---
title: "Explore metrics"
method: GET
path: "/internal/v1/metrics/{project_id}/explore"
tags: ["Metrics"]
---

# Explore metrics

`GET /internal/v1/metrics/{project_id}/explore`

Discover available metrics and their metadata. Returns metric names, instrument types (histogram, counter, gauge, additive), units, descriptions, available attributes, and library info. Use the instrument type to choose the correct aggregate function: histogram metrics support count(), p50(), p90(), p99(); counter metrics support sum(), perMin(sum()); gauge metrics support sum(), avg(), max(), min(); additive metrics support sum(), perMin(sum()). Use the search parameter to filter by metric name. Use this tool before creating dashboards to discover metrics and their attributes.

## Path parameters

- `project_id` integer, required

## Query parameters

- `time_start` string, date-time, required — RFC3339 timestamp.
- `time_end` string, date-time, required — RFC3339 timestamp.
- `search` string
- `instrument` string[]
- `library_name` string[]
- `attr_key_exists` string[]

## Response `200`

Metrics list.

- ExploreMetricsResponse
  - `metrics` ExploredMetric[], required
    - `name` string, required — Metric name.
    - `instrument` 'histogram' | 'summary' | 'counter' | 'prom-counter' | 'gauge' | 'additive', required — OpenTelemetry instrument type.
    - `unit` string — Metric unit.
    - `description` string — Metric description.
    - `attrKeys` string[] — Available attribute keys for grouping.
    - `libraryName` string — Instrumentation library name.
    - `libraryVersion` string — Instrumentation library version.
    - `numTimeseries` integer — Number of active timeseries.
  - `hasMore` boolean, required
  - `search` object[] — Parsed search matchers applied to the request.

## Other responses

- `400` — Invalid request
- `401` — Authentication required
- `403` — Insufficient permissions

---

[API](https://skmtc.net/uptrace/apis/uptrace-json-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.net/uptrace/apis/uptrace-json-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc-service-staging.skmtc.workers.dev/v1/apis/uptrace/uptrace-json-api/revisions/550c8881ab9a/schema)