Grafana MCP Server

@christian-schlichtherle

About Grafana MCP Server

An MCP server for the comprehensive discovery, editing, and testing of dashboards and folders in one or more Grafana clusters.

#grafana #mcp #mcp-server

Config

Add this server to your MCP-compatible client using the configuration below.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "grafana": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": [
        "--directory",
        "/ABSOLUTE/PATH/TO/grafana-mcp",
        "run",
        "main.py"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GRAFANA_CLUSTERS": "local=http://localhost:3000 dev=https://dev.example.com/grafana",
        "GRAFANA_TOKENS": "dev=glsa_abc123xyz"
      }
    }
  }
}

Tools

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Overview

What is Grafana MCP Server?

Grafana MCP Server is an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for discovering, editing, and testing dashboards and folders in one or more Grafana clusters. It enforces a security model based on labels and folders, and is intended for developers and operators managing Grafana resources programmatically.

How to use Grafana MCP Server?

Install dependencies with uv sync or pip install -e ., then set environment variables (GRAFANA_CLUSTERS, GRAFANA_TOKENS, GRAFANA_LABELS, GRAFANA_FOLDER) as needed. Run python main.py to start the server, which exposes MCP tools for discovery, editing, and testing.

Key features of Grafana MCP Server

Dashboard protection with automatic labeling on creation
Selective update/deletion only for protected dashboards
Unrestricted reading of any dashboard
Configurable access control to specific folders
Multi-cluster management across Grafana instances
Comprehensive search API with filtering options

Use cases of Grafana MCP Server

Manage dashboards across multiple Grafana clusters from a single server
Enforce access control by restricting operations to labeled or folder-scoped resources
Copy dashboards between clusters with intelligent UID handling
Validate dashboard schemas and compare structural differences
Create snapshots and render panels for visual testing

FAQ from Grafana MCP Server

What are protection labels?

Protection labels are automatically added to dashboards created by Grafana MCP Server. Only dashboards with these labels can be updated or deleted, preventing accidental modifications.

How do I configure multiple Grafana clusters?

Set the GRAFANA_CLUSTERS environment variable as space-separated key=value pairs (e.g., localhost=http://localhost:3000 prod=https://grafana.prod.com). Optionally set GRAFANA_TOKENS for authenticated clusters.

Do I need authentication for local Grafana instances?

No. For local development, you can run Grafana with anonymous authentication enabled (see README for Docker command) and omit the GRAFANA_TOKENS variable. The server defaults to localhost=http://localhost:3000 without tokens.

How do I create a service account token for a production cluster?

Via the Grafana UI: go to Administration → Service Accounts, create an account with the desired role, generate a token (prefixed glsa_), and save it. Then set GRAFANA_TOKENS with the token value.

Can the server overwrite existing dashboards?

No. By design, dashboard creation uses automatic protection labels and prevents accidental overwrites. The copy_dashboard tool includes optional overwrite capabilities.

Frequently asked questions

What are protection labels?

Protection labels are automatically added to dashboards created by Grafana MCP Server. Only dashboards with these labels can be updated or deleted, preventing accidental modifications.

How do I configure multiple Grafana clusters?

Set the `GRAFANA_CLUSTERS` environment variable as space-separated `key=value` pairs (e.g., `localhost=http://localhost:3000 prod=https://grafana.prod.com`). Optionally set `GRAFANA_TOKENS` for authenticated clusters.

Do I need authentication for local Grafana instances?

No. For local development, you can run Grafana with anonymous authentication enabled (see README for Docker command) and omit the `GRAFANA_TOKENS` variable. The server defaults to `localhost=http://localhost:3000` without tokens.

How do I create a service account token for a production cluster?

Via the Grafana UI: go to Administration → Service Accounts, create an account with the desired role, generate a token (prefixed `glsa_`), and save it. Then set `GRAFANA_TOKENS` with the token value.

Can the server overwrite existing dashboards?

No. By design, dashboard creation uses automatic protection labels and prevents accidental overwrites. The `copy_dashboard` tool includes optional overwrite capabilities.

Comments

Basic information

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