# Using dashboard provisioning and getting error "Invalid alert data. Cannot save dashboard"

**URL:** <https://community.grafana.com/t/using-dashboard-provisioning-and-getting-error-invalid-alert-data-cannot-save-dashboard/7667>\
**Category:** Grafana\
**Tags:** docker, provisioning\
**Created:** [May 24, 2018, 6:14am UTC](https://community.grafana.com/t/using-dashboard-provisioning-and-getting-error-invalid-alert-data-cannot-save-dashboard/7667 "2018-05-24T06:14:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ninjadude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/977dab/32.png) [@ninjadude](https://community.grafana.com/u/ninjadude)\
**Post date:** [May 24, 2018, 6:14am UTC](https://community.grafana.com/t/using-dashboard-provisioning-and-getting-error-invalid-alert-data-cannot-save-dashboard/7667/1 "2018-05-24T06:14:01Z")

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hi,  
i’m using grafana 5.1.3 from the official docker image, and trying to add my 100% working dashboards from grafana 4.2.0.  
grafana loads up , and when trying to load the json files, sends this error massage:

`t=2018-05-23T15:20:02+0000 lvl=eror msg="failed to save dashboard" logger=provisioning.dashboard type=file name=default error="Invalid alert data. Cannot save dashboard"`

i was very exited with the new provisioning feature, any idea what am i doing wrong ?

thanks  
David.

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**Author:** ![zealousmacwan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/grafana/user_avatar/community.grafana.com/zealousmacwan/32/8973_2.png) [@zealousmacwan](https://community.grafana.com/u/zealousmacwan)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 6:18am UTC](https://community.grafana.com/t/using-dashboard-provisioning-and-getting-error-invalid-alert-data-cannot-save-dashboard/7667/2 "2020-01-10T06:18:38Z")

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@anon34853223 Same error, quick help required. I have provisioned few dashboards but only one dashboard is loaded. Also provisioned datasource name “Prometheus Data” but in log error says “can not find datasource $DS\_PROMETHEUS\_DATA”, Datasource is loaded in grafana but dashboards are not able to find it, How to write proper datasource.yml so that datasource name specified in exported dashboards are referenced properly.

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**Author:** ![zealousmacwan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/grafana/user_avatar/community.grafana.com/zealousmacwan/32/8973_2.png) [@zealousmacwan](https://community.grafana.com/u/zealousmacwan)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 8:38am UTC](https://community.grafana.com/t/using-dashboard-provisioning-and-getting-error-invalid-alert-data-cannot-save-dashboard/7667/3 "2020-01-10T08:38:41Z")

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Solved. I just exported dashboard json without enabling option “Export for sharing externally” which was causing $PROMETHEUS\_DATA not found error. Now dashboards are loaded without any error.