02 Single Values
Single value and stat panels in Grafana.
Single value displays show values prominently: the current throughput, the machine temperature, or the production status at a glance. In this tutorial you will learn about the three main single value visualizations and how to configure them for manufacturing dashboards:
What you will learn
Create stat panels for prominent value display with an optional sparkline
Use gauge panels for visual range indication
Build bar gauge panels for comparing multiple values
Configure thresholds for color-coded status displays
Use value mappings for text displays (for example, machine status)
Prerequisites
Completed Tutorial 1.2: Your first dashboard
Basic understanding of panel creation
Stat panel
The stat panel displays values as large numbers. Ideal for dashboards that need to be readable from a distance.
Add a new panel and configure your query
Select Stat from the visualization dropdown
Value calculation
Under Value options > Calculation you determine which value is displayed:
Last *
Current status (most common)
Mean
Typical operating value
Max / Min
Peak or low point detection
Sum
Production counters
Fields
Under Value options > Fields you determine which fields the panel considers. By default this is set to Numeric Fields. If you want to display text values (for example, the current production run or a product), change the selection to All Fields or pick a specific field.
Color mode, text mode, and sparkline
Under Stat styles you configure the appearance:
Color mode
Value, Background, Background (gradient), None
Background for shopfloor displays
Graph mode
None, Area
Area shows the trend as a sparkline
Text mode
Auto, Value, Value and name, Name, None
Auto is usually sufficient. Use Value and name for KPI dashboards or Value when the panel title already provides enough context
Gauge panel
Gauges display values on a circular arc and show where the value falls within a range.
Add a new panel and select Gauge as the visualization type
Under Standard options, set the Min and Max values (for example, 0 and 300 °C for a temperature sensor)
Threshold markers
Under Gauge in the sidebar:
Enable Show threshold markers to see the threshold ranges on the arc
Optionally enable Show threshold labels to display the numeric values
Bar gauge panel
Bar gauges display values as horizontal or vertical bars. Ideal for comparing multiple values.
Add a new panel and select multiple variables in the query
Select Bar Gauge as the visualization type
Display mode
Gradient
Smooth color gradient (modern look)
Retro LCD
Segmented display (industrial look)
Basic
Solid-color bars
Under Orientation you choose between Horizontal and Vertical. Enable Show unfilled area to make the "empty" part of the bar visible.
Configuring thresholds
Thresholds provide instant visual feedback about whether values are normal, borderline, or critical.
Search for Thresholds in the right sidebar
Click + Add threshold
Enter a value and choose a color
Example: temperature monitoring
Base
Green
Normal operation
250
Yellow
Warning
300
Red
Critical
Thresholds can be defined as Absolute (fixed values) or Percentage (relative to Min/Max). Use Absolute when you have known limits.
Value mappings: machine status
Value mappings let you display text instead of numbers. A typical use case: derive the machine status from the line speed.
Search for Value mappings in the sidebar and click Add value mapping
Create mappings with ranges to cover all cases:
Range
-1000
0
DOWNTIME
Red
Range
1
10000
IN PRODUCTION
Green
Special
Null
—
NO DATA
Gray
Set Color mode to Background and Text mode to Value
If the line speed fluctuates slightly and never reaches exactly 0, use a range (for example, 0-1) instead of an exact value for the downtime condition.
Choosing the right visualization
Show one prominent value
Stat
Show value within a range
Gauge
Compare multiple similar values
Bar Gauge
Show trend alongside the value
Stat with sparkline
Industrial control panel look
Bar Gauge (LCD mode)
Maximum visibility from a distance
Stat with background color
Tips
Shopfloor displays: Stat with background color mode, large panels, high-contrast colors. Let the colors communicate status.
KPI dashboards: Use consistent thresholds for similar metrics. Add sparklines for trend display.
Mobile dashboards: Stat panels are most readable at small sizes. Avoid gauges.
Performance: Last * is faster than aggregations. Limit the sparkline time range if needed.
Next steps
Tables - Display data in tabular form
Advanced styling - Units, overrides, and more
Last updated