# Run queries in the Query Console

**Category:** [Analytics](https://help.totalctrl.app/hc/totalctrl/totalctrl-help-center/en-US/categories/analytics-1)
**Updated:** 2026-08-19

## What the console is for

The **Query Console** lets you run ad-hoc queries against a connected external source and see the results as a table and a chart. Open it from the Analytics navigation, or click **Query Console** on a connected source card. Opening it from a card pre-selects that source.
## Query format by source

- **Snowflake** and **BigQuery** — write standard `SQL`. You can browse available schemas and tables from the console to help build your query.
- **Datadog** — enter a metric query, optionally followed by a time window in hours, as `metric_query|hours` (for example `system.cpu.user|6` for the last 6 hours). Without the suffix it defaults to the last hour.
- **Google Analytics** — choose the dimensions, metrics, and date range; the console runs a report and returns the rows.

## Running and reading results

Choose the source, enter your query, and run it. Results come back as a **table** plus a **chart** built from the first two columns, along with the query **execution time** in milliseconds. Results are capped at **1,000 rows**; if your query returns more, the output is marked as truncated.
## Auditing

Every successful run is recorded in your account's audit log with the source, row count, execution time, and whether the result was truncated. To turn a query into a permanent widget, recreate it as a panel on a [custom dashboard](build-a-custom-dashboard).

---

## Related Articles

- [Explore the built-in app dashboards](https://help.totalctrl.app/en-US/articles/explore-built-in-dashboards)
- [Analytics overview & the native data layer](https://help.totalctrl.app/en-US/articles/analytics-overview-2)
- [Build a dashboard and add panels](https://help.totalctrl.app/en-US/articles/build-a-dashboard)
- [Connect external data sources](https://help.totalctrl.app/en-US/articles/connect-external-sources)
- [Share a dashboard](https://help.totalctrl.app/en-US/articles/share-a-dashboard)

---
[← Back to TotalCtrl Help Center](https://help.totalctrl.app/en-US/)