Best practices for using dashboard filters

This article outlines some of the best practices you can use to help you get the most from dashboard filters.

This article contains the following sections:

• Use queries from fewer datasets
• Select time filters you need
• Link data filters 
• Exclude filters from queries
• Save default filter values via bookmarks

Note: To learn more about filters and how to add them to your dashboard, see Adding interactive dashboard widgets. 

Use queries from fewer datasets

To simplify the dashboard filtering process, don't use queries from too many datasets. Normally one or two datasets will provide enough data. For example, queries in the most common pre-built dashboard tabs are based on one dataset.

Sometimes, you'll need to add queries to a dashboard from multiple datasets. In such situations, review the queries placed in the tab to ensure that they can't be created from the same datasets. 

Note: For more information about the metrics and attributes contained in each dataset, see Understanding Explore datasets.

Select the time filter attributes you need

Each dataset has multiple time attributes. All these attributes are listed in the time filter menu and can be used to filter the dashboard tab. If queries that were added to the dashboard are from multiple datasets, then time attributes from multiple datasets will be available in the filter menu.

The goal is to select only those time attributes that you actually want to use for filtering the queries in the tab. Normally, you will need one to three time attributes per tab. For example, the Tickets tab of the default Support dashboard uses two attributes for time filtering, Ticket created and Ticket solved.

Link data filters 

If you are using more than one dataset in the same dashboard, you need to link data filter attributes to the equivalent attributes from other datasets. 

For example, the Satisfaction tab of the default Support dashboard uses queries form two datasets, Tickets and Ticket Updates. The data filters are based on the attributes from the Tickets dataset. To ensure that these filters are applied on all queries, they are linked with attributes from the Ticket Updates dataset.

Exclude filters from queries

There are two main reasons for excluding dashboard filters from individual queries:

• You are using more than one attribute in the time filter
• You don't want some of the queries to be affected by a specific filter
• A dashboard filter might override results returned from a filter on the query itself

Dashboard filters can be disabled for each query via the Exclude filters setting.

To disable dashboard filters for a query

1. Select a query widget in the dashboard.
2. In the right top corner of the widget, click the arrow button.
3. In the menu, click Exclude filters.
4. Choose the filter type, then select the attributes that will not be applied to the query.

Save default filter values via bookmarks 

Values that are selected from a dashboard filter are not automatically saved. Because of this, each time the dashboard is accessed or reloaded the filter selections are reset. Because of this, it's important to set the default bookmark for each dashboard tab. It is especially important if a time filter is used in the tab or if the dashboard will be scheduled for email delivery.

To set a default bookmark

1.  Configure the dashboard with the default filter values you want.
2. In the Dashboard menu, click Add and select Add bookmark.
3. On the Bookmark page, click Create bookmark from current state.
4. Enter a display name.
5. Pin the bookmark (). Pinning a bookmark ensures that it is selected by default.
6. If you are not setting additional bookmarks you can hide it by clicking the arrow button in the right top corner of the widget and then clicking Hide. 

Tip: If the dashboard is a copy of the default dashboard or was created by someone else, first check if the bookmark widget wasn't added to the tab already. To locate a hidden bookmark widget click Show hidden widgets button.