Using the Report Editor for Insights Dynamic Dashboards

Learn how to use the report editor to customize standard reports or build your own reports.

Overview

1. Data Catalog

The data catalog that appears on the left of the report editor is where you select Metrics (“   ”), Attributes (“   ”), Dates (“   ”), and Facts (“   ”) to add to a report. Data items in the catalog are sorted into folders. Select a folder to expand it and see the data items in it.

You can use the search bar to find a data item by name. Select the type icons below the search bar to show or hide that type in the data catalog.

To see the description of a data item, hover over the data item, then hover over the Info (“   ”) icon which appears to the right of its name. You’ll see the following information:

• The full name
• The item type
• The description
• The MAQL definition (for metrics only)
• The data set (for facts and attributes only)
• A preview list of values (for attributes only)

As you add items to a report, the data catalog is filtered down to only the data items that are related to the data items already in the report. This helps you select relevant data as you build a report. The number of data items that have been hidden is noted at the bottom of the data catalog (e.g. 583 unrelated data items hidden).

2. Report Title and Description

The report title appears at the top of the report editor. If the report has been added to a dashboard, you’ll also see a note such as used on 2 dashboards. Click this note to see a list of the dashboards this report is being used on.

Select the Info (“   ”) icon to the right of the report title to view or edit the report description.

3. Report Actions

The following options are available in the upper-right of the report editor:

• Undo—Undo the last action.
• Redo—Redo the last action you undid.
• Cancel—Exit the report editor without saving changes.
• Save as new—Make a copy of the report and save changes to the copy. The original report will not be changed.
• Save—Save changes to the report.

4. Report Types

In the report type section below the report name, you can select different ways to visualize the data in the report. The following report types are available:

• Table
• Column chart
• Bar chart
• Line chart
• Stacked area chart
• Combo chart
• Headline
• Scatter plot
• Bubble chart
• Pie chart
• Donut chart
• Treemap
• Pyramid chart
• Funnel chart
• Heatmap
• Bullet chart
• Waterfall chart
• Dependency wheel chart
• Sankey chart

5. Metrics and Attributes

Below the report types section is the area where you drop metrics and attributes in order to add them to the report. Depending on the report type that you’ve selected, the number and names of the sections here will differ.

If a metric or attribute has been renamed, the original name will appear in gray text below the updated name.

Select the arrow to the left of a metric name to access the following options:

• Metric detail—Hover over the Info (“   ”) icon to read the metric description and see its MAQL definition.
• Filter by date—Select this option to add a date filter on the metric.
• Add attribute filter—Select this option to add an attribute filter on the metric.
• Show in %—Check this option to display the metric values and percentages.
• Format—Select this option to change the number format. You can show or hide decimal places, truncate large numbers, apply text colors and background colors, and more.
• Additional options may be available depending on the report type you’ve selected.

Select the arrow to the left of an attribute name to access the following options:

• Attribute detail—Hover over the Info (“   ”) icon to see the attribute description, data set, and a preview of the values.
• Display as—For attributes that have multiple display labels, you can select a different option to display in the report.

When you’ve added at least two metrics or attributes to a report, the Create metric option becomes available. Metrics created within the report editor are not saved to the system and cannot be reused in other reports. We suggest creating new metrics via the Advanced Editor > Manage tab instead. For information about creating custom metrics, see the Creating Custom Metrics for Insights article.

6. Report Configuration

Select Configuration to the right of the data catalog to access customization options for the report type. Depending on which report type you’ve selected, you’ll see different options here.

7. Report Filters

Below the report name is the filter bar, where you can add filters that are always applied to the report.

You can add a report filter by dragging an Attribute (“   ”) or Date (“   ”) item from the data catalog into the filter bar or by selecting the Filter (“   ”) icon. The following options are available when you select the Filter (“   ”) icon:

• Top/bottom values—Filter the report by a number of top or bottom metric values.
• Metric value—Select a metric to add as a report filter. Only the metrics added to the report are listed here.
• Attribute value—Select an attribute to add as a report filter. Only the attributes added to the report are listed here.

Report filters take precedence over dashboard filters; dashboard filters will not override report filters. For example, suppose you have a report with a report filter for Project: Name that filters the report by a specific project. If the report appears on a dashboard that has a Project: Name dashboard filter, selecting an option in the dashboard filter will not update the data in the report. The report will still be filtered by the report filter and will not be affected by the dashboard filter.

8. Canvas

The canvas is where the report appears and updates as you add and remove data items. Depending on which report type you’ve selected, you can perform various actions in the canvas. 

For tables, you can sort the columns as well as add sums, rollups, averages, etc.

For charts, you may see recommendations that provide quick access to common ways to slice and dice the data.

How to Rename a Report

1. Open the dashboard, then click Edit in the upper-right. The dashboard editor opens.
   
2. Select the report you want to edit. In the menu that opens, select Edit. The report editor opens.
   
3. Click the report name at the top of the report editor, type in the new name, then click out of the field.
   
4. To update the report description, select the Info (“   ”) icon and enter a description in the field that appears.
   
5. Select Save in the upper-right of the report editor.

How to Add Metrics and Attributes to a Report

1. Open the dashboard, then click Edit in the upper-right. The dashboard editor opens.
   
2. Select the report you want to edit and in the menu that opens, select Edit. The report editor opens.
   
3. Use the data catalog on the left side of the report editor to search for Metrics (“   ”) and Attributes (“   ”).

4. To add an item to the report, select it from the data catalog and drop it into the metrics and attributes area. As you add metrics and attributes to the report, the data catalog updates to only display data items that are related to the data items already in the report.
   

   Note: When you drop an attribute into the Metrics section, it automatically changes into a metric (e.g. the attribute Project: Name becomes Count of Project: Name).
5. To rename a data item for the report only, click the name in the metrics and attributes section and enter a new name. The original name appears in small, gray text below the updated name. 
   
6. Select the arrow to the left of a metric name to access the following options:
   • Metric detail—Hover over the Info (“   ”) icon to read the metric description and see its MAQL definition.
   • Filter by date—Select this option to add a date filter on the metric.
   • Add attribute filter—Select this option to add an attribute filter on the metric.
   • Show in %—Check this option to display the metric values and percentages.
   • Format—Select this option to change the number format. You can show or hide decimal places, truncate large numbers, apply text colors and background colors, and more.
   • Additional options may be available depending on the report type you’ve selected.
     
7. Select the arrow to the left of an attribute name to access the following options:
   • Attribute detail—Hover over the Info (“   ”) icon to read the attribute description, data set, and see a preview of the values.
   • Display as—For attributes that have multiple display labels, you can select a different option to display in the report.
     
8. Click Save in the upper-right of the report editor.

How to Format Metrics in a Report

You can format metrics (i.e. numbers) to show or hide decimal places, truncate large numbers, apply text colors and background colors, and more.

1. Open the dashboard, then click Edit in the upper-right. The dashboard editor opens.
2. Select the report you want to edit. In the menu that opens, click Edit. The report editor opens.
   
3. In the Metrics section below the report types section, locate the metric you want to format. 
4. Select the arrow to the left of the metric name to access metric options.
   
5. Select the Format menu, then select a predefined formatting option.
   
   Alternatively, you can select Custom to apply a predefined template or custom format.
   
6. Click Apply. The report updates.
7. Click Save in the upper-right of the report editor.

How to Add Dates to a Report

You can add dates in a report to give more context about the objects in your report.

1. Open the dashboard, then click Edit in the upper-right. The dashboard editor opens.
2. Select the report you want to edit. In the menu that opens, select Edit. The report editor opens.
   

3. From the data catalog on the left side of the report editor, select the Date item at the top of the list and drop it into the Rows, Column, or View By section.
   

   Note: Depending on the report type you have selected, this section may be named differently.
4. Insights automatically selects a date attribute to use for the date. We recommend changing the Date as option to Shared date—this is a general purpose date attribute that allows you to connect data types of different objects. The report will update.
   
5. In the group by menu, select an option to change how granular the dates display as.
   
6. In the Display as menu, select how to display the date values in the report.
   
7. Click Save in the upper-right of the report editor.

How to Remove Data from a Report

1. Open the dashboard, then click Edit in the upper-right. The dashboard editor opens.
2. Select the report you want to edit and in the menu that opens, select Edit. The report editor opens.
   
3. In the metrics and attributes section, select the item you want to remove, and drop it in the data catalog on the left side of the report editor. The report updates.
   
4. Click Save in the upper-right of the report editor.

How to Add an Attribute or Date Filter to a Report

You can add a filter to a report to permanently filter the report. Report filters take precedence over dashboard filters; dashboard filters will not override report filters.

1. Open the dashboard, then click Edit in the upper-right. The dashboard editor opens.
2. Select the report you want to edit and in the menu that opens, select Edit. The report editor opens.
   
3. From the data catalog on the left side of the report editor, select an Attribute (“   ”) or the Date (“   ”) item, then drop it into the filter bar at the top of the report.
4. Select the attribute and in the menu that opens, set the values for the filter.
   
5. Click Apply. The report updates.
6. Click Save in the upper-right of the report editor.

How to Add a Metric Filter to a Report

You can add a filter to a report to permanently filter the report. Report filters take precedence over dashboard filters; dashboard filters will not override report filters.

1. Open the dashboard, then click Edit in the upper-right. The dashboard editor opens.
2. Select the report you want to edit and in the menu that opens, select Edit. The report editor opens.
   
3. Select the Filter (“   ”) icon in the filter bar.
4. Select an option:
   • Top/bottom values—Filter the report by a number of top or bottom metric values.
   • Metric value—Select a metric to add as a report filter. Only the metrics added to the report are listed here.
     
5. Select Apply. The new filter is added to the report.
6. Configure the metric filter:
   • For a Top/bottom values filter:
     • Select Top or Bottom and enter the number of values.
     • In the Out of menu, select an attribute to take the top/bottom values out of. This option is only configurable when there is more than one attribute in the report.
     • In the Based on menu, select the metric to filter by. Only the metrics added to the report are listed here.
       
   • For a Metric value filter:
     • Select the type of value filter:
       • All
       • Greater than
       • Greater than or equal to
       • Less than
       • Less than or equal to
       • Between
       • Not between
       • Equal to
       • Not equal to
     • Enter a number.
     • Check Treat blank values as 0 if desired.
       
7. Select Apply. The report regenerates and applies the filter.

How to Change the Report Type

1. Open the dashboard, then click Edit in the upper-right. The dashboard editor opens.
2. Select the report you want to edit and in the menu that opens, select Edit. The report editor opens.
   
3. In the report types section below the report name, select a report type. The report updates.
   
   The following report types are available:
   • Table
   • Column chart
   • Bar chart
   • Line chart
   • Stacked area chart
   • Combo chart
   • Headline
   • Scatter plot
   • Bubble chart
   • Pie chart
   • Donut chart
   • Treemap
   • Pyramid chart
   • Funnel chart
   • Heatmap
   • Bullet chart
   • Waterfall chart
   • Dependency wheel chart
   • Sankey chart
4. Click Save in the upper-right of the report editor.

How to Configure a Chart

You can change various options for charts, such as display colors, label positions, minimum and maximum scale, legend visibility and position, and more.

1. Open the dashboard, then click Edit in the upper-right. The dashboard editor opens.
2. Select the report you want to edit and in the menu that opens, click Edit. The report editor opens.
   
3. Select Configuration.
   
   Report configuration options open.
   
4. Depending on the report type you’ve selected, you’ll see different configuration options. Update the configuration options to your desired preferences. The report will update with each option you change.
5. Click Save in the upper-right of the report editor.

How to Add Sums, Rollups, Averages, and Other Aggregations to a Table

1. Open the dashboard, then click Edit in the upper-right. The dashboard editor opens.
2. Select the report you want to edit and in the menu that opens, select Edit. The report editor opens.
   
3. In the table, hover over the column of the data you want to add an aggregation for, then select the Menu (“   ”) icon.
   
4. In the Aggregate menu that opens, select a way to aggregate the data. The report updates.
   
5. Click Save in the upper-right of the report editor.