info: To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with this page, see https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/ux/technical-writing/#designated-technical-writers
> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/201999) in GitLab 12.9.
Format the data in your dashboard panels.
You can select units to format your charts by adding `format` to your
[axis configuration](yaml.md).
## Internationalization and localization
Currently, your [internationalization and localization options](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internationalization_and_localization) for number formatting are dependent on the system you are using i.e. your OS or browser.
## Engineering Notation
For generic or default data, numbers are formatted according to the current locale in [engineering notation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineering_notation).
While an [engineering notation exists for the web](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Intl/NumberFormat), GitLab uses a version based off the [scientific notation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_notation). GitLab formatting acts in accordance with SI prefixes. For example, using GitLab notation, `1500.00` becomes `1.5k` instead of `1.5E3`. Keep this distinction in mind when using the engineering notation for your metrics.