[[introduction]] == {kib} — your window into the Elastic Stack ++++ What is Kibana? ++++ **_Explore and visualize your data and manage all things Elastic Stack._** Whether you’re a user or admin, {kib} makes your data actionable by providing three key functions. Kibana is: * **An open-source analytics and visualization platform.** Use {kib} to explore your {es} data, and then build beautiful visualizations and dashboards. * **A UI for managing the Elastic Stack.** Manage your security settings, assign user roles, take snapshots, roll up your data, and more — all from the convenience of a {kib} UI. * **A centralized hub for Elastic's solutions.** From log analytics to document discovery to SIEM, {kib} is the portal for accessing these and other capabilities. [role="screenshot"] image::images/intro-kibana.png[] [float] [[get-data-into-kibana]] === Getting data into {kib} {kib} is designed to use {es} as a data source. Think of Elasticsearch as the engine that stores and processes the data, with {kib} sitting on top. From the home page, {kib} provides these options for getting data in: * Set up a data flow to Elasticsearch using our built-in tutorials. (If a tutorial doesn’t exist for your data, go to the {beats-ref}/beats-reference.html[Beats overview] to learn about other data shippers in the {beats} family.) * <> and take {kib} for a test drive without loading data yourself. * Import static data using the https://www.elastic.co/blog/importing-csv-and-log-data-into-elasticsearch-with-file-data-visualizer[file upload feature]. * Index your data into Elasticsearch with {ref}/getting-started-index.html[REST APIs] or https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/client/index.html[client libraries]. + [role="screenshot"] image::images/intro-data-tutorial.png[Ways to get data in from the home page] {kib} uses an <> to tell it which {es} indices to explore. If you add sample data or run a built-in tutorial, you get an index pattern for free, and are good to start exploring. If you load your own data, you can create an index pattern in <>. [float] [[explore-and-query]] === Explore & query Ready to dive into your data? With <>, you can explore your data and search for hidden insights and relationships. Ask your questions, and then narrow the results to just the data you want. [role="screenshot"] image::images/intro-discover.png[] [float] [[visualize-and-analyze]] === Visualize & analyze A visualization is worth a thousand log lines, and {kib} provides many options for showcasing your data. Use <>, our drag-and-drop interface, to rapidly build charts, tables, metrics, and more. If there is a better visualization for your data, *Lens* suggests it, allowing for quick switching between visualization types. Once your visualizations are just the way you want, use <> to collect them in one place. A dashboard provides insights into your data from multiple perspectives. [role="screenshot"] image::images/intro-dashboard.png[] {kib} also offers these visualization features: * <> allows you to display your data in line charts, bar graphs, pie charts, histograms, and tables (just to name a few). It's also home to *Lens*, mentioned above. *Visualize* supports the ability to add interactive controls to your dashboard, and filter dashboard content in real time. * <> gives you the ability to present your data in a visually compelling, pixel-perfect report. Give your data the “wow” factor needed to impress your CEO or to captivate people with a big-screen display. * <> enables you to ask (and answer) meaningful questions of your location-based data. *Elastic Maps* supports multiple layers and data sources, mapping of individual geo points and shapes, and dynamic client-side styling. * <> allows you to combine an infinite number of aggregations to display complex data in a meaningful way. With TSVB, you can analyze multiple index patterns and customize every aspect of your visualization. Choose your own date format and color gradients, and easily switch your data view between time series, metric, top N, gauge, and markdown. [float] [[organize-and-secure]] === Organize & secure Want to share Kibana’s goodness with other people or teams? You can do so with <>, built for organizing your visualizations, dashboards, and indices. Think of a space as its own mini {kib} installation — it’s isolated from all other spaces, so you can tailor it to your specific needs without impacting others. You can even choose which features to enable within each space. Don’t need Machine learning in your “Executive” space? Simply turn it off. [role="screenshot"] image::images/intro-spaces.jpg[] You can take this all one step further with Kibana’s security features, and control which users have access to each space. {kib} allows for fine-grained controls, so you can give a user read-only access to dashboards in one space, but full access to all of Kibana’s features in another. [float] [[manage-all-things-stack]] === Manage all things Elastic Stack <> provides guided processes for managing all things Elastic Stack — indices, clusters, licenses, UI settings, index patterns, and more. Want to update your {es} indices? Set user roles and privileges? Turn on dark mode? Kibana has UIs for all that. [role="screenshot"] image::images/intro-management.png[] [float] [[extend-your-use-case]] === Extend your use case — or add a new one As a hub for Elastic's https://www.elastic.co/products/[solutions], {kib} can help you find security vulnerabilities, monitor performance, and address your business needs. Get alerted if a key metric spikes. Detect anomalous behavior or forecast future spikes. Root out bottlenecks in your application code. Kibana doesn’t limit or dictate how you explore your data. [float] [[try-kibana]] === Give {kib} a try There is no faster way to try out {kib} than with our hosted {es} Service. https://www.elastic.co/cloud/elasticsearch-service/signup[Sign up for a free trial] and start exploring data in minutes. You can also <> — no code, no additional infrastructure required. Our <> and in-product guidance can help you get up and running, faster. Use our Help menu if you have questions or feedback.