From 7748ec145e6d88e4493eecd53a16cae9b879e222 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Max Phillips Date: Wed, 2 Sep 2026 13:58:26 -0500 Subject: [PATCH 1/4] Expand Log Findings page for GA Add sections covering the Findings panel, capturing findings from queries, log events, and selected text, canvas organization, returning to a finding in Log Explorer, sending findings to Bits AI and Notebooks, and keyboard shortcuts. --- hugo/content/en/logs/explorer/findings.md | 89 ++++++++++++++++++++++- 1 file changed, 87 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-) diff --git a/hugo/content/en/logs/explorer/findings.md b/hugo/content/en/logs/explorer/findings.md index 676878c65ab..4ce5a336adf 100644 --- a/hugo/content/en/logs/explorer/findings.md +++ b/hugo/content/en/logs/explorer/findings.md @@ -2,6 +2,19 @@ title: Log Findings description: 'Capture, organize, and reuse important context during log investigations in Log Explorer.' private: true +further_reading: + - link: 'logs/explorer/' + tag: 'Documentation' + text: 'Search and analyze your logs in Log Explorer' + - link: 'logs/explorer/saved_views/' + tag: 'Documentation' + text: 'Automatically configure your Log Explorer' + - link: 'bits_ai/bits_chat/' + tag: 'Documentation' + text: 'Ask questions about your data with Bits AI chat' + - link: 'notebooks/' + tag: 'Documentation' + text: 'Build and share investigations with Notebooks' --- {{< callout url="https://www.datadoghq.com/product-preview/findings" btn_hidden="false" header="Join the Preview!" >}} @@ -12,10 +25,82 @@ Findings for Log Explorer is in Preview. Use this form to submit your request. Findings helps you capture, organize, and reuse important context during log investigations in [Log Explorer][1]. -With Findings, you can save log lines, visualizations, and queries to a canvas with the **Add Finding** button or keyboard shortcuts while investigating. This allows you to return to them or branch into new questions without losing track of earlier observations or investigative paths. +With Findings, you can save log events, visualizations, and queries to a canvas with the **Add a finding** button or a keyboard shortcut while investigating. Each finding stores the context it was captured in. You can return to it or branch into new questions without losing track of earlier observations or investigative paths. Findings persist across page reloads and browser sessions until you delete them. -Use Findings to collect possible evidence, compare results, and build context as your investigation evolves. Select findings to use as context to Ask Bits questions, or save them to a Notebook to share with others. +Use Findings to collect possible evidence, compare results, and build context as your investigation evolves. Select findings to use as context for [Bits AI][2] questions, or send them to a [Notebook][3] to share with others. {{< img src="logs/explorer/findings_demo.mp4" alt="Findings demo in Log Explorer" video=true style="width:100%;" >}} +## Findings panel + +The Findings canvas lives in the side panel on the left of Log Explorer, next to your saved views. To open it: + +1. Navigate to [Log Explorer][1]. +2. Click {{< ui >}}Views{{< /ui >}} in the upper left corner to open the side panel. +3. Click the **Findings** tab. The tab shows how many findings are on the canvas. + +Click {{< ui >}}Pin{{< /ui >}} to dock the panel next to your log results, or {{< ui >}}Hide{{< /ui >}} to collapse it. + +## Capture a finding + +Add a finding from anywhere in Log Explorer that shows results. Datadog names each finding after what you captured, and records the query and time range it came from. + +### A query and its visualization + +In the toolbar above your results, click the {{< ui >}}Add a finding{{< /ui >}} icon, or press Cmd/Ctrl + S. + +The finding stores your search query, time range, and [visualization][4], including any group-by and aggregation you configured. Capture the same query as a list and as a timeseries to keep both views side by side. + +### An individual log event + +1. Click a log event in your results to open the [log side panel][5]. +2. Hover over the **Log Message** section and click the {{< ui >}}Add a finding{{< /ui >}} icon, or press Cmd/Ctrl + S. + +### Specific text in a log message + +To capture part of a log message, such as an error string or an identifier, select the text in the **Log Message** section and press Cmd/Ctrl + S. The finding stores the text you selected. + +## Organize the canvas + +Hover over a finding to rename it, and drag it to move or resize it. Datadog saves the layout you build, so the canvas looks the same the next time you open the panel. + +To group findings by the query they came from, click the auto-organize icon on the left of the canvas. Moving, resizing, or deleting a finding resets the grouping. + +Use the remaining canvas controls to zoom in and out, fit the canvas to your findings, and open a full-screen view. On the full-screen canvas, you can pan, zoom, rename, and delete findings the same way. + +**Note**: Undo and redo cover your last ten actions on the canvas, including deletions. + +## Return to a finding + +Double-click a finding, or hover over it and click the {{< ui >}}Open in Explorer{{< /ui >}} icon. Log Explorer reloads the query, time range, and visualization that the finding was captured with. The rest of your findings stay on the canvas. + +This makes Findings useful as a set of checkpoints. When you land on a query that scopes an investigation well, capture it before you pivot. If a pivot leads nowhere, reopen that finding to get back to where you started instead of rebuilding the query. + +## Use findings as context + +Select one or more findings on the canvas to act on them together: + +- To ask about them, type your question in the selection bar and click {{< ui >}}Ask Bits{{< /ui >}}. [Bits AI][2] opens with the selected findings attached as context. +- To keep them, click {{< ui >}}Open in Notebooks{{< /ui >}} and choose a new or existing [Notebook][3]. + +Select only the findings that matter for the question you're asking. A postmortem might need two of the five findings you captured, and a narrow selection gives Bits AI a narrower problem to reason about. + +## Keyboard shortcuts + +| Action | Shortcut | +| ------ | -------- | +| Add a finding | Cmd/Ctrl + S | +| Undo | Cmd/Ctrl + Z | +| Redo | Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + Z | + +Findings also includes a tutorial you can reopen at any time to walk through the canvas. + +## Further Reading + +{{< partial name="whats-next/whats-next.html" >}} + [1]: /logs/explorer/ +[2]: /bits_ai/bits_chat/ +[3]: /notebooks/ +[4]: /logs/explorer/visualize/ +[5]: /logs/explorer/side_panel/ From f6aaa92f63dab0d5cd831a5eea55a16892336176 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Max Phillips Date: Wed, 2 Sep 2026 14:19:03 -0500 Subject: [PATCH 2/4] Add delete and clear behavior to Log Findings page --- hugo/content/en/logs/explorer/findings.md | 12 ++++++++++-- 1 file changed, 10 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-) diff --git a/hugo/content/en/logs/explorer/findings.md b/hugo/content/en/logs/explorer/findings.md index 4ce5a336adf..6cda303065b 100644 --- a/hugo/content/en/logs/explorer/findings.md +++ b/hugo/content/en/logs/explorer/findings.md @@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ Add a finding from anywhere in Log Explorer that shows results. Datadog names ea ### A query and its visualization -In the toolbar above your results, click the {{< ui >}}Add a finding{{< /ui >}} icon, or press Cmd/Ctrl + S. +In the toolbar above your results, click the {{< ui >}}Add a finding{{< /ui >}} icon, or press Cmd/Ctrl + S. You can also click {{< ui >}}Add current page as finding{{< /ui >}} in the Findings panel. The finding stores your search query, time range, and [visualization][4], including any group-by and aggregation you configured. Capture the same query as a list and as a timeseries to keep both views side by side. @@ -68,7 +68,13 @@ To group findings by the query they came from, click the auto-organize icon on t Use the remaining canvas controls to zoom in and out, fit the canvas to your findings, and open a full-screen view. On the full-screen canvas, you can pan, zoom, rename, and delete findings the same way. -**Note**: Undo and redo cover your last ten actions on the canvas, including deletions. +## Delete findings + +To delete a single finding, hover over it and click the {{< ui >}}Delete{{< /ui >}} icon. To delete several at once, select them and press Delete. Press Cmd/Ctrl + A first to select everything on the canvas. + +The clear icon in the Findings panel removes the findings you have selected, or every finding on the canvas when nothing is selected. + +Deleting is not permanent right away. A toast appears with an {{< ui >}}Undo{{< /ui >}} option, and Cmd/Ctrl + Z restores what you removed. ## Return to a finding @@ -90,6 +96,8 @@ Select only the findings that matter for the question you're asking. A postmorte | Action | Shortcut | | ------ | -------- | | Add a finding | Cmd/Ctrl + S | +| Select all findings | Cmd/Ctrl + A | +| Delete selected findings | Delete | | Undo | Cmd/Ctrl + Z | | Redo | Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + Z | From 95de2515d31f141126e0fd685afa224f087e3c22 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Max Phillips Date: Wed, 2 Sep 2026 16:19:12 -0500 Subject: [PATCH 3/4] apply manual edits for style --- hugo/content/en/logs/explorer/findings.md | 14 +++++++------- 1 file changed, 7 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-) diff --git a/hugo/content/en/logs/explorer/findings.md b/hugo/content/en/logs/explorer/findings.md index 6cda303065b..1ec7a82b42c 100644 --- a/hugo/content/en/logs/explorer/findings.md +++ b/hugo/content/en/logs/explorer/findings.md @@ -39,19 +39,19 @@ The Findings canvas lives in the side panel on the left of Log Explorer, next to 2. Click {{< ui >}}Views{{< /ui >}} in the upper left corner to open the side panel. 3. Click the **Findings** tab. The tab shows how many findings are on the canvas. -Click {{< ui >}}Pin{{< /ui >}} to dock the panel next to your log results, or {{< ui >}}Hide{{< /ui >}} to collapse it. +To dock the panel next to your log results, click {{< ui >}}Pin{{< /ui >}}. To collapse it, click {{< ui >}}Hide{{< /ui >}}. ## Capture a finding Add a finding from anywhere in Log Explorer that shows results. Datadog names each finding after what you captured, and records the query and time range it came from. -### A query and its visualization +### Queries and visualizations In the toolbar above your results, click the {{< ui >}}Add a finding{{< /ui >}} icon, or press Cmd/Ctrl + S. You can also click {{< ui >}}Add current page as finding{{< /ui >}} in the Findings panel. The finding stores your search query, time range, and [visualization][4], including any group-by and aggregation you configured. Capture the same query as a list and as a timeseries to keep both views side by side. -### An individual log event +### Individual log events 1. Click a log event in your results to open the [log side panel][5]. 2. Hover over the **Log Message** section and click the {{< ui >}}Add a finding{{< /ui >}} icon, or press Cmd/Ctrl + S. @@ -70,11 +70,11 @@ Use the remaining canvas controls to zoom in and out, fit the canvas to your fin ## Delete findings -To delete a single finding, hover over it and click the {{< ui >}}Delete{{< /ui >}} icon. To delete several at once, select them and press Delete. Press Cmd/Ctrl + A first to select everything on the canvas. +To delete a single finding, hover over it and click the {{< ui >}}Delete{{< /ui >}} icon. To delete several findings at once, select each and press Delete. To select every finding on the canvas, press Cmd/Ctrl + A. The clear icon in the Findings panel removes the findings you have selected, or every finding on the canvas when nothing is selected. -Deleting is not permanent right away. A toast appears with an {{< ui >}}Undo{{< /ui >}} option, and Cmd/Ctrl + Z restores what you removed. +Deleting is not permanent. A toast appears with an {{< ui >}}Undo{{< /ui >}} option, and Cmd/Ctrl + Z restores what you removed. ## Return to a finding @@ -86,8 +86,8 @@ This makes Findings useful as a set of checkpoints. When you land on a query tha Select one or more findings on the canvas to act on them together: -- To ask about them, type your question in the selection bar and click {{< ui >}}Ask Bits{{< /ui >}}. [Bits AI][2] opens with the selected findings attached as context. -- To keep them, click {{< ui >}}Open in Notebooks{{< /ui >}} and choose a new or existing [Notebook][3]. +- To ask about findings, type your question in the selection bar and click {{< ui >}}Ask Bits{{< /ui >}}. [Bits AI][2] opens with the selected findings attached as context. +- To keep findings, click {{< ui >}}Open in Notebooks{{< /ui >}} and choose a new or existing [Notebook][3]. Select only the findings that matter for the question you're asking. A postmortem might need two of the five findings you captured, and a narrow selection gives Bits AI a narrower problem to reason about. From b4fd8f5bd05deb3ca89e5961f230d2501625d1c7 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Max Phillips Date: Wed, 2 Sep 2026 16:23:53 -0500 Subject: [PATCH 4/4] Address review feedback on Log Findings page Define the canvas up front, make the capture subsections consistent prose covering both UI and keyboard entry points, replace jargon in the return-to-a-finding and Bits AI sections, and disambiguate what the clear icon does. Add inline comments for the behaviors still to be confirmed. --- hugo/content/en/logs/explorer/findings.md | 40 +++++++++++++++-------- 1 file changed, 26 insertions(+), 14 deletions(-) diff --git a/hugo/content/en/logs/explorer/findings.md b/hugo/content/en/logs/explorer/findings.md index 1ec7a82b42c..f76feeae082 100644 --- a/hugo/content/en/logs/explorer/findings.md +++ b/hugo/content/en/logs/explorer/findings.md @@ -33,14 +33,20 @@ Use Findings to collect possible evidence, compare results, and build context as ## Findings panel -The Findings canvas lives in the side panel on the left of Log Explorer, next to your saved views. To open it: +Findings lives in the side panel on the left of Log Explorer, next to your saved views. To open it: 1. Navigate to [Log Explorer][1]. 2. Click {{< ui >}}Views{{< /ui >}} in the upper left corner to open the side panel. -3. Click the **Findings** tab. The tab shows how many findings are on the canvas. +3. Click the **Findings** tab. The tab shows how many findings you have. + +The panel contains the canvas, the workspace where each finding appears as a card. The canvas is where you work with findings: arrange them, reopen them in Log Explorer, and select them to send elsewhere. It keeps its contents and layout across page reloads and browser sessions. To dock the panel next to your log results, click {{< ui >}}Pin{{< /ui >}}. To collapse it, click {{< ui >}}Hide{{< /ui >}}. +Findings includes a walkthrough of the canvas that you can reopen at any time. + + + ## Capture a finding Add a finding from anywhere in Log Explorer that shows results. Datadog names each finding after what you captured, and records the query and time range it came from. @@ -53,43 +59,49 @@ The finding stores your search query, time range, and [visualization][4], includ ### Individual log events -1. Click a log event in your results to open the [log side panel][5]. -2. Hover over the **Log Message** section and click the {{< ui >}}Add a finding{{< /ui >}} icon, or press Cmd/Ctrl + S. +Click a log event in your results to open the [log side panel][5]. Hover over the **Log Message** section and click the {{< ui >}}Add a finding{{< /ui >}} icon, or press Cmd/Ctrl + S. ### Specific text in a log message -To capture part of a log message, such as an error string or an identifier, select the text in the **Log Message** section and press Cmd/Ctrl + S. The finding stores the text you selected. +To capture part of a log message, such as an error string or an identifier, select the text in the **Log Message** section and press Cmd/Ctrl + S. The finding stores the text you selected instead of the whole event. + + ## Organize the canvas Hover over a finding to rename it, and drag it to move or resize it. Datadog saves the layout you build, so the canvas looks the same the next time you open the panel. To group findings by the query they came from, click the auto-organize icon on the left of the canvas. Moving, resizing, or deleting a finding resets the grouping. + -Use the remaining canvas controls to zoom in and out, fit the canvas to your findings, and open a full-screen view. On the full-screen canvas, you can pan, zoom, rename, and delete findings the same way. +The controls on the left of the canvas also zoom in and out, fit the canvas to your findings, and open a full-screen view. The full-screen view gives you the same controls with more room, and you can drag the background to pan across it. ## Delete findings -To delete a single finding, hover over it and click the {{< ui >}}Delete{{< /ui >}} icon. To delete several findings at once, select each and press Delete. To select every finding on the canvas, press Cmd/Ctrl + A. +To delete one finding, hover over it and use the delete control on the card. To delete several at once, select them and press Delete. To select every finding first, press Cmd/Ctrl + A. + + +The clear icon in the Findings panel deletes findings; it does not clear your selection. It removes the findings you have selected, or every finding when nothing is selected. + -The clear icon in the Findings panel removes the findings you have selected, or every finding on the canvas when nothing is selected. +Deleting is not permanent. A toast appears with an {{< ui >}}Undo{{< /ui >}} option, and Cmd/Ctrl + Z restores what you removed. Undo covers your last ten actions on the canvas. + -Deleting is not permanent. A toast appears with an {{< ui >}}Undo{{< /ui >}} option, and Cmd/Ctrl + Z restores what you removed. ## Return to a finding Double-click a finding, or hover over it and click the {{< ui >}}Open in Explorer{{< /ui >}} icon. Log Explorer reloads the query, time range, and visualization that the finding was captured with. The rest of your findings stay on the canvas. -This makes Findings useful as a set of checkpoints. When you land on a query that scopes an investigation well, capture it before you pivot. If a pivot leads nowhere, reopen that finding to get back to where you started instead of rebuilding the query. +Each finding keeps its own query and time range. You can change your search as often as you need, then come back to an earlier result in one click with no query to rebuild. ## Use findings as context Select one or more findings on the canvas to act on them together: -- To ask about findings, type your question in the selection bar and click {{< ui >}}Ask Bits{{< /ui >}}. [Bits AI][2] opens with the selected findings attached as context. -- To keep findings, click {{< ui >}}Open in Notebooks{{< /ui >}} and choose a new or existing [Notebook][3]. +- To ask [Bits AI][2] about them, type your question in the selection bar and click {{< ui >}}Ask Bits{{< /ui >}}. Bits AI chat opens with the selected findings attached as context. +- To copy them into a [Notebook][3], click {{< ui >}}Open in Notebooks{{< /ui >}} and choose a new or existing notebook. The findings you send stay on the canvas. -Select only the findings that matter for the question you're asking. A postmortem might need two of the five findings you captured, and a narrow selection gives Bits AI a narrower problem to reason about. +Send only the findings that relate to your question. If three of the eight findings on your canvas cover the error you're asking about, select those three. ## Keyboard shortcuts @@ -101,7 +113,7 @@ Select only the findings that matter for the question you're asking. A postmorte | Undo | Cmd/Ctrl + Z | | Redo | Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + Z | -Findings also includes a tutorial you can reopen at any time to walk through the canvas. + ## Further Reading