Response Time Annotations

A response time chart tells you when something changed. It rarely tells you why. Annotations let you mark the moment of a deploy, a CDN switch, a database migration or a traffic campaign directly on the chart, so the next person who looks at that spike does not have to reconstruct it from memory or from Slack history.

Each annotation appears as a dashed vertical line with a short label at the top of the chart.

How to Add an Annotation

There are two ways to add one.

Step 1: Add From the Chart Toolbar

1. Open a monitor and find the Response Time chart.
2. Click the flag icon in the chart toolbar.
3. Set the date and time, add a short title, and add an optional description.
4. Click Save.

Step 2: Add by Clicking the Chart

1. Click anywhere on the response time chart.
2. The form opens with the date and time already filled in from the point you clicked.
3. Adjust it if needed, add your title, and click Save.

The second way is faster when you already know which spike you are explaining.

Understanding Titles and Descriptions

Title is what appears on the chart itself, so it is limited to 40 characters. Keep it to the change rather than the explanation: "Deployed v2.4.0", "Switched CDN", "DB migration". A longer title would crowd the chart and collide with its neighbours.

Description is optional and has no practical limit. Put the detail here: what changed, why, and links to the release or ticket. It is shown when you open the annotation.

Step 3: Edit or Delete an Annotation

Click the annotation's label on the chart. The form opens with its current values. Change what you need and click Save, or click Delete to remove it. You are asked to confirm before anything is deleted.

Step 4: Show and Hide Annotations

When a chart carries a lot of history, the labels can get busy. Click the eye icon in the chart toolbar to hide all annotations, and click it again to bring them back. Only the markers are hidden, the chart data is untouched.

This is a personal preference and it is remembered, so the chart opens the way you left it. It does not change what your teammates see, and it does not delete anything. The button only appears when a monitor actually has annotations.

Understanding Annotations on the Same Day

Annotations that fall close together are stacked on separate rows instead of printing on top of each other, so a busy release day stays readable. Zoom into a shorter time range to spread them out further.

Understanding Who Can Add Annotations

Anyone with the Owner, Admin or Editor role can add, edit and delete annotations. The Viewer and Accountant roles can see annotations but cannot change them.