Grafana Explore and Table panel with data source plugins: query bounding and pagination boundary

Goal is to clarify where query bounding and pagination are enforced at the integration boundary between Grafana UI components such as Explore and Table panel and data source plugins.

Boundary conditions

Grafana core bounds queries mainly via dashboard time range and per-panel max data points. There is no universal row limit enforced by core. Pagination of large result sets is not a Grafana-wide server-side feature and is implemented inconsistently by individual data source plugins and by specific panels.

Table panel and Explore expose client-side paging of rows that have already been fetched, which means the full result up to the data source limit can be transferred to the browser before paging is applied. Some data sources support LIMIT/OFFSET or cursor pagination, others return all matching rows within the time window.

The unresolved decision is whether a uniform pagination and bounding contract should be enforced in core or remain delegated to plugins, creating ambiguity about where LIMIT, OFFSET and max rows are applied.

• Is bounding of large table results applied by Grafana core, by the data source plugin, or by both, and how is that determined per plugin type?
• When pagination controls appear in Table panel or Explore, does the UI request additional pages from the data source or page an already fetched client-side set?
• What contract, if any, exists between Grafana core and data source plugins for signaling row limits and pagination state?