# Common questions

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The questions new users ask most, grouped by what you are trying to do. If your question is about something not working, see [Troubleshooting](https://coralogix.com/docs/docs/user-guides/getting-started/troubleshooting/.md) instead.

## Sending data[​](#sending-data "Direct link to Sending data")

What is the fastest way to send my first data?

Use an [integration package](https://coralogix.com/docs/docs/user-guides/getting-started/packages-and-extensions/integration-packages/.md): a guided flow that sets the API key, endpoint, and application and subsystem for you. If you already run the [OpenTelemetry Collector](https://coralogix.com/docs/docs/opentelemetry/getting-started/.md), point its exporter at your Coralogix endpoint instead. For a one-off test, post directly to the [logs API](https://coralogix.com/docs/docs/developer-portal/apis/getting-started/getting-started-with-coralogix-apis/.md).

What data sources does Coralogix support?

Logs, metrics, and traces from any source. Use [OpenTelemetry](https://coralogix.com/docs/docs/opentelemetry/getting-started/.md) for vendor-neutral collection, [integration packages](https://coralogix.com/docs/docs/user-guides/getting-started/packages-and-extensions/integration-packages/.md) for one-step setup, shippers such as Fluent Bit and Prometheus, or browse the full [integrations catalog](https://coralogix.com/integrations/) for cloud providers and custom sources.

How long does it take for data to appear?

Usually a few minutes after setup. [Livetail](https://coralogix.com/docs/docs/user-guides/data_exploration/logs/livetail/.md) is the quickest way to confirm data is arriving. Note that events carry a timestamp: data timestamped more than 24 hours in the past or future is rejected, so check your shipper's clock and timezone if nothing shows.

Which API key do I need?

Use a [Send-Your-Data API key](https://coralogix.com/docs/docs/user-guides/account-management/api-keys/send-your-data-api-key/.md) for ingestion. It is different from Query, Team, and Personal keys, which are for API operations, sending data with the wrong key type fails authentication.

Which region and endpoint am I on?

Your region is set by the URL you sign in with. Match your team hostname to a row in the [Quick reference](https://coralogix.com/docs/docs/user-guides/getting-started/quick-reference/.md#regions-and-domains), or use the domain selector on the [endpoints reference](https://coralogix.com/docs/docs/integrations/coralogix-endpoints/.md) to get the exact ingress and management endpoints for your domain.

## Organizing and access[​](#organizing-and-access "Direct link to Organizing and access")

What are application and subsystem names for?

They are the two labels that organize everything you send. Use the [application name](https://coralogix.com/docs/docs/user-guides/account-management/account-settings/application-and-subsystem-names/.md) for an environment or Kubernetes namespace (for example `production`), and the subsystem name for the service that emits the data (for example `checkout`). They drive filtering across the platform and can gate permissions, so pick a convention early.

How do I control who can see which data?

Separate data with application and subsystem names, then use [teams](https://coralogix.com/docs/docs/user-guides/account-management/user-management/teams/.md) and [data scopes](https://coralogix.com/docs/docs/user-guides/account-management/user-management/scopes/.md) to control access and visibility per user. Note that Send-Your-Data and Team keys are not user-aware: they act with the permissions attached to the key, not a user's scope.

## Cost, limits, and sensitive data[​](#cost-limits-and-sensitive-data "Direct link to Cost, limits, and sensitive data")

How does Coralogix keep observability costs down?

Coralogix processes data in-stream with [Streama](https://coralogix.com/how-it-works/), so alerting, parsing, and metrics happen before storage, without indexing everything first. You then route each data flow to a [TCO](https://coralogix.com/docs/docs/user-guides/account-management/payment-and-billing/data-usage/.md) tier by how you use it: **Frequent Search** for interactive queries, **Monitoring** for dashboards and alerts, and **Compliance** for long-term archive. Lower tiers cost less per GB, so you match spend to value.

Are there limits I should know about?

A few per-team defaults matter early on: 35 parsing rules, 500 alerts, 10 anomaly-detection alerts, and 8 enrichments. Extension packages draw from these same limits. Contact Support through the in-app chat to raise them. See the [Quick reference](https://coralogix.com/docs/docs/user-guides/getting-started/quick-reference/.md#limits-and-quotas) for the full list.

How do I keep sensitive data out of Coralogix?

Redact it at the source, before it leaves your environment. The [OpenTelemetry Collector](https://coralogix.com/docs/docs/user-guides/account-management/data-privacy/handling-pii-and-sensitive-data/.md) offers attributes, redaction, transform, and filter processors to block, mask, or drop fields; parsing rules can do the same on ingest. See [Handling PII and sensitive data](https://coralogix.com/docs/docs/user-guides/account-management/data-privacy/handling-pii-and-sensitive-data/.md).

## Tools and workflows[​](#tools-and-workflows "Direct link to Tools and workflows")

What is the difference between Explore, Livetail, and dashboards?

**Explore** is for searching and investigating historical logs and spans. **Livetail** streams logs in real time as they arrive. **Custom dashboards** give persistent visualizations of logs, metrics, and traces for ongoing monitoring. Use Explore to investigate, Livetail to verify, and dashboards to monitor.

Can I use Coralogix with my existing Grafana dashboards?

Yes. Coralogix provides a [hosted Grafana instance](https://coralogix.com/docs/docs/user-guides/visualizations/hosted-grafana-view/.md) and a [Grafana plugin](https://coralogix.com/docs/docs/user-guides/visualizations/grafana-plugin/.md) that query your Coralogix data. Import existing dashboards or build new ones on your Coralogix metrics.

Can I manage Coralogix as code?

Yes. Use the [Terraform provider](https://coralogix.com/docs/docs/developer-portal/infrastructure-as-code/terraform-provider/coralogix-terraform-provider/.md) or the [Coralogix Operator](https://coralogix.com/docs/docs/opentelemetry/kubernetes-observability/kubernetes-observability-using-opentelemetry/.md) to define alerts, dashboards, and rules declaratively, the [REST APIs](https://coralogix.com/docs/docs/developer-portal/apis/getting-started/getting-started-with-coralogix-apis/.md) for programmatic control, and the [MCP server](https://coralogix.com/docs/docs/user-guides/mcp-server/overview/.md) to drive Coralogix from AI tools.

## Related resources[​](#related-resources "Direct link to Related resources")

[Quick reference](https://coralogix.com/docs/docs/user-guides/getting-started/quick-reference/.md)[Verify your data](https://coralogix.com/docs/docs/user-guides/getting-started/verify-your-data/.md)[Integrations catalog](https://coralogix.com/integrations/)

## Next steps[​](#next-steps "Direct link to Next steps")

Running into a setup problem? See [Troubleshooting](https://coralogix.com/docs/docs/user-guides/getting-started/troubleshooting/.md).