---
aliases:
  - ../../http_api/library_element/
canonical: /docs/grafana/latest/developers/http_api/library_element/
description: Grafana Library Element HTTP API
keywords:
  - grafana
  - http
  - documentation
  - api
  - library-element
title: 'Library Element HTTP API '
---

# Library Element API

## Identifier (id) vs unique identifier (uid)

The identifier (ID) of a library element is an auto-incrementing numeric value that is unique per Grafana install.

The unique identifier (UID) of a library element uniquely identifies library elements between multiple Grafana installs. It's automatically generated unless you specify it during library element creation. The UID provides consistent URLs for accessing library elements and when syncing library elements between multiple Grafana installs.

The maximum length of a UID is 40 characters.

## Get all library elements

`GET /api/library-elements`

Returns a list of all library elements the authenticated user has permission to view. Use the `perPage` query parameter to control the maximum number of library elements returned; the default limit is 100. You can also use the `page` query parameter to fetch library elements from any page other than the first one.

Query parameters:

- `searchString`: Part of the name or description searched for.
- `kind`: Kind of element to search for. Use `1` for library panels or `2` for library variables.
- `sortDirection`: Sort order of elements. Use `alpha-asc` for ascending and `alpha-desc` for descending sort order.
- `typeFilter`: A comma separated list of types to filter the elements by.
- `excludeUid`: Element UID to exclude from search results.
- `folderFilter`: A comma separated list of folder IDs to filter the elements by.
- `perPage`: The number of results per page; default is 100.
- `page`: The page for a set of records, given that only `perPage` records are returned at a time. Numbering starts at `1`.

**Example Request**:

```http
GET /api/library-elements?perPage=10 HTTP/1.1
Accept: application/json
Content-Type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer eyJrIjoiT0tTcG1pUlY2RnVKZTFVaDFsNFZXdE9ZWmNrMkZYbk
```

**Example Response**:

```http
HTTP/1.1 200
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "result": {
     "totalCount": 15,
     "page": 1,
     "perPage": 10
     "elements": [
        {
            "id": 25,
            "orgId": 1,
            "folderId": 0,
            "uid": "V--OrYHnz",
            "name": "API docs Example",
            "kind": 1,
            "type": "text",
            "description": "",
            "model": {...},
            "version": 1,
            "meta": {
                "folderName": "General",
                "folderUid": "",
                "connectedDashboards": 1,
                "created": "2021-09-27T09:56:17+02:00",
                "updated": "2021-09-27T09:56:17+02:00",
                "createdBy": {
                    "id": 1,
                    "name": "admin",
                    "avatarUrl": "/avatar/46d229b033af06a191ff2267bca9ae56"
                },
                "updatedBy": {
                    "id": 1,
                    "name": "admin",
                    "avatarUrl": "/avatar/46d229b033af06a191ff2267bca9ae56"
                }
            }
        },
        {...}
        {...}
     ],
  }
}
```

Status Codes:

- `200`: Found
- `401`: Unauthorized

## Get library element by uid

`GET /api/library-elements/:uid`

Returns a library element with the given UID.

**Example Request**:

```http
GET /api/library-elements/V--OrYHnz HTTP/1.1
Accept: application/json
Content-Type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer eyJrIjoiT0tTcG1pUlY2RnVKZTFVaDFsNFZXdE9ZWmNrMkZYbk
```

**Example Response**:

```http
HTTP/1.1 200
Content-Type: application/json

{
    "result": {
      "id": 25,
      "orgId": 1,
      "folderId": 0,
      "uid": "V--OrYHnz",
      "name": "API docs Example",
      "kind": 1,
      "type": "text",
      "description": "",
      "model": {...},
      "version": 1,
      "meta": {
          "folderName": "General",
          "folderUid": "",
          "connectedDashboards": 1,
          "created": "2021-09-27T09:56:17+02:00",
          "updated": "2021-09-27T09:56:17+02:00",
          "createdBy": {
              "id": 1,
              "name": "admin",
              "avatarUrl": "/avatar/46d229b033af06a191ff2267bca9ae56"
          },
          "updatedBy": {
              "id": 1,
              "name": "admin",
              "avatarUrl": "/avatar/46d229b033af06a191ff2267bca9ae56"
          }
      }
   }
}
```

Status Codes:

- `200`: Found
- `401`: Unauthorized
- `404`: Library element not found

## Get library element by name

`GET /api/library-elements/name/:name`

Returns a library element with the given name

**Example Request**:

```http
GET /api/library-elements/name/API docs Example HTTP/1.1
Accept: application/json
Content-Type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer eyJrIjoiT0tTcG1pUlY2RnVKZTFVaDFsNFZXdE9ZWmNrMkZYbk
```

**Example Response**:

```http
HTTP/1.1 200
Content-Type: application/json

{
    "result": [
        {
            "id": 25,
            "orgId": 1,
            "folderId": 0,
            "uid": "V--OrYHnz",
            "name": "API docs Example",
            "kind": 1,
            "type": "text",
            "description": "",
            "model": {...},
            "version": 1,
            "meta": {
                "folderName": "General",
                "folderUid": "",
                "connectedDashboards": 1,
                "created": "2021-09-27T09:56:17+02:00",
                "updated": "2021-09-27T09:56:17+02:00",
                "createdBy": {
                    "id": 1,
                    "name": "admin",
                    "avatarUrl": "/avatar/46d229b033af06a191ff2267bca9ae56"
                },
                "updatedBy": {
                    "id": 1,
                    "name": "admin",
                    "avatarUrl": "/avatar/46d229b033af06a191ff2267bca9ae56"
                }
            }
        }
    ]
}
```

Status Codes:

- `200`: Found
- `401`: Unauthorized
- `404`: Library element not found

## Get library element connections

`GET /api/library-elements/:uid/connections`

Returns a list of connections for a library element based on the UID specified.

**Example Request**:

```http
GET /api/library-elements/V--OrYHnz/connections HTTP/1.1
Accept: application/json
Content-Type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer eyJrIjoiT0tTcG1pUlY2RnVKZTFVaDFsNFZXdE9ZWmNrMkZYbk
```

**Example Response**:

```http
HTTP/1.1 200
Content-Type: application/json

{
    "result": [
        {
            "id": 148,
            "kind": 1,
            "elementId": 25,
            "connectionId": 527,
            "connectionUid": "dHEquNzGz",
            "created": "2021-09-27T10:00:07+02:00",
            "createdBy": {
                "id": 1,
                "name": "admin",
                "avatarUrl": "/avatar/46d229b033af06a191ff2267bca9ae56"
            }
        }
    ]
}
```

Status Codes:

- `200`: Found
- `401`: Unauthorized
- `404`: Library element not found

## Create library element

`POST /api/library-elements`

Creates a new library element.

JSON Body schema:

- `folderId`: ID of the folder where the library element is stored. It is deprecated since Grafana v9
- `folderUid`: Optional, the UID of the folder where the library element is stored, empty string when it is General folder
- `name`: Optional, the name of the library element.
- `model`: The JSON model for the library element.
- `kind`: Kind of element to create, Use `1` for library panels or `2` for library variables.
- `uid`: Optional, the [unique identifier](/http_api/library_element/#identifier-id-vs-unique-identifier-uid).

**Example Request**:

```http
POST /api/library-elements HTTP/1.1
Accept: application/json
Content-Type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer eyJrIjoiT0tTcG1pUlY2RnVKZTFVaDFsNFZXdE9ZWmNrMkZYbk

{
  "uid": "nErXDvCkzz",
  "folderUid": "",
  "name": "Example library panel",
  "model": {...},
  "kind": 1
}
```

**Example Response**:

```http
HTTP/1.1 200
Content-Type: application/json

{
    "result": {
        "id": 28,
        "orgId": 1,
        "folderId": 0,
        "folderUid": "",
        "uid": "nErXDvCkzz",
        "name": "Example library panel",
        "kind": 1,
        "type": "",
        "description": "",
        "model": {...},
        "version": 1,
        "meta": {
            "folderName": "General",
            "folderUid": "",
            "connectedDashboards": 0,
            "created": "2021-09-30T09:14:22.378307+02:00",
            "updated": "2021-09-30T09:14:22.378307+02:00",
            "createdBy": {
                "id": 1,
                "name": "admin",
                "avatarUrl": "/avatar/46d229b033af06a191ff2267bca9ae56"
            },
            "updatedBy": {
                "id": 1,
                "name": "admin",
                "avatarUrl": "/avatar/46d229b033af06a191ff2267bca9ae56"
            }
        }
    }
}
```

Status Codes:

- `200`: Created
- `400`: Errors (for example, name or UID already exists, invalid JSON, missing or invalid fields, and so on).
- `401`: Unauthorized
- `403`: Access denied

## Update library element

`PATCH /api/library-elements/:uid`

Updates an existing library element identified by uid.

JSON Body schema:

- `folderId`: ID of the folder where the library element is stored. It is deprecated since Grafana v9
- `folderUid`: UID of the folder where the library element is stored, empty string when it is General folder.
- `name`: Name of the library element.
- `model`: The JSON model for the library element.
- `kind`: Kind of element to create. Use `1` for library panels or `2` for library variables.
- `version`: Version of the library element you are updating.
- `uid`: Optional, the [unique identifier](/http_api/library_element/#identifier-id-vs-unique-identifier-uid).

**Example Request**:

```http
PATCH /api/library-elements/nErXDvCkzz HTTP/1.1
Accept: application/json
Content-Type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer eyJrIjoiT0tTcG1pUlY2RnVKZTFVaDFsNFZXdE9ZWmNrMkZYbk

{
  "name": "Renamed library panel",
  "kind": 1,
  "version": 1
}
```

**Example Response**:

```http
HTTP/1.1 200
Content-Type: application/json

{
    "result": {
        "id": 28,
        "orgId": 1,
        "folderId": 0,
        "folderUid": "",
        "uid": "nErXDvCkzz",
        "name": "Renamed library panel",
        "kind": 1,
        "type": "",
        "description": "",
        "model": {
            "description": "",
            "type": ""
        },
        "version": 2,
        "meta": {
            "folderName": "General",
            "folderUid": "",
            "connectedDashboards": 0,
            "created": "2021-09-30T09:14:22+02:00",
            "updated": "2021-09-30T09:25:57.697214+02:00",
            "createdBy": {
                "id": 1,
                "name": "admin",
                "avatarUrl": "/avatar/46d229b033af06a191ff2267bca9ae56"
            },
            "updatedBy": {
                "id": 1,
                "name": "admin",
                "avatarUrl": "/avatar/46d229b033af06a191ff2267bca9ae56"
            }
        }
    }
}
```

Status Codes:

- `200`: Updated
- `400`: Errors (for example, name or UID already exists, invalid JSON, missing or invalid fields, and so on).
- `401`: Unauthorized
- `403`: Access denied
- `404`: Library element not found
- `412`: Version mismatch

## Delete library element

`DELETE /api/library-elements/:uid`

Deletes an existing library element as specified by the UID. This operation cannot be reverted.

> **Note:** You cannot delete a library element that is connected. This operation cannot be reverted.

**Example Request**:

```http
DELETE /api/library-elements/nErXDvCkzz HTTP/1.1
Accept: application/json
Content-Type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer eyJrIjoiT0tTcG1pUlY2RnVKZTFVaDFsNFZXdE9ZWmNrMkZYbk

```

**Example Response**:

```http
HTTP/1.1 200
Content-Type: application/json

{
    "message": "Library element deleted",
    "id": 28
}
```

Status Codes:

- `200`: Deleted
- `401`: Unauthorized
- `400`: Bad request
- `403`: Access denied
- `404`: Library element not found
