diff --git a/docusaurus/docs/tutorials/build-a-streaming-data-source-plugin.md b/docusaurus/docs/tutorials/build-a-streaming-data-source-plugin.md
index 04460929c..031537d9d 100644
--- a/docusaurus/docs/tutorials/build-a-streaming-data-source-plugin.md
+++ b/docusaurus/docs/tutorials/build-a-streaming-data-source-plugin.md
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ export function QueryEditor({ query, onChange, onRunQuery }: Props) {
   const { upperLimit, lowerLimit, tickInterval } = query;
 
   return (
-    <div className="gf-form">
+    <>
       <InlineField label="Lower Limit" labelWidth={16} tooltip="Random numbers lower limit">
         <Input onChange={onLowerLimitChange} onBlur={onRunQuery} value={lowerLimit || ''} type="number" />
       </InlineField>
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ export function QueryEditor({ query, onChange, onRunQuery }: Props) {
       <InlineField label="Tick interval" labelWidth={16} tooltip="Server tick interval">
         <Input onChange={onTickIntervalChange} onBlur={onRunQuery} value={tickInterval || ''} type="number" />
       </InlineField>
-    </div>
+    <>
   );
 }
 ```
diff --git a/packages/create-plugin/templates/backend/src/datasource.ts b/packages/create-plugin/templates/backend/src/datasource.ts
index b542b8c33..1b62a7826 100644
--- a/packages/create-plugin/templates/backend/src/datasource.ts
+++ b/packages/create-plugin/templates/backend/src/datasource.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-import { DataSourceInstanceSettings, CoreApp } from '@grafana/data';
-import { DataSourceWithBackend } from '@grafana/runtime';
+import { DataSourceInstanceSettings, CoreApp, ScopedVars } from '@grafana/data';
+import { DataSourceWithBackend, getTemplateSrv } from '@grafana/runtime';
 
 import { MyQuery, MyDataSourceOptions, DEFAULT_QUERY } from './types';
 
@@ -9,6 +9,18 @@ export class DataSource extends DataSourceWithBackend<MyQuery, MyDataSourceOptio
   }
 
   getDefaultQuery(_: CoreApp): Partial<MyQuery> {
-    return DEFAULT_QUERY
+    return DEFAULT_QUERY;
+  }
+
+  applyTemplateVariables(query: MyQuery, scopedVars: ScopedVars): Record<string, any> {
+    return {
+      ...query,
+      queryText: getTemplateSrv().replace(query.queryText, scopedVars),
+    };
+  }
+
+  filterQuery(query: MyQuery): boolean {
+    // if no query has been provided, prevent the query from being executed
+    return !!query.queryText;
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/create-plugin/templates/datasource/src/components/ConfigEditor.tsx b/packages/create-plugin/templates/datasource/src/components/ConfigEditor.tsx
index b37208e55..0e69a9134 100644
--- a/packages/create-plugin/templates/datasource/src/components/ConfigEditor.tsx
+++ b/packages/create-plugin/templates/datasource/src/components/ConfigEditor.tsx
@@ -3,16 +3,20 @@ import { InlineField, Input, SecretInput } from '@grafana/ui';
 import { DataSourcePluginOptionsEditorProps } from '@grafana/data';
 import { MyDataSourceOptions, MySecureJsonData } from '../types';
 
-interface Props extends DataSourcePluginOptionsEditorProps<MyDataSourceOptions> {}
+interface Props extends DataSourcePluginOptionsEditorProps<MyDataSourceOptions, MySecureJsonData> {}
 
 export function ConfigEditor(props: Props) {
   const { onOptionsChange, options } = props;
+  const { jsonData, secureJsonFields, secureJsonData } = options;
+
   const onPathChange = (event: ChangeEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => {
-    const jsonData = {
-      ...options.jsonData,
-      path: event.target.value,
-    };
-    onOptionsChange({ ...options, jsonData });
+    onOptionsChange({
+      ...options,
+      jsonData: {
+        ...jsonData,
+        path: event.target.value,
+      },
+    });
   };
 
   // Secure field (only sent to the backend)
@@ -39,29 +43,29 @@ export function ConfigEditor(props: Props) {
     });
   };
 
-  const { jsonData, secureJsonFields } = options;
-  const secureJsonData = (options.secureJsonData || {}) as MySecureJsonData;
-
   return (
-    <div className="gf-form-group">
-      <InlineField label="Path" labelWidth={12}>
+    <>
+      <InlineField label="Path" labelWidth={14} interactive tooltip={'Json field returned to frontend'}>
         <Input
+          id="config-editor-path"
           onChange={onPathChange}
-          value={jsonData.path || ''}
-          placeholder="json field returned to frontend"
+          value={jsonData.path}
+          placeholder="Enter the path, e.g. /api/v1"
           width={40}
         />
       </InlineField>
-      <InlineField label="API Key" labelWidth={12}>
+      <InlineField label="API Key" labelWidth={14} interactive tooltip={'Secure json field (backend only)'}>
         <SecretInput
-          isConfigured={(secureJsonFields && secureJsonFields.apiKey) as boolean}
-          value={secureJsonData.apiKey || ''}
-          placeholder="secure json field (backend only)"
+          required
+          id="config-editor-api-key"
+          isConfigured={secureJsonFields.apiKey}
+          value={secureJsonData?.apiKey}
+          placeholder="Enter your API key"
           width={40}
           onReset={onResetAPIKey}
           onChange={onAPIKeyChange}
         />
       </InlineField>
-    </div>
+    </>
   );
 }
diff --git a/packages/create-plugin/templates/datasource/src/components/QueryEditor.tsx b/packages/create-plugin/templates/datasource/src/components/QueryEditor.tsx
index f9b0647ee..ec0787e3a 100644
--- a/packages/create-plugin/templates/datasource/src/components/QueryEditor.tsx
+++ b/packages/create-plugin/templates/datasource/src/components/QueryEditor.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import React, { ChangeEvent } from 'react';
-import { InlineField, Input } from '@grafana/ui';
+import { InlineField, Input, Stack } from '@grafana/ui';
 import { QueryEditorProps } from '@grafana/data';
 import { DataSource } from '../datasource';
 import { MyDataSourceOptions, MyQuery } from '../types';
@@ -20,13 +20,26 @@ export function QueryEditor({ query, onChange, onRunQuery }: Props) {
   const { queryText, constant } = query;
 
   return (
-    <div className="gf-form">
+    <Stack gap={0}>
       <InlineField label="Constant">
-        <Input onChange={onConstantChange} value={constant} width={8} type="number" step="0.1" />
+        <Input
+          id="query-editor-constant"
+          onChange={onConstantChange}
+          value={constant}
+          width={8}
+          type="number"
+          step="0.1"
+        />
       </InlineField>
       <InlineField label="Query Text" labelWidth={16} tooltip="Not used yet">
-        <Input onChange={onQueryTextChange} value={queryText || ''} />
+        <Input
+          id="query-editor-query-text"
+          onChange={onQueryTextChange}
+          value={queryText || ''}
+          required
+          placeholder="Enter a query"
+        />
       </InlineField>
-    </div>
+    </Stack>
   );
 }
diff --git a/packages/create-plugin/templates/datasource/src/datasource.ts b/packages/create-plugin/templates/datasource/src/datasource.ts
index 92ee42eee..dbed18d10 100644
--- a/packages/create-plugin/templates/datasource/src/datasource.ts
+++ b/packages/create-plugin/templates/datasource/src/datasource.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import {
+  CoreApp,
   DataQueryRequest,
   DataQueryResponse,
   DataSourceApi,
@@ -7,13 +8,22 @@ import {
   FieldType,
 } from '@grafana/data';
 
-import { MyQuery, MyDataSourceOptions } from './types';
+import { MyQuery, MyDataSourceOptions, DEFAULT_QUERY } from './types';
 
 export class DataSource extends DataSourceApi<MyQuery, MyDataSourceOptions> {
   constructor(instanceSettings: DataSourceInstanceSettings<MyDataSourceOptions>) {
     super(instanceSettings);
   }
 
+  getDefaultQuery(_: CoreApp): Partial<MyQuery> {
+    return DEFAULT_QUERY;
+  }
+
+  filterQuery(query: MyQuery): boolean {
+    // if no query has been provided, prevent the query from being executed
+    return !!query.queryText;
+  }
+
   async query(options: DataQueryRequest<MyQuery>): Promise<DataQueryResponse> {
     const { range } = options;
     const from = range!.from.valueOf();