---
title: Metrics
description: Ingest, store, query, and visualize metrics from any source using OpenTelemetry, Prometheus remote write, or Elastic Agent integrations.
url: https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4547/solutions/observability/metrics
products:
  - Elastic Cloud Hosted
  - Elastic Cloud Serverless
  - Elastic Documentation
  - Elastic Observability
applies_to:
  - Serverless Observability projects: Generally available
  - Elastic Stack: Generally available
---

# Metrics
Elastic lets you ingest, store, query, and visualize metrics from any source. Whether you're consolidating a Prometheus or Datadog stack, collecting infrastructure metrics, or sending custom application metrics, Elastic supports OpenTelemetry, Prometheus remote write, and Elastic Agent integrations from a single platform.

## Send metrics to Elastic

Start here if you need to get metrics into Elastic or decide how to ingest them:
<definitions>
  <definition term="Get started with metrics">
    Get data flowing quickly using an Elastic OpenTelemetry quickstart for your deployment type and environment. Start here if you're evaluating Elastic or want a working pipeline before you commit to a data model.
  </definition>
  <definition term="Migrate metrics to Elastic">
    Move an existing Prometheus or Datadog stack to Elastic. Because Elastic accepts OpenTelemetry Protocol (OTLP) and Prometheus remote write, you can run both systems side by side and migrate gradually.
  </definition>
  <definition term="Ingest metrics">
    Compare every ingest path in detail: Elastic OpenTelemetry and OTLP, Prometheus remote write, and Elastic Agent integrations, including which path is recommended for your deployment type.
  </definition>
  <definition term="Plan your metrics setup">
    Understand how each ingest path stores your metrics (OpenTelemetry, Elastic Common Schema (ECS), or Prometheus names) and pick the path for your deployment type before you scale up.
  </definition>
</definitions>


## Work with existing metrics in Elastic

After metrics are in Elastic, use these pages to query, visualize, and control storage:
<definitions>
  <definition term="Explore metrics">
    Query with Elasticsearch Query Language (ES|QL) or PromQL.
    <applies-to>Elastic Stack: Generally available since 9.4</applies-to> <applies-to>Elastic Cloud Serverless: Generally available</applies-to> Visualize your data in Kibana using **Discover**, the Infrastructure UI, or dashboards.
    <applies-to>Elastic Stack: Deprecated since 9.4, Elastic Stack: Generally available from 9.0 to 9.3</applies-to> Visualize your data in Kibana using **Metrics Explorer**, the Infrastructure UI, or dashboards.
  </definition>
  <definition term="Manage metrics storage">
    Control storage costs and retention using time series data streams (TSDS), downsampling, cardinality management, and lifecycle policies.
  </definition>
</definitions>


## Use Prometheus and Grafana with Elastic

Keep Prometheus scraping and add Elastic as a `remote_write` target. Your scrape configurations don't change. On Elastic Cloud Serverless and Elastic Cloud Hosted, send to the Managed Prometheus Remote Write endpoint. On self-managed Elastic Stack, Elastic Cloud Enterprise, and Elastic Cloud on Kubernetes, send to the Elasticsearch `/_prometheus/api/v1/write` endpoint.
<applies-to>Elastic Stack: Generally available since 9.5, Elastic Stack: Preview in 9.4</applies-to> <applies-to>Elastic Cloud Serverless: Generally available</applies-to> If you use Grafana, point its Prometheus data source at Elasticsearch and keep your PromQL dashboards. Elasticsearch runs a subset of PromQL, so check each dashboard and alert rule against the PromQL limitations before you switch it over.
Use these pages to add remote write, keep Grafana, and reuse PromQL:
<definitions>
  <definition term="Ingest Prometheus metrics with the Managed Prometheus Remote Write endpoint Elastic Cloud Serverless: Generally available Elastic Stack: Generally available since 9.4">
    The recommended remote write destination on Elastic Cloud Serverless and Elastic Cloud Hosted.
  </definition>
  <definition term="Ingest Prometheus metrics with the Elasticsearch remote write endpoint Elastic Stack: Generally available since 9.5, Elastic Stack: Preview in 9.4">
    The Elasticsearch `/_prometheus/api/v1/write` endpoint for self-managed Elastic Stack, Elastic Cloud Enterprise, and Elastic Cloud on Kubernetes.
  </definition>
  <definition term="Use Elasticsearch as a Prometheus data source in Grafana Elastic Stack: Generally available since 9.5, Elastic Stack: Preview in 9.4 Elastic Cloud Serverless: Generally available">
    Point Grafana at Elasticsearch and keep your existing PromQL dashboards.
  </definition>
  <definition term="PromQL reference Elastic Stack: Generally available since 9.5, Elastic Stack: Preview in 9.4 Elastic Cloud Serverless: Generally available">
    Learn how Elasticsearch evaluates PromQL and which functions and constructs it supports.
  </definition>
</definitions>