# OpenSearch Dashboard and Discover tool: Search, analyze, and visualize your data [Blog](/blog/)>[Technology](/blog/category/technical/)>OpenSearch Dashboard and Discover tool: Search, analyze, and visualize your data OpenSearch Dashboard and Discover tool: Search, analyze, and visualize your data ================================================================================ August 12, 2025 | By [ Kassian Wren](https://www.instaclustr.com/blog/author/kassian-wren/) [ ](https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=OpenSearch%20Dashboard%20and%20Discover%20tool:%20Search,%20analyze,%20and%20visualize%20your%20data&url=https://www.instaclustr.com/blog/opensearch-dashboard-and-discover-tool-search-analyze-and-visualize-your-data/) [ ](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.instaclustr.com/blog/opensearch-dashboard-and-discover-tool-search-analyze-and-visualize-your-data/&title=&summary=OpenSearch%20Dashboard%20and%20Discover%20tool:%20Search,%20analyze,%20and%20visualize%20your%20data&source=) [OpenSearch Dashboards](https://www.instaclustr.com/blog/how-to-use-opensearch-3-0-dashboards-creating-advanced-visualizations/) offer powerful tools for exploring and making sense of your data. Among its robust features is the Discover Tool, an essential part of the OpenSearch Dashboard suite, designed to help you query, analyze and visualize data easily. Whether you’re a seasoned user or just starting out, this blog will empower you to make the most out of this tool. By the end of this blog, you’ll learn how to: - Set up the OpenSearch Discover Tool on an Instaclustr OpenSearch 3.0 cluster - Search your data effectively with filters and queries - Visualize your findings - Share insights with your team quickly and securely Getting started with the OpenSearch Discover Tool ------------------------------------------------- The Discover Tool is intuitive and versatile, enabling users to search, sort, and analyze data rapidly. For this walkthrough, we’ll use a sample dataset using Instaclustr for OpenSearch 3.0. However you can use any OpenSearch 3.x cluster to replicate these steps. You can even use the [OpenSearch Dashboards playground](https://playground.opensearch.org/app/home#/) if you’d prefer not to spin up a cluster. ### Setting up sample data To begin you need a running OpenSearch 3.0 cluster. Once you have your cluster running, populate the e-commerce sample data set: from the Dashboards landing page, select **Add sample data** at the left near the bottom: ![OpenSearch Discover tool walkthrough image]() Then, click the **Add data** button under the **Sample eCommerce orders** heading: ![OpenSearch Discover tool walkthrough image]() Then, click the **Home** tablet in the top navigation bar: ![OpenSearch Discover tool walkthrough image]() And you’ll be taken to the home screen. Select **OpenSearch Dashboards**, then **Discover** to open the Discover tool: ![OpenSearch Discover tool walkthrough image]() That’s it! Your sample data is ready to explore. You’ll now see a wealth of fields and metrics waiting to be analyzed. ### Searching your data with the OpenSearch Discover tool Two standout methods make searching your dataset simple and scalable: - Filters for visual refinement. - Queries written in DQL for precision. On the left side of the window, you can select your index and look at **search/filter** and **select** fields. On the right side, you can write search queries, set your timeframe for data, and see the document results of your Discover query/search. You’ll start by selecting the `opensearch_dashboards_sample_data_ecommerce` index using the dropdown on the top left: ![OpenSearch Discover tool walkthrough image]() On the top right, below the links, is your timeframe selector. Change it to read “Last 2 weeks” by setting the time, then click the **Update** button on the far right: ![OpenSearch Discover tool walkthrough image]() You should now see a good chunk of data from the index: ![OpenSearch Discover tool walkthrough image]() Now that you can call up the data, I’ll cover two ways of searching your data: **filters** and **queries**. ### Refining results with filters Filters allow you to refine your results based on values stored in each document’s fields. To create a filter, click the **Add filter** button in the top-left area of the right Discover tool panel: ![OpenSearch Discover tool walkthrough image]() You’ll see the following form: ![OpenSearch Discover tool walkthrough image]() In the dropdown menu on the left, enter `products.taxless_price`. ![OpenSearch Discover tool walkthrough image]() Set the filter to Operator **is not between** using the dropdown on the right side of the form. Then set a range of **0 to 50**. ![OpenSearch Discover tool walkthrough image]() Hit **Save**. You’ll see all orders with price before tax above 50 or below 0. ![OpenSearch Discover tool walkthrough image]() To clear the filter for the next exercise, click the **X** button on the filter box that appears for our filter: ![OpenSearch Discover tool walkthrough image]() Next I’ll cover using DQL queries to search your Discover data. ### Writing DQL queries to search Data Query Language, or DQL, is a simplified query language used with OpenSearch. You can learn more about how to write the queries [here](https://docs.opensearch.org/latest/dashboards/dql/). For today, I’ll walk you through setting up a query. In the text box at the top left of the right pane, enter the following: `products.taxful_price > 50`. ![OpenSearch Discover tool walkthrough image]() Then hit the **Update** button, and you’ll see all orders with a price with tax over 50. ![OpenSearch Discover tool walkthrough image]() Don’t forget you can combine techniques! Filters and queries can be combined: ![OpenSearch Discover tool walkthrough image]() Next, I’ll cover visualizing the data you’ve searched within the Discover tool. ### Visualizing data in the Discover Tool Now that you’ve learned how to search and filter your data, I’ll cover creating quick visualizations in the Discover tool. While these may not be as complex as the visualizations in Dashboards, it’s perfect for one-off charts and experimentation. To get started, hover over any field in the left column that can be visualized (numbers are an easy one). Here, I’m using `product.base_unit_price`. You’ll see a magnifying glass icon: ![OpenSearch Discover tool walkthrough image]() Click it, and a pop-up menu will appear: ![OpenSearch Discover tool walkthrough image]() Click the **Visualize** button in the popup to be taken to a bar graph of field data: ![OpenSearch Discover tool walkthrough image]() If you click the **Metrics & axes** tab in the right pane, you’ll see options to change the visualization type. Change the type to **Line** and click the **Refresh** button. ![OpenSearch Discover tool walkthrough image]() You’ll now have a line chart of the price data. ![OpenSearch Discover tool walkthrough image]() ### Sharing Discover data with others Collaboration is seamless with the Discover Tool’s built-in share options. Once your data or visualizations are ready, here’s how to share them. You should see a **Share** link and a **Save** button. Click the **Share** button. ![OpenSearch Discover tool walkthrough image]() The share button presents you with 2 options: **Permalink** and **Embed code**. ![OpenSearch Discover tool walkthrough image]() Embed code provides you with code that you can put on your own webpages to show your data: <!-- sample HTML embed code --> <iframe src="https://opensearch-dashboards.c108f8415ee44ff39f8bade2e1fda4be.cnodes.io:5601/goto/b360db006533e5af3e4aae47e159ab57?security\_tenant=private" height="600" width="800"></iframe> 1 2 <!-- sample HTML embed code --> <iframe src="https://opensearch-dashboards.c108f8415ee44ff39f8bade2e1fda4be.cnodes.io:5601/goto/b360db006533e5af3e4aae47e159ab57?security\_tenant=private" height="600" width="800"></iframe> Note that these cannot be seen by people who cannot see your dashboard data; this is for internal sharing only. The permalinks section will provide you a link (you can even set it to produce a shortened link) to the visualization or data you’ve collected. <!-- sample permalink to OpenSearch data --> https://opensearch-dashboards.c108f8415ee44ff39f8bade2e1fda4be.cnodes.io:5601/goto/a0d0061caafedd3a22653c2baa84583b?security\_tenant=private 1 2 <!-- sample permalink to OpenSearch data --> https://opensearch-dashboards.c108f8415ee44ff39f8bade2e1fda4be.cnodes.io:5601/goto/a0d0061caafedd3a22653c2baa84583b?security\_tenant=private Why the OpenSearch dashboard matters ------------------------------------ The OpenSearch Dashboard is more than just a visualization tool. By combining the querying power of the Discover Tool, data visualization capabilities, and seamless sharing options, it transforms how businesses extract value from their data. Whether you’re looking to surface trends in e-commerce, monitor system logs, or analyze customer behavior, these tools offer clarity and efficiency. Dashboards and insights can also be enhanced by an [OpenSearch analytics platform with agentic AI](https://www.knowi.com/lp/opensearch-analytics/). In this tutorial you learned how to use the OpenSearch Dashboards discovery tool to search, filter, visualize, and share your data in a notepad-like way that can be saved into a full visualization. You could go on to add alerting to your new visualization, and so much more. Want to see it in action? [Spin up an OpenSearch cluster](https://console2.instaclustr.com/signup?_ga=2.200991470.1505602066.1726152168-1815699945.1710961315&_gl=1*1rse4je*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE3NTQ1MDcxODguQ2owS0NRandrT3FaQmhETkFSSXNBQUNzYmZMZndTU3YwbXpETXA1dHcwY2kzSlMwcVhtSERDTXlsTFViNVFBa1o2VjZJeGZ5NUZVb3JCWWFBdGlhRUFMd193Y0I.*_gcl_au*MjA4NzUzMzQ1NC4xNzUyMDg0NDMy*_ga*NzYxMjIxNzY1LjE3NDE4ODg1Mjg.*_ga_4NBQSJMP6D*czE3NTQ2NTQxNzgkbzU1JGcwJHQxNzU0NjU0MTc5JGo1OSRsMCRoMA..) with Instaclustr free and explore how these tools can transform your data analysis workflows. ### About the author **[Kassian Wren](https://www.instaclustr.com/blog/author/kassian-wren/)** | Open Source Technology Advocate Kassian specializes in open source technologies like OpenSearch and Cassandra. With over a decade of experience, they excel in creating impactful educational content across various formats and actively engage with the developer community through events, online platforms, and live presentations. Passionate about fostering knowledge-sharing, Kassian combines technical expertise with community-focused outreach to support and inspire developers worldwide. [ Add Instaclustr as a preferred source on Google ](https://google.com/preferences/source?q=instaclustr.com) ![mail icon]()#### Get the latest articles for open sourceIn your inbox Sign up now ### Related content [ A Comprehensive Guide to OpenSearch Architecture Confused about your OpenSearch architecture? Get a complete understanding with our guide so you can better utilize the platform... ](https://www.instaclustr.com/blog/opensearch-and-elasticsearch-architecture/) [ How to use OpenSearch® 3.0 Dashboards: Creating advanced visualizations Master how to use OpenSearch dashboards to craft advanced visualizations with Vega, VisBuilder & TSVB. 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