# Where to change response and reply format of grafana calls to backend server

**URL:** <https://community.grafana.com/t/where-to-change-response-and-reply-format-of-grafana-calls-to-backend-server/8005>\
**Category:** Grafana Plugin Development\
**Created:** [June 10, 2018, 7:17pm UTC](https://community.grafana.com/t/where-to-change-response-and-reply-format-of-grafana-calls-to-backend-server/8005 "2018-06-10T19:17:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![abhinavred](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a8b319/32.png) [@abhinavred](https://community.grafana.com/u/abhinavred)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2018, 7:17pm UTC](https://community.grafana.com/t/where-to-change-response-and-reply-format-of-grafana-calls-to-backend-server/8005/1 "2018-06-10T19:17:34Z")

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I’m trying to develop a custom datasource plug in for grafana, however I’m finding the overall way information flows through the all the files in a datasource plug in difficult to understand. It would be great if someone could give a brief explanation about which functions/classes in which files of the simple json datasource need to be edited so that I can

1. Set the format of the query from grafana to the backend server and the format of the reply from the server to grafana
2. Whether any other changes are required to display data and graphs from the custom datasource to grafana  
I know these questions may require a little explaining, but it’s been really hard to find out what I really need to do to connect grafana to my server and the docs aren’t as helpful as I’d hoped they would be

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**Author:** ![anon34853223](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/71c47a/32.png) [@anon34853223](https://community.grafana.com/u/anon34853223)\
**Post date:** [July 2, 2018, 8:57am UTC](https://community.grafana.com/t/where-to-change-response-and-reply-format-of-grafana-calls-to-backend-server/8005/2 "2018-07-02T08:57:58Z")

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Hi,

Have you read the [documentation](http://docs.grafana.org/plugins/developing/datasources/)? Are you trying to build a complete new datasource or use the simple json datasource?

Marcus

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**Author:** ![abhinavred](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a8b319/32.png) [@abhinavred](https://community.grafana.com/u/abhinavred)\
**Post date:** [July 2, 2018, 9:00am UTC](https://community.grafana.com/t/where-to-change-response-and-reply-format-of-grafana-calls-to-backend-server/8005/3 "2018-07-02T09:00:47Z")

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Thanks for the reply but I already finished building it : )

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**Author:** ![acedev](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a8b319/32.png) [@acedev](https://community.grafana.com/u/acedev)\
**Post date:** [July 2, 2018, 8:37pm UTC](https://community.grafana.com/t/where-to-change-response-and-reply-format-of-grafana-calls-to-backend-server/8005/4 "2018-07-02T20:37:16Z")

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Hello. I’m looking for the answer to the same question ☹  
I wish to change the request format that grafana sends to the backend. It would be really helpful to me and the Grafana community if you could share the source code/snippets with a short explanation of where the changes need to be done. Thank you in advance.

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**Author:** ![abhinavred](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a8b319/32.png) [@abhinavred](https://community.grafana.com/u/abhinavred)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2018, 3:36am UTC](https://community.grafana.com/t/where-to-change-response-and-reply-format-of-grafana-calls-to-backend-server/8005/5 "2018-07-03T03:36:35Z")

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I’ll probably write a blog post on this soon. I’ll share it here.

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**Author:** ![acedev](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a8b319/32.png) [@acedev](https://community.grafana.com/u/acedev)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2018, 3:42am UTC](https://community.grafana.com/t/where-to-change-response-and-reply-format-of-grafana-calls-to-backend-server/8005/6 "2018-07-03T03:42:19Z")

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Thank you so much for your response. Look forward to your blog post. I’m already at my wit’s end trying to figure it out.

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**Author:** ![fouziakhan95](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/76d3ee/32.png) [@fouziakhan95](https://community.grafana.com/u/fouziakhan95)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2020, 11:07am UTC](https://community.grafana.com/t/where-to-change-response-and-reply-format-of-grafana-calls-to-backend-server/8005/7 "2020-02-06T11:07:02Z")

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Hi abhinavred,

Have published the blog yet? I would like to have a look at it.  
Thanks.