Introduced in Grafana v7.0, transformations allow users to manipulate data directly in the browser before visualization, offering capabilities such as joining separate time series, performing mathematical operations across queries, and manipulating both time series and static relational data. Key transformations include the join transformation, which consolidates data for improved readability and downstream calculations, and the group by transformation, which distills patterns by collapsing data into manageable subsets based on column values. The organize fields transformation enables users to reorder, rename, and hide fields to enhance data visualization, while the sort by transformation allows for sorting data in ascending order. Users can layer multiple transformations, though the order of application affects the final output, and Grafana provides tools like the transformation debug view to facilitate understanding. New transformations in version 7.4 are available, and Grafana Cloud offers a streamlined way to start with various data tools, featuring a new free plan and upgraded paid plans.