A dashboard earns its place when someone can open it and know what to do next. That takes more than the right numbers: the metrics have to be visualized in a way that answers the question, arranged so the most important ones are seen first, and presented in branding your audience recognizes. The Designer is where all of that happens, and every change saves as you make it.
- Go to Dashboards.
- Hover over the dashboard and click Edit.
The Designer opens with the Visualization Types and Metric Library panels on the left, the dashboard canvas in the middle, and the toolbar above it.
The toolbar holds the actions you'll use while editing:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Color swatch | Sets the dashboard background color and chart theme. |
| Visuals | Opens Advanced visual settings for background images, logos, and custom colors. |
| Notify | Sets up alerts and scheduled snapshots for the dashboard. See Set up a dashboard notification. |
| Share | Opens the sharing options, including shareable links and embeds. See Share a dashboard. |
| Full-screen view | Displays the dashboard without the editing interface. |
Three dots ( ) | Copy URL, Add to report, Add to loop, Download, Save as template, Duplicate, Favorite, Verify, and Delete. |
| Complete with AI | Suggests additional Datablocks that fit what's already on the dashboard. |
| + Add metric | Adds a metric to the dashboard without picking a visualization type first. |
Every visualization on a dashboard sits in a Datablock. You can create one from either end — start with the metric and let Databox pick the visualization, or place the visualization first and map the data to it.
The Metric Library lists the metrics available from your connected data sources. Adding one creates a Datablock for it automatically, with a visualization already selected — the quickest route when the Datablock only needs a single metric, or when you'd rather not choose a visualization up front.
- In the Metric Library panel, select a source from the Data source drop-down.
- Use Search to find the metric, or narrow the list with the Show drop-down.
- Hover over the metric and click the + button, or drag the metric onto the grid.
The new Datablock arrives populated with data, a title, a visualization type, and a date range — all of which you can change afterwards.
When you want a particular chart type, or a Datablock that combines several metrics, place the visualization first and map the data afterwards.
- In the Visualization Types panel, click the visualization you want, or drag it onto the canvas.
- Click the new Datablock to open the Datablock Editor on the right.
- Set the Type, Title, Date range, and the metric that should populate it.
The Datablock Editor controls everything about a single Datablock, including comparisons, number formats, and filters. See Configure a Datablock for the full set of options.
A dashboard isn't limited to one data source, and neither is a single Datablock.
- Across the dashboard — change the Data source drop-down in the Metric Library before adding each Datablock, so different blocks report on different sources.
- Within one Datablock — select the Datablock, then in the Metrics section of the Datablock Editor click + Add metric and choose a metric from another source. This is how you put paid and organic traffic on the same chart.
Layout is what makes a dashboard readable at a glance. Select a Datablock and its handles and hover toolbar appear.
- Move — drag the Datablock to a new position on the grid.
- Resize — drag any edge or corner handle. Number blocks work at 1x1; charts and tables need at least 2x2.
- Duplicate — click the duplicate icon in the hover toolbar, then choose which dashboard to copy it to.
- Delete — click the trash icon in the hover toolbar and confirm.
Branding matters most on dashboards a client sees. Background color and chart theme are one click away in the toolbar; everything else lives in Advanced visual settings.
- Click the color swatch in the toolbar to pick from the preset background colors and the chart themes available for that background.
- For more control, click Visuals to open Advanced visual settings.
- Set any of the following, then click Save:
- Background color — choose a preset, or select Custom to enter a hex code.
- Chart theme — the palette used for lines, bars, and pie slices. The available themes depend on the background color.
- Background image — maximum 2000px wide and no larger than 10 MB. JPG, PNG, and GIF are supported.
- Your company logo — at least 400px wide, and best with a transparent background. It appears in the bottom left corner of the dashboard.
To remove Databox branding and serve dashboards from your own domain, see White label your account.
A few conventions keep dashboards useful as they multiply across an organization.
- Vary the visualizations. Aim for at least three different types. Pair at least one number block with at least one line or bar chart, so the dashboard supports both a quick check and a look at the trend. For help picking, see Choose the best visualization for your data.
- Name Datablocks after their metric. If a line chart shows Sessions, title it "Sessions" — not "Traffic." The exceptions are when a recipient has asked for different wording, or when a Datablock holds several metrics and needs a summarizing title such as "Campaign Performance."
- Shorten column titles. On tables, name columns after the metric but trim them ("Impressions," "Clicks") so they stay visible, and let the Datablock title carry the context.
- Use one date range. Set every Datablock to the same date range wherever possible, so the dashboard reads consistently the moment it loads. Viewers can still change it with the date range switcher.
- Fill empty space with context. A Notes or Data story Datablock explaining what the numbers mean is more useful than a stretched chart.
FAQ
Can I apply one dashboard's design to all my dashboards at once?
Not retroactively. Set as default in Advanced visual settings applies your background, chart theme, and logo to dashboards you create from then on. To push changes across existing dashboards, build them from a template instead — see Edit a template and apply changes across dashboards.
Can I undo a change in the Designer?
There's no undo history, and deleting a Datablock is permanent. Duplicate a dashboard before reworking it if you want a copy of the original to fall back on.
Why are some chart themes unavailable?
Chart themes are tied to the background color, so only the palettes that stay legible against the background you picked are offered. Change the background color and a different set appears.
Why does my logo look wrong on the dashboard?
Logos under 400px wide are scaled up and lose sharpness, and a logo with a solid white background shows as a visible block against a colored dashboard. Upload a version that's at least 400px wide with a transparent background.
