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Programmatically build parameterized Explore plot links

Overview

The /explore route is a front end interface for constructing deep links into the Explore v1 engine (/explorer). It interprets URL query parameters such as Run names, Asset names, Channels, and custom time ranges, and transforms them into a format understood by Explore v1. This allows users to pre-load relevant context directly into the interface.

The /explore route is not part of the public API. It exists to simplify user navigation into Explore v1 by encoding query state into the URL. This enables pre-loading analysis views with specific filters, Runs, Channels, and time ranges.

Parameters (/explore)

The /explore route accepts a set of query parameters that define which data should be preloaded when the Explore v1 interface opens. These parameters allow you to specify the Run, Assets, Channels, and optional time range to programmatically generate a plot render.

ParameterTypeRequiredDescriptionDefault valueExample
runStringNoThe name of the Run to display. Used to scope the Explore view to a specific Run.Nonerun-name
assetsArray of stringsNoA comma-separated list of Asset names to display. Can be used with or without a Run.Noneasset-one%2Casset-two
channelsArray of stringsNoA comma-separated list of Channel names to plot.Nonechannel-a%2Cchannel-b%2Cchannel-c
fromString (ISO 8601 format)NoStart time of the data to display.None2025-01-01T10%3A00%3A00Z
toString (ISO 8601 format)NoEnd time of the data to display.None2025-01-01T10%3A30%3A00Z
Example: /explore?run=run-name&assets=asset-one%2Casset-two&channels=channel-a%2Cchannel-b%2Cchannel-c&from=2025-01-01T10%3A00%3A00Z&to=2025-01-01T10%3A30%3A00Z

Percent-encoded + defautl values for `from` and `to`

  • Parameters must be percent-encoded for proper URL handling.
  • If from and to are not included in the route, the Explorer v1 page defaults to the start and stop times of the provided Run.
  • When both a run and one or more assets are provided in the URL, the run takes precedence, and the Asset associated with the run overrides any separately specified assets. This ensures the correct asset context is applied based on the selected Run.

Examples

The examples below use https://app.siftstack.com as the base URL. All paths begin with /explore and are appended to that base URL.

  • The following /explore route opens Explore v1 with
    • the run set to run-name,
    • the asset set to asset-name, and
    • the channels set to max_ground_temp and max_air_temp.
  • The comma (,) in the channels parameter is encoded as %2C.
https://app.siftstack.com/explore?run=run-name&assets=asset-name&channels=max_ground_temp%2Cmax_air_temp&from=2025-08-01T12%3A00%3A00Z&to=2025-08-01T12%3A10%3A00Z

When both a run and asset are provided, the run takes precedence. The asset tied to the run will override any separately specified asset value in the URL.

Add a time range with from and to

  • The following /explore route opens Explore v1 with
    • the run set to run-name,
    • the asset set to asset-name,
    • the channels set to max_ground_temp and max_air_temp, and
    • a time range defined by from (2021-09-25T10:14:11) and
    • to (2021-10-14T13:29:37).
  • The time values (from and to) use the ISO 8601 format.
  • The comma (,) in channels is encoded as %2C, and the colons (:) in the from and to timestamps are encoded as %3A.
https://app.siftstack.com/explore?run=run-name&assets=asset-name&channels=max_ground_temp%2Cmax_air_temp&from=2021-09-25T10%3A14%3A11&to=2021-10-14T13%3A29%3A37

If both a run and an asset are included, the run determines the asset context. The asset associated with the run will override any provided asset parameter in the URL.

  • The following /explore route opens Explore v1 with
    • the run set to run-name.
    • No assets, channels, or time range (from and to) are explicitly defined.
  • No percent-encoding is required in this example.
https://app.siftstack.com/explore?run=run-name
  • The following /explore route opens Explore v1 with
    • the assets set to asset-one-name and asset-two-name, and
    • the channels set to max_air_temp and min_air_temp.
    • A time range is defined by from (2021-09-25T10:14:11) and
    • to (2021-10-14T13:29:37).
  • The time values (from and to) use the ISO 8601 format.
  • The commas (,) in both the assets and channels parameters are encoded as %2C, and the colons (:) in the from and to timestamp values are encoded as %3A.
https://app.siftstack.com/explore?assets=asset-one-name%2Casset-two-name&channels=max_air_temp%2Cmin_air_temp&from=2021-09-25T10%3A14%3A11&to=2021-10-14T13%3A29%3A37

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