Dashboard

Overview

A dashboard is a collection of visualizations organized in a grid view. Dashboards are typically used for monitoring commonly used operational metrics. NetSpring dashboards offer a variety of visualization, parameterization, and layout options. They are also interactive, offering the ability to fork off from a point in the dashboard visualization to do further analysis.

Using dashboards, you can:

• Organize all your relevant explorations in one location.
• Get a 360-degree view of all your critical data.
• Run side-by-side data comparisons.
• Run ad hoc analysis.
• Present your data effectively.

Accessing Dashboards

The Left Navigation panel features an option to navigate to the Dashboards page, which provides you with a list of all the dashboards in your application, along with options to search, create, edit, and delete a dashboard.

Additionally, your application's Home page includes a Recently Viewed Dashboards section that lists all the recently visited dashboards for easy navigation.

Creating a Dashboard

Here are the general steps to follow when creating a dashboard:

1. Access the Dashboards page from the left navigation panel.
2. Click + New Dashboard.
3. Use the key elements to build the dashboard.
4. Give a name to the dashboard and save it.

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For a detailed, step-by-step walkthrough of creating a dashboard, refer to the Dashboard Example section.

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You can also create a new dashboard while building an exploration from the Explorations page. To learn how to do this, see Explorations.

Key Elements

Here are the key elements that you use while building a dashboard.

Menu Bar

The top menu bar contains different buttons and options for creating a dashboard.

The following table provides an overview of each option available in the menu bar:

Option	Use
	The + Add Tile button allows you to add tiles on the dashboard. To explore all the available tiles that you can use, see the Supported Tiles section.
	The Grid Settings button lets you change the grid settings. These settings determine the layout of the dashboard visualizations in rows and columns of a grid. However, it is advisable to leave the default settings as they are unless there is a specific need to change them.
	The Share button allows you to share your dashboard with other people in your organization.
	The Save button allows you to save your dashboard.
	The more menu (three vertically aligned dots) includes options to Copy a full screen link of your dashboard and to Duplicate or Delete it.

Supported Tiles

A tile is a child element of a dashboard that displays results of an analytical computation (such as a chart) or is a control (such as filter) that drives the results shown in the dashboard. There are three types of tiles that you can add to a dashboard, all of which are built directly within the dashboard. However, the Visualization tile can also be added from the Explorations page.

• Visualization tile
• Parameter tile
• Text tile
• Filter tile
• Cohort Filter tile

Visualization tile

There are two types of visualization tiles available in dashboards - New Visualization and Existing Visualization. You can use these visualization tiles to create a new exploration or select an existing exploration and add it directly to a dashboard.

The screenshot below shows a dashboard with several highlighted Visualization tiles.

Tile configuration

When building a dashboard, selecting the Visualization tile displays a list of all the exploration templates you can choose from.

You can select your preferred template to build the exploration and add it to the dashboard. For information about different exploration templates and how to use them to build analysis, see Explorations.

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Before using the Visualization tile, make sure you have already created datasets on NetSpring. See Create Datasets to learn how to do that.

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After adding the Visualization tile to the dashboard, you can drag and drop or resize it to fit the dashboard. You can also hover over it to see the refresh icon to refresh the tile's data and a more menu (three vertically aligned dots) containing options to inspect the underlying SQL query, open the exploration in an explorer, and edit, delete, or duplicate the tile. Some of these features are demonstrated in the Dashboard Example section.

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Any exploration that you build directly on the dashboard is only available within it and does not appear on the Explorations page. However, any exploration that you build outside the dashboard from the Explorations page can be added to the dashboard. See Explorations and the Dashboard Example to learn how to do that. When an exploration is added to a dashboard, a private copy of the exploration is created exclusively for the dashboard. If changes are made to the original exploration, the dashboard's private copy remains unaffected.

Parameter tile

Parameter tiles allow you to modify the value of any placeholder parameters used in the queries of linked Visualization tiles on the dashboard. By doing so, you can refine the dashboard results to display only the desired data.

For instance, consider a dashboard that contains a Visualization tile showing a metric's data and value over time. A Parameter tile can be utilized to set the time range you wish to view, such as toggling between Last 7 days, Last 1 month, Last 1 year, etc. Additionally, suppose you are only interested in viewing data from your "VIP Shoppers" cohort - parameter tiles enable you to quickly modify these filter values. Once a parameter is modified, linked tiles are automatically updated to reflect the changes.

The following screenshot displays a dashboard with multiple highlighted Parameter tiles.

Tile configuration

1. On the dashboard, click + Add Tile and select Parameter.
2. On the Add New Parameter dialog that appears, configure the following sections:

• In the Properties section, give your tile a Name and add a Description.
• In the Parameter Builder section, select a Type for the Parameter tile. Following is the list of parameter types available:

Parameter Type	Description
Column Values	Displays a list of column values from which you can select a single item at a time for the parameter.
Custom Values	Allows you to customize new values for the parameter.
Time Grain	Displays a time duration for the parameter (e.g., 6 hours, 1 month, 1 year).
Time Range	Displays the date/time range for the parameter. You can choose a relative time range, such as the last six hours.

• As an example, let us create a parameter called country. Add the parameter name and choose the type - Column Values. You can look at the preview at the bottom to see how the tile would appear on the dashboard and also set a default value to appear in the selector.
• Then, there is the Linked Dashboard Tiles section. Here you can link the Visualization tiles on the dashboard to this Parameter tile. You can use the toggle next to each Visualization tile on the list to link/unlink the tile with the Parameter tile or you can link/unlink all visualizations in the dashboard using the Link All/Unlink All options respectively. When linking is enabled, selecting a value in the Parameter tile modifies the value of any parameters used in the queries of the linked Visualization tiles on the dashboard.

3. Click Add to Dashboard to add the tile to the dashboard.

Here is how the entire tile configuration should look like:

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Once the Parameter tile has been added to the dashboard, you can adjust its size and position by dragging and dropping it to the desired location. You can also hover over it to see an eye icon that highlights all the linked Visualization tiles on the dashboard, as well as a more menu (three vertically aligned dots) that provides options to edit, delete, or duplicate the tile. Some of these features are demonstrated in the Dashboard Example section.

Text tile

A Text tile enables you to add blocks of text anywhere on the dashboard. This tile is particularly useful for adding headings, row separators, descriptions, and more.

The following screenshot displays a dashboard with a highlighted Text tile.

Tile configuration

1. On the dashboard, click + Add Tile and select Text. This adds the tile at the bottom of the dashboard.

2. Locate the tile on the dashboard and click within the tile. Type in the desired text.

3. The following formatting options are displayed when you highlight the text:

   Options	Description
   	This drop-down provides options to turn your plain text into a paragraph, headings, or add a code block.
   	These options allow you to make your text bold, italicize it, underline it or strike through it.
   	This option allows you to add hyperlinks to your text.
   	This option allows you to turn your text into code.
   	This option allows you to align your text to the left.
   	This option allows you to customize the color of your font.
   	This option allows you to customize the background color of your font.
   	This option allows you to turn your plain text into a bullet list.
   	This option allows you to turn your plain text into a numbered list.
   	These options allow you to align your text to the left, right or the centre.

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After you add the Text tile to the dashboard, you can adjust its size and position by dragging and dropping it to the desired location. You can also hover over it to see a more menu (three vertically aligned dots) containing options to edit, delete, or duplicate the tile. Some of these features are demonstrated in the Dashboard Example section.

Filter tile

Dashboard filters can be used to narrow down data in a visualization. Filters make it easier for the user to answer exploratory questions - for example, if the user wants to see results for a specific region, they can make a filter tile, define a region filter, link the relevant visualizations, and see the narrowed down data.

Tile configuration

1. On the dashboard, click + Add Tile and select Filter. This adds the tile at the bottom of the dashboard.

2. Locate the tile on the dashboard and click the edit icon.

3. In the edit dialog that appears, use the following fields to configure it:

   Fields	Description
   Filter Name	Give your filter a name.
   Description	Add a description of the filter.
   Condition	Set a condition, a display name and a value for the filter. It is also possible to add multiple conditions and groups in each filter.

4. Once the fields are configured, link visualizations to the filter and click Add to Dashboard. You can also unlink visualizations from filters.

5. Click Save to save your changes.

Cohort Filter tile

Cohort filters allow you to narrow down data in a visualization using cohorts.

Tile configuration

1. On the dashboard, click + Add Tile and select Cohort Filter. This adds the tile at the bottom of the dashboard.

2. Locate the tile on the dashboard and click the edit icon.

3. In the edit dialog that appears, use the following fields to configure it:

   Fields	Description
   Filter Name	Give your filter a name.
   Description	Add a description of the filter.
   Dataset	Choose a dataset for your filter.
   Cohort	Choose the cohort you want to use to filter your results.
   Default Values	Choose the default value for your cohort.

4. Once the fields are configured, link visualizations to the filter and click Add to Dashboard. You can also unlink visualizations from filters.

5. Click Save to save your changes.

Segmentation

To perform segmentation from a dashboard tile,

1. Right click on the dashboard tile that you want to perform segmentation for.
2. You can choose Segment by cohort or Segment by attribute which will display a drop-down with the options available.
3. Choosing an option from the drop-down will change the chart on the tile accordingly. You can reset the tile using the Reset button.

Creating beelines within a dashboard

You can create beelines from explorations within the dashboard. To create a beeline within a dashboard,

1. Right-click the exploration you want to create a beeline from.
2. Click Drill down on point or Drill down on series. A catalog with all the attributes will be displayed for you to choose from to create a beeline.

3. You can undo/redo actions using the respective buttons within the tile or you can choose to reset using the Reset button.

Adding dashboard tiles to other dashboards

Within Explorations

You can create inline beelines directly within an exploration and add each one to a dashboard of their choice. Each new beeline will appear as a separate tile in the dashboard, making it easier to visualize and organize insights. To add a beeline as a new dashboard tile,

1. Create a beeline within any exploration of your choice.
2. Click the three dots at the top right of the visualization and click Add to dashboard. You can choose from two options - Pick a dashboard and New Dashboard. This option allows you to add the beeline as a new tile to a dashboard.

Within Dashboards

You can add existing tiles from one dashboard to another, enabling seamless reuse and sharing of insights across multiple dashboards. To add a tile to another dashboard, click the three dots at the top-right of the tile and select Add to another Dashboard. You can choose from two options - Pick a dashboard and New Dashboard. Finally, click Apply and your tile will be added to another dashboard.

Add new segmented explorations as tiles within a dashboard, and then easily share them by adding the tiles to other dashboards.

Dashboard Example

To demonstrate how to use the Dashboards feature in NetSpring, we will create a dashboard showcasing metrics for "Product Engagement." This dashboard will include several visualizations that present active users and conversion metrics using various key elements.

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To create this dashboard example, we use a demo app called Flix. You can see this app and its objects inside NetSpring.

To create this dashboard, follow these steps:

Step 1: Create a new dashboard and add basic details

In this step, we'll create a new dashboard and add basic details such as name, description, and location to save it.

1. Access the Dashboards page. See Accessing Dashboards to learn how to do it.
2. Click + New Dashboard.
3. On the dashboard definition page, click the pencil icon on the name field and set the following properties:
   • Name: Let's name this dashboard Product Engagement Dashboard.
   • Description: Write a brief description of the dashboard.
   • Folder: Choose the desired location to save this dashboard. In this example, we will use the Dashboards folder.
4. Click Save.

Step 2: Include usage and engagement metrics

This dashboard will be a collection of multiple explorations related to the Flix app engagement. In this step, we will add a section to the dashboard that displays visualizations illustrating the unique titles viewed in the last 7 days, average session duration, session count, number of daily active users, monthly active users categorized by subscription tier, session with and without plays, most engaged categories, plays by platform, and weekly total time viewed categorized by product tier.

To do this, follow the steps below.

Visualization 1: Unique titles viewed in the last 7 days

• On the dashboard definition page, click + Add Tile and select New Visualization.
• Choose Event Segmentation as the Exploration Type.
• On the Event Segmentation definition page, select Aggregate over property of an event in the Measure field, choose the aggregator - unique count and set the value as content_id. This will count the number of unique events.
• Under the Events section, select Play Content in the Product Events dataset.
• Following this, add two filters:
  • To filter the results by subscription tier - choose subscription_tier in the Subscriptions dataset and set the value to All.
  • For the second filter, choose the All Users cohort in the Users dataset and set the value to True.
• Set the time range as follows: Last 7 days ending 30 days ago.
• Click Run Exploration to generate the unique titles viewed metric.
• Finally, click Add to Dashboard. This will add the visualization on the dashboard and will return you to the dashboard navigation page.

Visualization 2: Unique titles Viewed in the last 7 days

• On the dashboard definition page, click + Add Tile and select New Visualization.
• Choose Event Segmentation as the Exploration Type.
• On the definition page, choose Aggregate over property of an event as the measure, unique count as the aggregator, and content_id as the value.
• Under the Events section, select Play Content in the Product Events dataset.
• Then, add the following filter: subscription_tier is All and All Users is true.
• Click Run Exploration to generate the visualization.
• Finally, click Add to Dashboard. This will add the visualization on the dashboard and will return you to the dashboard navigation page.

Visualization 3: Session Count in the last 30 days

• On the dashboard definition page, click + Add Tile and select New Visualization.
• Choose Event Segmentation as the Exploration Type.
• On the Event Segmentation definition page, select Count of unique actors that performed event in the Measure field, and choose the Sessions dataset.
• Under the Events section, select All Events in the Product Events dataset.
• Following this, add two filters:
  • To filter the results by subscription tier - choose subscription_tier in the Subscriptions dataset and set the value to All.
  • For the second filter, choose the All Users cohort in the Users dataset and set the value to True.
• Set the time range to the Last 30 days.
• Click Run Exploration to generate the metric.
• Finally, click Add to Dashboard. This will add the visualization on the dashboard and will return you to the dashboard navigation page.

Visualization 4: Daily Active Users

• On the dashboard definition page, click + Add Tile and select New Visualization.
• Choose Event Segmentation as the Exploration Type.
• On the Event Segmentation definition page, select Count of unique actors that performed event in the Measure field, and choose the Users dataset.
• Under the Events section, select All Events in the Product Events dataset.
• Following this, add a filter to filter the results by subscription tier - choose subscription_tier in the Subscriptions dataset and set the value to All.
• Set the time range to the Last 30 days ending 30 days ago.
• Click Run Exploration to generate the metric.
• Finally, click Add to Dashboard. This will add the visualization on the dashboard and will return you to the dashboard navigation page.

Visualization 5: Monthly Active Users by Subscription Tier

• On the dashboard definition page, click + Add Tile and select New Visualization.
• Choose Event Segmentation as the Exploration Type.
• On the Event Segmentation definition page, select Count of unique actors that performed event in the Measure field, and choose the Users dataset.
• Under the Events section, select All Events in the Product Events dataset.
• Following this, add a filter to filter the results by subscription tier - choose subscription_tier in the Subscriptions dataset and set the value to All.
• Set the time range to the Last 12 months.
• Click Run Exploration.
• Finally, click Add to Dashboard. This will add the visualization on the dashboard and will return you to the dashboard navigation page.

Visualization 6: Sessions with Plays vs Without

• On the dashboard definition page, click + Add Tile and select New Visualization.
• Choose Event Segmentation as the Exploration Type.
• On the Event Segmentation definition page, select Count of unique actors that performed event in the Measure field, and choose the Sessions dataset.
• Under the Events section, for Events A select All Events in the Product Events dataset and also add a filter to filter out the Play Content event. For Event B, choose Play Content.
• Following this, add a filter to filter the results by subscription tier - choose subscription_tier in the Subscriptions dataset and set the value to All.
• Set the time range to the Last 30 days ending 30 days ago.
• Click Run Exploration.
• Finally, click Add to Dashboard. This will add the visualization on the dashboard and will return you to the dashboard navigation page.

Visualization 7: Most Engaged Categories - Last 30 Days

• On the dashboard definition page, click + Add Tile and select New Visualization.
• Choose Event Segmentation as the Exploration Type.
• On the Event Segmentation definition page, select Count of Events in the Measure field.
• Under the Events section, for Events A select All Events in the Product Events dataset and also add a filter to filter out events whose category ID is not Other.
• Following this, add an attribute in the Segmentation module - category_id.
• Set the time range to the Last 30 days.
• Click Run Exploration.
• Finally, click Add to Dashboard. This will add the visualization on the dashboard and will return you to the dashboard navigation page.

Visualization 8: All Plays By Platform

• On the dashboard definition page, click + Add Tile and select New Visualization.
• Choose Event Segmentation as the Exploration Type.
• On the Event Segmentation definition page, select Count of Events in the Measure field.
• Under the Events section, for Events A select Play Content in the Product Events dataset.
• Following this, add an attribute in the Segmentation module - platform.
• Set the time range to the Last 30 days.
• Click Run Exploration.
• Finally, click Add to Dashboard. This will add the visualization on the dashboard and will return you to the dashboard navigation page.

Visualization 9: Weekly TTV by Number of Titles Viewed - by Tier

• On the dashboard definition page, click + Add Tile and select New Visualization.
• Choose Visual as the Exploration Type.
• On the definition page, double-click the Average TTV metric and add it as a measure in the column shelf.
• For the next measure, let us navigate to the Blocks section in the left panel and add an aggregate block - choose unique count as the aggregator and content_id as the value. Add a filter to filter out events of the type Play Content. Let us name this Aggregate 1. Then, add a formula block to calculate the Average titles viewed. Enter the following formula : "Aggregate 1" / 50. Save the block and add it as a measure.
• Add a time bucket and a time range filter in the filters section.
• Let us also add another filter to filter out users who are in the Free tier.
• Set the time range and click Run Exploration.
• Finally, click Add to Dashboard. This will add the visualization on the dashboard and will return you to the dashboard navigation page.

Step 3: Add users conversion metrics

In this step, we will incorporate the previously executed Funnel Exploration template analysis of existing users into the dashboard for presenting the conversion analysis.

To do this:

1. Use the left navigation panel to access the Explorations page.
2. Find and open the funnel explorations that you wish to add to the dashboard.
3. Hover over the chart, click + Add to Dashboard and select Pick a Dashboard.
4. On the Select Dashboard dialog, find and select the Product Engagement.
5. Click Confirm. This will add the exploration to the dashboard and provide a link to navigate to it.
6. Click the dashboard link to go back to the dashboard definition page.
7. Hover over the funnel tile, click the more menu (three vertically aligned dots), and select Edit Tile if you want to make changes to the funnel.
8. Here we add the following explorations : Search > Play Content Funnel, View Similar > Purchase Funnel, Paths starting from View Similar, Retention by Cohort, Weekly Play Retention, and Top Categories by Total Plays - L30D.
9. Let's now include a heading for the dashboard section that incorporates the recently added and modified funnel chart for user conversion metrics. Follow these steps:
   1. On the dashboard definition page, click + Add Tile and select Text. This adds the text tile to the bottom of the dashboard.
   2. Locate the tile on the dashboard and click the edit icon.
   3. In the edit dialog that appears:
      1. Set the Title as "Conversion".
      2. Select the Title size as L.
      3. Select the Title alignment as Center.
      4. Set the Title background to green and close the dialog.
10. Use drag and drop to move the tile to top of the funnel tile and resize it to cover the entire width of the viewport.
11. Rearrange the funnel tile underneath it to cover the viewport area.
12. Click Save.

The users conversion metrics are now added to the dashboard. Here is an illustration presenting the entire configuration process:

Step 4: Add parameter tiles for filtering

n this step, we will add parameter and filter tiles to the dashboard to facilitate filtering of metrics in the visualization tiles.

Add a parameter tile

Let us add a time range parameter.

1. On the dashboard definition page, click + Add Tile and select Parameter.
2. On the Add New Parameter dialog that appears, configure the following properties:
   1. Set a Name for the tile, such as Time Range. This name will be displayed as the heading in the tile on the dashboard. Add a description if required.
   2. Choose the Parameter Type as Time Range.
   3. Set the default value to the Last 30 days.
   4. View the preview at the bottom to observe how the tile will appear on the dashboard.
   5. On the right, you can see all the visualizations in the dashboard. You can use the toggle to link tiles to the Parameter that you just created or use the Link All/Unlink All buttons..
   6. Click Add to Dashboard to add the tile to the dashboard.
3. Return to the dashboard definition page, and locate the parameter tile at the bottom of the dashboard. Use drag and drop to move the tile and resize it.
4. Click Save.

Add filter tiles

First, let us add a subscription tier filter.

1. On the dashboard definition page, click + Add Tile and select Filter.
2. On the Add Filter dialog that appears, configure the following properties:
   1. Set a Name for the tile, such as Subscription Tier. This name will be displayed as the heading in the tile on the dashboard. Add a description if required.
   2. Set the condition as follows: where subscription_tier is All. Add a display name - Choose Tier.
   3. View the preview at the bottom to observe how the tile will appear on the dashboard.
   4. On the right, you can see all the visualizations in the dashboard. You can use the toggle to link tiles to the filter that you just created.
   5. Click Add to Dashboard to add the tile to the dashboard.
3. Return to the dashboard definition page, and locate the parameter tile at the bottom of the dashboard. Use drag and drop to move the tile and resize it.
4. Click Save.

Next, let us add a Cohort Filter.

1. On the dashboard definition page, click + Add Tile and select Cohort Filter.
2. On the Add Cohort Filter dialog that appears, configure the following properties:
   1. Set a Name for the tile, such as User Cohorts. This name will be displayed as the heading in the tile on the dashboard. Add a description if required.
   2. Choose the cohorts. Set the default value as Actors in All Users.
   3. View the preview at the bottom to observe how the tile will appear on the dashboard.
   4. On the right, you can see all the visualizations in the dashboard. You can use the toggle to link tiles to the filter that you just created.
   5. Click Add to Dashboard to add the tile to the dashboard.
3. Return to the dashboard definition page, and locate the parameter tile at the bottom of the dashboard. Use drag and drop to move the tile and resize it.
4. Click Save.

The Product Engagement dashboard is now ready! You can share, present, or keep it as desired.