---
aliases:
  - ../../http_api/folder/
canonical: /docs/grafana/latest/developers/http_api/folder/
description: Grafana Folder HTTP API
keywords:
  - grafana
  - http
  - documentation
  - api
  - folder
labels:
  products:
    - enterprise
    - oss
title: Folder HTTP API
---

# Folder API

> If you are running Grafana Enterprise, for some endpoints you'll need to have specific permissions. Refer to [Role-based access control permissions](/docs/grafana/latest/administration/roles-and-permissions/access-control/custom-role-actions-scopes/) for more information.

## Identifier (id) vs unique identifier (uid)

The identifier (id) of a folder is an auto-incrementing numeric value and is only unique per Grafana install.

The unique identifier (uid) of a folder can be used for uniquely identify folders between multiple Grafana installs. It's automatically generated if not provided when creating a folder. The uid allows having consistent URLs for accessing folders and when syncing folders between multiple Grafana installs. This means that changing the title of a folder will not break any bookmarked links to that folder.

The uid can have a maximum length of 40 characters.

## Get all folders

`GET /api/folders`

Returns all folders that the authenticated user has permission to view. You can control the maximum number of folders returned through the `limit` query parameter, the default is 1000. You can also pass the `page` query parameter for fetching folders from a page other than the first one.

If nested folders are enabled, the operation expects an additional optional query parameter `parentUid` with the parent folder UID, and returns the immediate subfolders that the authenticated user has permission to view.
If the parameter is not supplied, then the operation returns immediate subfolders under the root
that the authenticated user has permission to view.

**Required permissions**

See note in the [introduction](#folder-api) for an explanation.

| Action         | Scope       |
| -------------- | ----------- |
| `folders:read` | `folders:*` |

**Example Request**:

```http
GET /api/folders?limit=10 HTTP/1.1
Accept: application/json
Content-Type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer eyJrIjoiT0tTcG1pUlY2RnVKZTFVaDFsNFZXdE9ZWmNrMkZYbk
```

**Example Response**:

```http
HTTP/1.1 200
Content-Type: application/json

[
  {
    "id":1,
    "uid": "nErXDvCkzz",
    "title": "Department ABC"
  },
  {
    "id":2,
    "uid": "k3S1cklGk",
    "title": "Department RND"
  }
]
```

## Get folder by uid

`GET /api/folders/:uid`

Will return the folder given the folder uid.

**Required permissions**

See note in the [introduction](#folder-api) for an explanation.

| Action         | Scope       |
| -------------- | ----------- |
| `folders:read` | `folders:*` |

**Example Request**:

```http
GET /api/folders/nErXDvCkzzh HTTP/1.1
Accept: application/json
Content-Type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer eyJrIjoiT0tTcG1pUlY2RnVKZTFVaDFsNFZXdE9ZWmNrMkZYbk
```

**Example Response**:

```http
HTTP/1.1 200
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "id":1,
  "uid": "nErXDvCkzz",
  "title": "Department ABC",
  "url": "/dashboards/f/nErXDvCkzz/department-abc",
  "hasAcl": false,
  "canSave": true,
  "canEdit": true,
  "canAdmin": true,
  "createdBy": "admin",
  "created": "2018-01-31T17:43:12+01:00",
  "updatedBy": "admin",
  "updated": "2018-01-31T17:43:12+01:00",
  "version": 1
}
```

If nested folders are enabled, and the folder is nested (lives under another folder), then the response additionally contains:

- **parentUid** - The parent folder UID.
- **parents** - An array with the whole tree hierarchy, starting from the root going down up to the parent folder.

Status Codes:

- **200** – Found
- **401** – Unauthorized
- **403** – Access Denied
- **404** – Folder not found

## Create folder

`POST /api/folders`

Creates a new folder.

**Required permissions**

See note in the [introduction](#folder-api) for an explanation.

`folders:create` allows creating folders and subfolders. If granted with scope `folders:uid:general`, allows creating root level folders. Otherwise, allows creating subfolders under the specified folders.

| Action           | Scope       |
| ---------------- | ----------- |
| `folders:create` | `folders:*` |
| `folders:write`  | `folders:*` |

**Example Request**:

```http
POST /api/folders HTTP/1.1
Accept: application/json
Content-Type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer eyJrIjoiT0tTcG1pUlY2RnVKZTFVaDFsNFZXdE9ZWmNrMkZYbk

{
  "uid": "nErXDvCkzz",
  "title": "Department ABC",
  "parentUid": "fgnj5e52gel76g"
}
```

JSON Body schema:

- **uid** – Optional [unique identifier](#identifier-id-vs-unique-identifier-uid).
- **title** – The title of the folder.
- **parentUid** - Optional field, the unique identifier of the parent folder under which the folder should be created. Requires nested folders to be enabled.

**Example Response**:

```http
HTTP/1.1 200
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "id":1,
  "uid": "nErXDvCkzz",
  "title": "Department ABC",
  "url": "/dashboards/f/nErXDvCkzz/department-abc",
  "hasAcl": false,
  "canSave": true,
  "canEdit": true,
  "canAdmin": true,
  "createdBy": "admin",
  "created": "2018-01-31T17:43:12+01:00",
  "updatedBy": "admin",
  "updated": "2018-01-31T17:43:12+01:00",
  "version": 1
}
```

If nested folders are enabled, and the folder is nested (lives under another folder) then the response additionally contains:

- **parentUid** - the parent folder UID.
- **parents** - an array with the whole tree hierarchy starting from the root going down up to the parent folder.

Status Codes:

- **200** – Created
- **400** – Errors (invalid json, missing or invalid fields, etc)
- **401** – Unauthorized
- **403** – Access Denied
- **409** - Folder already exists

## Update folder

`PUT /api/folders/:uid`

Updates an existing folder identified by uid.

**Required permissions**

See note in the [introduction](#folder-api) for an explanation.

| Action          | Scope       |
| --------------- | ----------- |
| `folders:write` | `folders:*` |

**Example Request**:

```http
PUT /api/folders/nErXDvCkzz HTTP/1.1
Accept: application/json
Content-Type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer eyJrIjoiT0tTcG1pUlY2RnVKZTFVaDFsNFZXdE9ZWmNrMkZYbk

{
  "title":"Department DEF",
  "version": 1
}
```

JSON Body schema:

- **title** – The title of the folder.
- **version** – Provide the current version to be able to update the folder. Not needed if `overwrite=true`.
- **overwrite** – Set to true if you want to overwrite existing folder with newer version.

**Example Response**:

```http
HTTP/1.1 200
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "id":1,
  "uid": "nErXDvCkzz",
  "title": "Department DEF",
  "url": "/dashboards/f/nErXDvCkzz/department-def",
  "hasAcl": false,
  "canSave": true,
  "canEdit": true,
  "canAdmin": true,
  "createdBy": "admin",
  "created": "2018-01-31T17:43:12+01:00",
  "updatedBy": "admin",
  "updated": "2018-01-31T17:43:12+01:00",
  "version": 1
}
```

If nested folders are enabled, and the folder is nested (lives under another folder) then the response additionally contains:

- **parentUid** - the parent folder UID.
- **parents** - an array with the whole tree hierarchy starting from the root going down up to the parent folder.

Status Codes:

- **200** – Updated
- **400** – Errors (invalid json, missing or invalid fields, etc)
- **401** – Unauthorized
- **403** – Access Denied
- **404** – Folder not found
- **412** – Precondition failed

The **412** status code is used for explaining that you cannot update the folder and why.
There can be different reasons for this:

- The folder has been changed by someone else, `status=version-mismatch`

The response body will have the following properties:

```http
HTTP/1.1 412 Precondition Failed
Content-Type: application/json; charset=UTF-8
Content-Length: 97

{
  "message": "The folder has been changed by someone else",
  "status": "version-mismatch"
}
```

## Delete folder

`DELETE /api/folders/:uid`

Deletes an existing folder identified by UID along with all dashboards (and their alerts) stored in the folder. This operation cannot be reverted.

If [Grafana Alerting](/docs/grafana/latest/alerting/) is enabled, you can set an optional query parameter `forceDeleteRules=false` so that requests will fail with 400 (Bad Request) error if the folder contains any Grafana alerts. However, if this parameter is set to `true` then it will delete any Grafana alerts under this folder.

**Required permissions**

See note in the [introduction](#folder-api) for an explanation.

| Action           | Scope       |
| ---------------- | ----------- |
| `folders:delete` | `folders:*` |

**Example Request**:

```http
DELETE /api/folders/nErXDvCkzz HTTP/1.1
Accept: application/json
Content-Type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer eyJrIjoiT0tTcG1pUlY2RnVKZTFVaDFsNFZXdE9ZWmNrMkZYbk

```

**Example Response**:

```http
HTTP/1.1 200
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "message":"Folder deleted",
  "id": 2
}
```

Status Codes:

- **200** – Deleted
- **401** – Unauthorized
- **400** – Bad Request
- **403** – Access Denied
- **404** – Folder not found

## Move folder

`POST /api/folders/:uid/move`

Moves the folder.

This is relevant only if nested folders are enabled.

**Required permissions**

See note in the [introduction](#folder-api) for an explanation.

If moving the folder under another folder:

| Action           | Scope                                                 |
| ---------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| `folders:create` | `folders:uid:<destination folder UID>`<br>`folders:*` |

If moving the folder under root:
| Action | Scope |
| -------------- | ------------- |
| `folders:create` | `folders:uid:general`<br>`folders:*` |

JSON body schema:

- **parentUid** – Optional [unique identifier](#identifier-id-vs-unique-identifier-uid) of the new parent folder. If this is empty, then the folder is moved under the root.

**Example Request**:

```http
POST /api/folders/a5393ec3-5568-4e88-8809-b866968ae8a6/move HTTP/1.1
Accept: application/json
Content-Type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer eyJrIjoiT0tTcG1pUlY2RnVKZTFVaDFsNFZXdE9ZWmNrMkZYbk

{
  "parentUid": "d80b18c0-266a-4aa4-ad5d-5537a00cb8e8",
}
```

**Example Response**:

```http
HTTP/1.1 200
Content-Type: application/json

{
	"id": 4,
	"uid": "a5393ec3-5568-4e88-8809-b866968ae8a6",
	"title": "just-testing",
	"url": "/dashboards/f/a5393ec3-5568-4e88-8809-b866968ae8a6/just-testing",
	"hasAcl": false,
	"canSave": true,
	"canEdit": true,
	"canAdmin": true,
	"canDelete": true,
	"createdBy": "Anonymous",
	"created": "2023-04-27T21:55:01.593741+03:00",
	"updatedBy": "Anonymous",
	"updated": "2023-04-27T21:55:15.747444+03:00",
	"parentUid": "d80b18c0-266a-4aa4-ad5d-5537a00cb8e8",
	"parents": [
		{
			"id": 2,
			"uid": "d80b18c0-266a-4aa4-ad5d-5537a00cb8e8",
			"title": "f0",
			"url": "",
			"hasAcl": false,
			"canSave": true,
			"canEdit": true,
			"canAdmin": true,
			"canDelete": true,
			"createdBy": "Anonymous",
			"created": "2023-04-27T21:53:46.070672+03:00",
			"updatedBy": "Anonymous",
			"updated": "2023-04-27T21:53:46.070673+03:00"
		}
	]
}
```

Status Codes:

- **200** – Moved
- **400** – Errors (invalid JSON, missing or invalid fields, and so on)
- **401** – Unauthorized
- **403** – Access denied
- **404** – Not found
