dashboard-review
Use when reviewing dashboard JSON changes in a PR or branch. Extracts structured descriptions with kbdash, compares before/after, and checks guideline compliance.
By elastic · 451 installs
npx skills add elastic/integration-skills --skill dashboard-review
Source repository · Upstream listing
dashboard review
When to use
Use this skill when tasks include:
reviewing a PR that modifies Kibana dashboard JSON files
comparing dashboard changes between branches
summarizing what changed in dashboard exports
checking dashboard changes against the official dashboard guidelines
When not to use
Do not use this skill as the primary guide for:
creating new dashboards or exporting them from Kibana ( dashboard guidelines )
dashboard naming conventions and file layout ( dashboard guidelines → references/kibana assets layout.md )
package wide command orchestration ( elastic package cli )
test suite selection ( integration testing )
Prerequisites
kbdash must be installed:
Lines prefixed with [!] in the output are warnings about potential
issues in the dashboard JSON (consistency mismatches, incomplete
extraction, parse errors). Run kbdash h for a description of each
warning type.
Review procedure
Read references/review procedure.md for the full step by step
workflow. The high level flow is:
1. Identify changed dashboard files (added, removed, modified).
2. Extract before/after descriptions with kbdash .
3. Compare descriptions and classify changes as meaningful or cosmetic.
4. Verify suspected issues against the raw JSON before reporting.
5. Format output as one section per dashboard with bullet pointed changes.
6. Check guideline compliance on added or modified dashboards.
Guideline compliance checks
After summarizing changes, check the final state of every added or
modified dashboard against the [official dashboard guidelines][dg].
Report violations in a "Guideline notes" subsection after the
change summary for each dashboard.
[dg]: https://www.elastic.co/docs/extend/integrations/dashboard guidelines
Check for these issues:
TSVB panels: Flag any visualization panel using TSVB. The
guidelines require Lens for all new visualizations. Migrating
existing TSVB to Lens is encouraged.
Missing dataset filter: Each visualization should filter on
data stream.dataset or an equivalently specific scope. Flag
panels that query broad index patterns ( metrics , logs )
without scoping.
By reference visualizations: Visualization and lens panels
should be embedded by value. In the raw JSON, references entries
with a panelRefName indicate by reference panels. Flag these
only when the reference type is visualization , lens , or map .
Saved searches ( search type) are inherently referenced and
should not be flagged.
Deprecated input controls: The input control vis type is
deprecated. Dashboard native controls should be used instead.
Package name title prefix: Panel titles matching
[<Package Name ...] create unnecessary repetition. Flag these.
Broad wildcard filters: Filters using unscoped patterns
without further qualification are a performance concern.
High panel count: If a dashboard has more than roughly 20
panels, note it. The guidelines recommend splitting across
dashboards and linking with drilldowns.
Queries on event.dataset instead of data stream.dataset :
Saved object queries (dashboards, saved searches, packaged ML job
datafeeds) must filter on data stream.dataset . Some inputs
(e.g. packetbeat) never set event.dataset , so an
event.dataset filter silently matches nothing. Flag every
saved object query in a diff that renames or re maps fields.
YAML dashboard sources out of sync: When a package keeps YAML
dashboard sources in dev/shared/kibana/ .yaml (compiled to
kibana/dashboard/ .json with kb dashboard), BOTH must be
committed and in sync. Flag JSON only edits when a YAML source
exists for that dashboard.
Regeneration diffs: A recompile PR is expected to change only
state.adHocDataViews , state.internalReferences , and per layer
index keys (the ES QL/Discover fix on Kibana 9.3+). Diffs beyond
those keys in a "regenerate" PR deserve inspection.
Missing Kibana asset tags: New content pack dashboards are
expected to carry Kibana asset tags — note their absence (LOW).
Only report issues that actually exist — skip passing checks. For
pre existing violations in unchanged panels, mention them once
briefly ("N existing panels also use TSVB") rather than listing
each one. Focus review attention on newly added or modified panels.
Handoff to other skills
After the review is complete:
1. dashboard guidelines for creation or export guidance if the review surfaces structural issues
2. package spec when dashboard changes require a release note entry
3. elastic package cli for validation commands
References
references/review procedure.md — full extraction, comparison, and output formatting workflow