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

# Send PgBouncer metrics to Axiom

> This page explains how to send PgBouncer metrics to Axiom using pgbouncer_exporter and the OpenTelemetry Collector.

PgBouncer tracks detailed pool and query statistics, but it only exposes them through its admin console (`SHOW STATS`, `SHOW POOLS`) over the PostgreSQL wire protocol — there’s no native Prometheus or OTLP endpoint. To send these metrics to Axiom, run the Prometheus community’s [pgbouncer\_exporter](https://github.com/prometheus-community/pgbouncer_exporter) next to PgBouncer, and an OpenTelemetry Collector that scrapes the exporter and forwards the metrics to Axiom.

<Note>
  The Prometheus receiver is part of the [contrib distribution](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-collector-releases) of the OpenTelemetry Collector (`otelcol-contrib`). It isn’t included in the core distribution.
</Note>

## Prerequisites

* [Create an Axiom account](https://app.axiom.co/register).
* [Create a dataset in Axiom](/docs/reference/datasets#create-dataset) where you send your data.
* [Create an API token in Axiom](/docs/reference/tokens) with permissions to ingest data to the dataset you have created.

<Note>
  When you create the dataset, select **Metrics** as the dataset type. Metrics require their own dedicated dataset. For more information, see [Create dataset](/docs/reference/datasets#create-dataset).
</Note>

## Expose PgBouncer stats with pgbouncer\_exporter

In `pgbouncer.ini`, allow a user to read stats and let the exporter connect:

```ini theme={null}
stats_users = stats
ignore_startup_parameters = extra_float_digits
```

Then run the exporter, pointing it at PgBouncer’s special `pgbouncer` admin database:

```shell theme={null}
docker run -d -p 9127:9127 prometheuscommunity/pgbouncer-exporter \
  --pgBouncer.connectionString="postgres://stats:PASSWORD@pgbouncer:6432/pgbouncer?sslmode=disable"
```

Replace the connection string with your PgBouncer host, port, and stats user. You can also set it with the `PGBOUNCER_EXPORTER_CONNECTION_STRING` environment variable. The exporter then serves metrics at `http://localhost:9127/metrics`.

## Configure the OpenTelemetry Collector

Add a Prometheus receiver that scrapes the exporter and an OTLP/HTTP exporter that sends data to Axiom:

```yaml theme={null}
receivers:
  prometheus:
    config:
      scrape_configs:
        - job_name: pgbouncer
          scrape_interval: 15s
          static_configs:
            - targets: ["pgbouncer-exporter:9127"] # host:port of pgbouncer_exporter

processors:
  memory_limiter:
    check_interval: 1s
    limit_percentage: 80
    spike_limit_percentage: 25
  batch:
    send_batch_max_size: 8192

exporters:
  otlphttp:
    compression: zstd
    endpoint: https://AXIOM_DOMAIN
    headers:
      authorization: Bearer API_TOKEN
      x-axiom-metrics-dataset: DATASET_NAME

service:
  pipelines:
    metrics:
      receivers:
        - prometheus
      processors:
        - memory_limiter
        - batch
      exporters:
        - otlphttp
```

<Info>
  Replace `AXIOM_DOMAIN` with the base domain of your edge deployment. For more information, see [Edge deployments](/docs/reference/edge-deployments).

  Replace `API_TOKEN` with the Axiom API token you have generated. For added security, store the API token in an environment variable.

  Replace `DATASET_NAME` with the name of the Axiom dataset where you send your data.

  For metrics, use the `x-axiom-metrics-dataset` header instead of `x-axiom-dataset`.
</Info>

## Query your metrics

Once data is flowing, query your PgBouncer metrics like any other OTel metrics in Axiom. Pool metrics carry `database` and `user` tags. For example, to chart active client connections per database:

```mpl theme={null}
`DATASET_NAME`:`pgbouncer_pools_client_active_connections`
| align to $__interval using last
| group by `database` using sum
```

For more information, see [Metrics](/docs/query-data/metrics).