---
title: "Changing stuff"
slug: "changing-stuff"
updated: 2024-02-27T21:27:30Z
published: 2024-02-27T21:27:30Z
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://composer.docs.vindral.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Customize and extend Composer monitor

Since Composer Monitor is delivered with configuration files in a compressed archive - and will received future updates - it is important to understand how to make changes and additions.

## Changing the dashboards

Note that all dashboards are populated from their corresponding `json` file in the `dashboards` folder. Any changes made must be persisted by overwriting the contents of these files as restarting the Composer monitor system will re-populate from these files.

`Composer Instances Overview` is set as the default dashboard. It is **read-only** and populated from the `dashboards/overview.json` file.

To modify (add, rearrange, delete, etc) any dashboard - go to the `Dashboards` section in the menu and select the `General` folder.

![dashboards-0.png](https://cdn.document360.io/94808959-fd66-406c-ab5e-4691ce952a14/Images/Documentation/dashboards-0.png)

![dashboards-1.png](https://cdn.document360.io/94808959-fd66-406c-ab5e-4691ce952a14/Images/Documentation/dashboards-1.png)

Select the dashboard to modify. For example

![dashboards-2.png](https://cdn.document360.io/94808959-fd66-406c-ab5e-4691ce952a14/Images/Documentation/dashboards-2.png)

- Make any desired changes.
- Save the dashboard.
- Click the `Share dashboard or panel` button next to the Dashboard breadcrumb (upper left).

![dashboard-changes.png](https://cdn.document360.io/94808959-fd66-406c-ab5e-4691ce952a14/Images/Documentation/dashboard-changes.png)

- Choose the `Export` tab.
- Click the `View JSON` button.
- Click the `Copy to Clipboard` button.

![dashboard-share-export-1.png](https://cdn.document360.io/94808959-fd66-406c-ab5e-4691ce952a14/Images/Documentation/dashboard-share-export-1.png)

![dashboard-share-2.png](https://cdn.document360.io/94808959-fd66-406c-ab5e-4691ce952a14/Images/Documentation/dashboard-share-2.png)

- Paste the JSON content into the associated dashboard configuration file and save it.
- It is now saved locally (while Composer Monitor is still running the application) and upon restart - it will read the updated configurations.

          Important

          

The changes will be saved instantly when saving. The export mechanism is only used to ensure that the changes are persisted for application relaunches. Any changes not exported and overwritten to the corresponding dashboard files will be **lost** upon application relaunch.

## Adding new dashboards or features

If you want to add a new dashboard, create it from the menu.

Make sure to save it and **export it** - save the exported json file in the dashboards folder.

Any additional configuration files / dashboards you create (that are not part of the Composer Monitor archive) will not be overwritten in an update.