Create a dashboard using REST API endpoints

Create or replicate dashboards from different environments using the data/ui/views REST API endpoint. For example, you can move a dashboard from a testing environment to production with the REST API endpoint. The REST API endpoints can also read, update, and delete dashboards.

Format the dashboard definition

When creating a dashboard using REST API endpoints, the components of a dashboard definition must follow a specific format.

Root node

The root node must be <dashboard version="2">, which indicates the dashboard is a Studio dashboard. You can also specify the theme as "light" or "dark" with the theme attribute in the root node. The following is an example of a root node. 

<dashboard version="2" theme="dark">

Label

Title your dashboard with the label. The following is an example of a label. 

<label>Sample Dashboard</label>

Description

Provide extra context about your dashboard with the description. The following is an example of a description. 

<description>Sample Description</description>

Definition

The dashboard's JSON definition must be wrapped in <![CDATA[ … ]]>. The following is an example of how a <![CDATA[ … ]]> wraps around a dashboard JSON definition. 

 <definition><![CDATA[
  {
    <JSON definition here>
  }
 ]]></definition>

Meta type

Hide different elements with the meta type. The meta type must be <meta type="hiddenElements">. All hidden elements apply only to View mode and must be contained in JSON wrapped in <![CDATA[ … ]]>.

  • Set hideEdit to "true" to hide the Edit button.
  • Set hideOpenInSearch to "true" to remove the ability to open and edit a query in the full Search experience.
  • Set hideExport to "true" to remove the ability to export dashboards.

The following is a meta type example. 

<meta type="hiddenElements"><![CDATA[
  {
    "hideEdit": false,
    "hideOpenInSearch": false,
    "hideExport": false
  }
]]></meta>

Create a dashboard

You can create a dashboard with the following steps.

  1. Write your initial REST command. The command uses the following structure: https://<host>:<mPort>/servicesNS/<user>/<app_name>/data/ui/views. For example, your REST command might look like the following: 
    curl -k -u admin:pass https://localhost:8089/servicesNS/admin/search/data/ui/views \
  2. Write your header request parameter. For example, your header request parameter might look like the following: 
    --header 'Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded' \
  3. Write the name data request parameter with the ID of your dashboard. For example, your request parameter might look like the following: 
    --data-urlencode 'name=sample_dashboard' \
  4. Write the eai:data data request parameter. For example, your request parameter might look like the following: 
    --data-urlencode 'eai:data=
<dashboard version="2" theme="dark">

Example of creating a dashboard using REST API endpoints

The following example shows how to create a dashboard using the /data/ui/views endpoint. 

curl -k -u admin:pass https://localhost:8089/servicesNS/admin/search/data/ui/views \
--header 'Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded' \
--data-urlencode 'name=sample_dashboard' \
--data-urlencode 'eai:data=
<dashboard version="2" theme="dark">
   <label>Sample Dashboard</label>
   <description>Sample Description</description>
   <definition><![CDATA[
{
   "visualizations": {
       "viz_FjzwMaVe": {
           "type": "splunk.singlevalue",
           "options": {},
           "dataSources": {
               "primary": "ds_nPeRRFId"
           }
       }
   },
   "dataSources": {
       "ds_nPeRRFId": {
           "type": "ds.search",
           "options": {
               "query": "index=_internal \n| stats count"
           },
           "name": "Search_1"
       }
   },
   "defaults": {
       "dataSources": {
           "ds.search": {
               "options": {
                   "queryParameters": {
                       "latest": "$global_time.latest$",
                       "earliest": "$global_time.earliest$"
                   }
               }
           }
       }
   },
   "inputs": {
       "input_global_trp": {
           "type": "input.timerange",
           "options": {
               "token": "global_time",
               "defaultValue": "-24h@h,now"
           },
           "title": "Global Time Range"
       }
   },
   "layout": {
       "type": "absolute",
       "options": {
           "width": 1440,
           "height": 960
       },
       "structure": [
           {
               "item": "viz_FjzwMaVe",
               "type": "block",
               "position": {
                   "x": 0,
                   "y": 0,
                   "w": 250,
                   "h": 250
               }
           }
       ],
       "globalInputs": [
           "input_global_trp"
       ]
   },
   "description": "",
   "title": "Sample Dashboard"
}
   ]]></definition>
   <meta type="hiddenElements"><![CDATA[
{
   "hideEdit": false,
   "hideOpenInSearch": false,
   "hideExport": false
}
   ]]></meta>
</dashboard>'

Reading, updating, and deleting a dashboard

You can pull, update, and delete your dashboard using GET, POST, and DELETE HTTP methods. For more details, see data/ui/views/{name} in the REST API Reference manual.