You are probably already familiar with the Date (Timeline) Filter, which allows you to show data automatically on multiple reports for a selected time range. If you aren't, then take a look at this article Understanding disconnected date dimensions in Insights.
Functionally User Filter is quite similar to the Date (Timeline), but instead of the date range, it filters all reports by a specific user (assignee, updater, submitter) in one go.
Let's take look at an example
Let’s take a look at one of the pre-built tabs in your Insights - View Only dashboard, called Agent Activity. On the top of the page, you’ll see User Filter, which filters all reports on this page by the specifically selected agent.
The User filter can’t be used for multiple value selection. That’s why this filter should be always set to one value, otherwise reports won’t return any data. This can be configured with the filter settings in the image below:
How is the report filter defined?
If you check one of the reports placed on this tab for example Solved Tickets in the Filter panel of the Report Editor, you’ll see that the following numeric range filter is used in its configuration:
- Updater where _Filter Updater is greater than 0
Without this filter, the report won’t show data for the selected user. Why?
To make a report work with the disconnected User filter, you have to use a metric that retrieves the user value from the dashboard filter, and matches it with the desired user attribute for this specific report.
You can use the pre-built Insights metrics, like _Filter User, _Filter Updater and _Filter Ticket Assignee (Current), for this purpose. Each metric relates to a specific user attribute. For example, if you wanted your report to be filtered by Assignee, you'd choose the _Filter Ticket Assignee (Current) metric.
If you apply such filters to all reports added to the tab, the dashboard filter will refine the whole tab based on the selected value.
How to configure the User filter on a dashboard?
The User filter can’t be used for multiple value selection. That’s why this filter should be always set to one value, otherwise reports won’t return any data. This can be configured with the filter settings in the image below: 
Most commonly the User filter is used on dashboards that track agent performance. For this scenario, you will need to display only Agents and Admins in the filter value list. There are two options for achieving this goal.
Displaying Agents and Admins first
When the user filter is added to the dashboard set its label to User Filter Name. By doing so the user role will be displayed in front of names, as the result Agents and Admins will appear on the top of the list.
Filtering out end-user
Another option is to use an additional dashboard User Filter Role filter. Add the filter to the dashboard, set its default values to Admin/Agent and enable it as a parent filter.
To set filter default values
- Click User Filter Role filter.
- Click pen icon.
- Uncheck end-user option and click apply.
To set a parent filter
- Click User Filter filter.
- Click gear icon.
- Go to Parent filters tab.
- Click Add Parent Filter.
- Select User Filter Role from the list and click apply.
Comments
8 comments
Great article!
How do you use this filter to filter assignee as well?
Presently we have two filters, one for User to track events and one to track ticket assignee data.
Hearing that they could be consolidated into one filter for all reports is really appealing!
Would a filter like
Ticket Assignee where _Filter User is greater than 0
be what's required?
Thanks!
@ Dan,
First, you'll need to create a custom _Filter Assignee metric. The easiest way to do so will be by duplicating and editing _Filter User metric.
Your _Filter Assignee metric should look like this:
Once the metric is ready, you can add the numeric range filter to your report, which will have the following configuration: Ticket Assignee where _Filter Assignee is greater than 0
Thanks Eugene!
Once I add the filter parameter to the report, the User Filter on the dashboard will then function as both the User filter and the Ticket Assignee filter?
Right now we have to set both of these filters.
We'd like to have it so we only need to select the Agent's name once. Is that what this would enable? Would that mean the User Filter is the only one required?
Thanks,
Dan
@ Dan,
That's right, User Filter will be filtering all reports placed on the dashboard if the reports are configured correspondingly.
In fact, you could use the default _Filter Ticket Assignee (Current) metric for the same purpose, so there is no need for the custom metric in your case. Sorry that I missed it in the first place.
The report filter configuration will look like this:
I'm having trouble re-creating the user filter. I made a copy of the Agent Activity dashboard, deleted the user filter, then tried adding it back with the "filter attribute" drop-down option. My filter is showing all end-users, not agents. How do I restrict it to just agents? Is it possible to add a user filter from scratch, so I can use it in other dashboards?
@ Colin,
It is a good question. Here what you can do if you want to focus only on Agents and Admins via this filter:
By doing this the user role will be displayed before user's name on the filter list, which will lead Agents and admins to appear on the top of the list.
As I understand user avatar is loaded from user filter value:
https://analytics.zendesk.com/gdc/app/projects/%CURRENT_PROJECT_HASH%/images?displayFormIdentifier=label.userfilter.userfilter.useravatarurl&attributeElementUri=%FILTER_VALUE(attr.userfilter.userfilter)%&maxwidth=50&maxheight=50
How to change that in case I'm using _Filter Ticket Assignee (Current)?
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