> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.use.observer/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Start a metric from a template

> Pre-filled metric definitions for common patterns. Pick one, fill a couple of parameters, edit anything, save.

A metric template is a pre-filled definition for a common monitoring
pattern: an HTTP error rate, an RDS CPU metric, a Postgres replication
lag query, a TLS expiry check. Instead of starting from a blank form
and typing the right query and thresholds yourself, you pick a template,
fill in the few values specific to your environment, and save.

Templates are a starting point, not a constraint. Every field they
pre-fill stays editable before you save.

## Using a template

1. Go to **Metrics**, then **New metric**.
2. In the Source section, choose **Start from a template**.
3. Browse by category or search by name. Each card shows what the
   template monitors and which source type it uses.
4. Pick a template and fill its parameters (for example the RDS instance
   ID, or the env var holding a database connection string).
5. Apply. The form is now pre-filled: source type, configuration,
   suggested thresholds, and a suggested name and description.
6. Adjust anything, then save like any other metric.

## What a template fills in

* **Source type and configuration**, with your parameter values
  substituted in.
* **Suggested thresholds** tuned for what the metric measures (for
  example "under 80 healthy, over 95 unhealthy" for CPU).
* **A suggested name and description**, used only if you haven't already
  typed your own.

## Parameters

A template pre-fills structure; the values unique to your environment
are parameters you fill in. A parameter is a hostname, an AWS region, an
RDS instance ID, or the name of an environment variable on the agent
that holds a secret. Parameters marked with an asterisk are required.

For sources that read a secret (databases, authenticated log backends),
the parameter is the **name** of an environment variable on the agent,
never the secret itself. The template carries the query; you supply the
reference.

## Available templates

| Category | Templates |
| - | - |
| Time series | Service availability, HTTP request rate, HTTP 5xx error rate, HTTP p95 latency, Node CPU saturation (Prometheus) |
| Cloud | RDS CPU utilization, RDS connection count, Lambda error count, ALB 5xx count (CloudWatch) |
| Database | Postgres replication lag, Postgres connection count, MySQL connection count |
| Logs | Application error rate (Loki), Error log count (Elasticsearch) |
| Network | TCP port reachable, DNS resolution, TLS certificate expiry, Host reachable (ICMP) |
| Web | Website uptime, GitHub API rate limit remaining, HTTP endpoint health |
| Realtime | WebSocket connection success, gRPC health check |
| Scheduled jobs | Nightly backup, Hourly job, Queue worker liveness (heartbeat) |

## After applying

The pre-filled values are suggestions. Review the query, confirm the
thresholds match your environment, point the metric at the right agent,
and set the polling interval. Save when it reads correctly. If a value
looks wrong, change it: the template has done its job once the form is
populated.

## Suggesting a template

The template set is curated. If a pattern you reach for often isn't
here, contact support to request a template.


This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.