---
title: "Write your query in Code mode | Grafana Labs"
description: "Switch to Code mode and write a PromQL error-rate query for QuickPizza."
---

> For a curated documentation index, see [llms.txt](/llms.txt). For the complete documentation index, see [llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt).

# Write your query in Code mode

Your alert watches how often QuickPizza’s server fails. You want it to fire when more than 5 in every 100 requests fail.

You switch to **Code** and write PromQL so the full ratio is one clear expression.

What the query does:

- `quickpizza_server_http_requests_total` counts every request.
- `rate(...[5m])` converts that count to a per-second rate over 5 minutes.
- `{status=~"5.."}` keeps only 5xx failures.
- Dividing failed by all requests, then multiplying by 100, gives a percentage.

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1. Reopen **New alert rule** if installing QuickPizza redirected you away from the form.
2. Confirm **Name** is **QuickPizza high error rate** after reopening the form.
3. Choose **grafanacloud-play-prom** as the data source.
4. Select **Code** on the mode toggle.
5. Enter the error-rate query in **Code**:
   
   promql ![Copy code to clipboard](/media/images/icons/icon-copy-small-2.svg) Copy
   
   ```promql
   100 * sum(rate(quickpizza_server_http_requests_total{status=~"5.."}[5m])) / sum(rate(quickpizza_server_http_requests_total[5m]))
   ```
6. Click **Run queries**.

The query reports QuickPizza’s error rate as a percentage. Next, you set the threshold and recovery while you’re still in this section.