER_ID`: the [cluster](/influxdb3/cloud-dedicated/admin/clusters/) ID *(list details via the [Admin UI](/influxdb3/cloud-dedicated/admin/clusters/list/) or [CLI](/influxdb3/cloud-dedicated/admin/clusters/list/#detailed-output-in-json))*. - `MANAGEMENT TOKEN`: a valid [management token](/influxdb3/cloud-dedicated/admin/tokens/management/) for your InfluxDB Clustered cluster The `partitionTemplate` property in the request body is an array of JSON objects that identify the [partition template parts](/influxdb3/clustered/admin/custom-partitions/partition-templates/#tag-part-templates). ## Create a table with a custom partition template The following example creates a new `example-table` table in the `example-db` database and applies a partition template that partitions by distinct values of two tags (`room` and `sensor-type`), bucketed values of the `customerID` tag, and by month using the time format `%Y-%m`: **Admin UI:** The InfluxDB Clustered Admin UI lets you apply a custom partition template when creating a table. 1. To access the InfluxDB Clustered Admin UI, visit the following URL in your browser: [https://console.influxdata.com](https://console.influxdata.com) 2. In the cluster list, click the cluster you want to manage. 3. Create the `example-db` database or click the row of an existing database. 4. Click the **New Table** button above the table list. In the **Create Table** dialog: 1. Set **Table name** to `example-table`. 2. If the **Use default partitioning** toggle is on, turn it off to enable custom partitioning. 3. Under **Custom partition template time format**, set the time format to `%Y-%m`. 4. Under **Custom partition template parts**: 5. In the **Partition template part type** dropdown, click **Tag**, set **Tag name** to `room`. 6. Click **Add Tag**. 7. In the **Partition template part type** dropdown, click **Tag**, set **Tag name** to `sensor-type`. 8. Click **Add Tag**. 9. In the **Partition template part type** dropdown, click **Bucket**, set **Tag name** to `customerID` and **Buckets** to `500`. 10. Click **Create Table** to apply the template. ![Create table dialog with custom partitioning example values](/img/influxdb3/cloud-dedicated-admin-ui-create-custom-partitioned-table.png) **influxctl:** ```bash influxctl table create \ --template-tag room \ --template-tag sensor-type \ --template-tag-bucket customerID,500 \ --template-timeformat '%Y-%m' \ example-db \ example-table ``` **Management API:** ```bash curl \ --location "https://console.influxdata.com/api/v0/accounts/ACCOUNT_ID/clusters/CLUSTER_ID/databases/example-db/tables" \ --request POST \ --header "Authorization: Bearer MANAGEMENT_TOKEN" \ --json '{ "name": "example-table", "partitionTemplate": [ { "type": "tag", "value": "room" }, { "type": "tag", "value": "sensor-type" }, { "type": "bucket", "value": { "tagName": "customerID", "numberOfBuckets": 500 } }, { "type": "time", "value": "%Y-%m" } ] }' ``` Replace the following in your request: - `ACCOUNT_ID`: the [account](/influxdb3/cloud-dedicated/admin/account/) ID for the cluster *(list details via the [Admin UI](/influxdb3/cloud-dedicated/admin/clusters/list/) or [CLI](/influxdb3/cloud-dedicated/admin/clusters/list/#detailed-output-in-json))* - `CLUSTER_ID`: the [cluster](/influxdb3/cloud-dedicated/admin/clusters/) ID *(list details via the [Admin UI](/influxdb3/cloud-dedicated/admin/clusters/list/) or [CLI](/influxdb3/cloud-dedicated/admin/clusters/list/#detailed-output-in-json))*. - `MANAGEMENT_TOKEN`: a valid [management token](/influxdb3/cloud-dedicated/admin/tokens/management/) for your InfluxDB Clustered cluster ## Partition template requirements and guidelines Always specify 1 time part in your template. A template has a maximum of 8 parts: 1 time part and up to 7 total tag and tag bucket parts. For more information about partition template requirements and restrictions, see [Partition templates](/influxdb3/clustered/admin/custom-partitions/partition-templates/). #### Partition templates can only be applied on create You can only apply a partition template when creating a database. You can’t update a partition template on an existing database. ## Example partition templates Given the following [line protocol](/influxdb3/clustered/reference/syntax/line-protocol/) with a `2024-01-01T00:00:00Z` timestamp: ```text prod,line=A,station=weld1 temp=81.9,qty=36i 1704067200000000000 ``` The following tables show how the partition key is generated based on the partition template parts you provide. ##### Partitioning by distinct tag values | Description | Tag parts | Time part | Resulting partition key | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | By day (default) | | %Y-%m-%d | 2024-01-01 | | By month | | %Y-%m | 2024-01 | | By year | | %Y | 2024 | | Single tag, by day | line | %Y-%m-%d | A | 2024-01-01 | | Single tag, by month | line | %Y-%m | A | 2024-01 | | Single tag, by year | line | %Y | A | 2024 | | Multiple tags, by day | line, station | %Y-%m-%d | A | weld1 | 2024-01-01 | | Multiple tags, by month | line, station | %Y-%m | A | weld1 | 2024-01 | | Multiple tags, by year | line, station | %Y | A | weld1 | 2024 | ##### Partition by tag buckets | Description | Tag part | Tag bucket part | Time part | Resulting partition key | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Distinct tag, tag buckets, by day | line | station,100 | %Y-%m-%d | A | 3 | 2024-01-01 | | Distinct tag, tag buckets, by month | line | station,500 | %Y-%m | A | 303 | 2024-01 | #### Related - [influxctl database create](/influxdb3/clustered/reference/cli/influxctl/database/create/) - [influxctl table create](/influxdb3/clustered/reference/cli/influxctl/table/create/)