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HTTP API

Updated Nov 20, 2022 ·

Overview​

The Prometheus HTTP API enables programmatic access to Prometheus for querying data and managing configurations.

  • Execute PromQL queries for time-series data.
  • Access system and Prometheus metrics.
  • Retrieve and modify Prometheus settings.

This is useful for situations where using the built-in web GUI isn't an option:

  • When building custom tools
  • Third-party integrations

Running a Query​

To run a query through the API, send the POST request to:

http://<prometheus-ip>/api/v1/query

As an example, if we want to pass this expression:

node_arp_entries{instance="192.168.1.100:9100"}

We need to add it to the query parameter of the POST request:

curl http://<prometheus-ip>/api/v1/query \
 --data 'query=node_arp_entries{instance="192.168.1.100:9100"}'

Query at a Specific Time​

To perform a query at a specific time, add the Unix time as a parameter as well:

curl http://<prometheus-ip>/api/v1/query \
 --data 'query=node_arp_entries{instance="192.168.1.100:9100"}' \
 --data 'time=16705456462.145'

Range Vector​

To return a range vector:

curl http://<prometheus-ip>/api/v1/query \
 --data 'query=node_arp_entries{instance="192.168.1.100:9100"}[5m]' \
 --data 'time=16705456462.145'