---
description: Integrate Grafana with KumoMTA to visualize metrics and generate alerts, consuming the KumoMTA data feed exposed through Prometheus for dashboards.
---

# Grafana integration

## Introduction

[Grafana](https://grafana.com/) is a popular tool for visualizing data and generating alerts.

Grafana does not directly integrate with KumoMTA, but is a recommended visualization tool that can consume the feed from Prometheus, which _does_ directly integrate with KumoMTA.

## Instructions

### Get KumoMTA

Install KumoMTA as per the [installation instructions
here](../installation/overview.md).

Before finishing this step, you should ensure that you have correctly set up
DNS with a resolving sending domain, MX, PTR, SPF, DKIM, etc.

Ensure that you can inject and deliver mail through KumoMTA.

### Install Prometheus and test

There are detailed instructions [here](../integrations/prometheus.md) for installing prometheus in KumoMTA.

 * You can install directly on the server, or in a separate server, or in
   docker.  We recommend using docker
   [https://hub.docker.com/r/prom/prometheus](https://hub.docker.com/r/prom/prometheus)
 * Note that `Node Exporter` is not actually required, but will give you access
   to additional system metrics like free drive space and other OS operational
   data.

### Get Grafana

Grafana itself can be used in a [number of
ways](https://grafana.com/docs/grafana/latest/setup-grafana/installation/).

As long as it can read the Prometheus data feed, it can work for you.  While
you can install directly on the KumoMTA node following the instructions above,
we recommend you use a [docker
image](https://grafana.com/docs/grafana/latest/setup-grafana/configure-docker/#supported-docker-image-variants)
or the [Grafana cloud](https://grafana.com/products/cloud/?plcmt=products-nav)
service.

Follow the setup [instructions
here](../operation/status.md#setting-up-a-grafana-dashboard) to configure the
prometheus feed, and get the sample Grafana dashboard.

You should see your data feed in Grafana within seconds.
