# Create a dashboard Either start from scratch and save a brand-new dashboard or clone an existing dashboard as a starting point. Use offset dates to make your dashboards dynamic, which means they automatically update each time they are opened. When you create a dashboard, you become its owner. {% embed url="" %} Create an interactive dashboard {% endembed %} {% hint style="success" %} * Watch these PUG Training videos: * [Building advanced dashboards](https://www.phocassoftware.com/customer/training-series/dashboards#session2) * [Multi-database dashboarding](https://www.phocassoftware.com/customer/training-series/dashboards#session3) {% endhint %} ## Create a dashboard from scratch 1. In the Phocas side navigation menu, click **Dashboards**. 2. Click the **New dashboard +** button at the top of the panel.
3. Configure the dashboard's settings. The available settings depend on your user permissions. * **Name** and **Description**: You must enter a name for the dashboard, but the description is optional. * **Owner**: Your name is selected by default, as you are creating the dashboard. If you want to change ownership, select a different user from the list. * **Folders** and **Users**: By default, your dashboard is not shared with anyone, but you can assign it to folders or share it with specific users. See [Sharing and folders](https://docs.phocassoftware.com/basics/getting-started/sharing-and-folders) for more information. 4. Click **Save**. Proceed to [add content to your dashboard](#add-content-to-a-dashboard).\ ![](https://900295827-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F7pj8v25BOyqZTdG5mdD1%2Fuploads%2FFsOv1FvL0IHxP5Egrsn0%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=23b1dc60-ad51-4000-ae27-9b41face43ad) ## Clone an existing dashboard You can clone a dashboard that you own, that is, one that you created. This is a handy option if you have a dashboard you like but want to change a few things. You can then change the content to suit your needs and, if required, share it with other users. 1. Open the dashboard you want to clone. 2. Click the **Clone** button on the dashboard toolbar. 3. Enter a new name and description. 4. Update the sharing settings, if required. 5. Click **Save**. 6. Proceed to [edit the dashboard](https://docs.phocassoftware.com/basics/manage-dashboards#edit-a-dashboard). ## Add content to a dashboard A dashboard is made up of 'widgets', which you can add directly on the dashboard or from the grid or chart view. Common dashboard content includes charts, lists, nested tables, text, images, videos, and web content. Most dashboards contain favorites. ### Add a favorite as a widget One of the simplest ways to add content to a dashboard is to add a saved favorite. This action essentially creates a copy of the original favorite. There is no link between the original favorite and the new dashboard widget; they exist as separate entities. 1. Open the favorite, then click the blue arrow next to the favorite name and select **Add to dashboard**.
2. Enter a new name for the favorite. A description is optional.
3. Either click **Save & Open** to view the dashboard now or click **Save** to continue with your analysis. ### Add an analysis point as a widget You can turn an analysis point into a widget on a dashboard without leaving the grid or chart view. You can add to an existing dashboard, a new dashboard, or, if you have permission, a shared dashboard. For example, suppose you are analyzing your Sales database and have created a pie chart showing the profit of each branch for the year to date.
1. Click the arrow next to the dashboard name and select **Add to dashboard** > **Yes**.
2. Select the dashboard to which you want to add the widget or select **New** to create a new dashboard. 3. Select an existing line or select **New** to create a new line. 4. Enter a name for the new widget and, if necessary, the new dashboard. A description is optional (it displays at the top of the widget on the dashboard). 5. Specify the limit rows value. This option displays if you have selected a dimension. It filters either the top or bottom records by the specified value. For example, setting **Limit Rows** to Bottom 10 would only show the bottom 10 records. This action is also known as 'Top/Bottom N Analysis'. 6. Either click **Save & Open** to view the dashboard or **Save**.
### Add a query widget You can add a widget to a dashboard from scratch. For example, suppose you want to have a widget that shows the sales revenue earned by each Sales Rep for the year to date. 1. Open the dashboard and click **Unlock and edit**. 2. Click **Add widget** > **Query**. The widget configuration screen has a database selection on the top right and widget settings on the left (as shown below). The Phocas grid appears inside the screen and operates as usual.
3. Set up your analysis: 1. Select the database (**Sales**). The grid updates to reflect your selection.
2. Conduct your analysis in the grid: Select the **Sales Rep** dimension, then select **Period** > **Year to Date**, **Measure** > **Revenue** and **Mode** > **Total**. Sort the **Revenue** column in descending order.
4. Configure widget settings: * **Line**: Select an existing line or select **New** to create a new line. * **Name**: Enter a name for the new widget. * **Description**: Enter a description. The description is optional (it displays at the top of the widget on the dashboard). * **Is Filterable** and **Link to Dashboard**: Use these options to [make the dashboard interactive](https://docs.phocassoftware.com/basics/use-dashboards#filter-a-dashboard-focus-on-data). * **Minimized on Open**: Select Yes if you want the widget to be minimized when you open a dashboard so that only its title and description are visible. Otherwise, leave this option set as **No**. * **Run As** (only users whose profile has Run As permission enabled will see this option): Select the required user. * This option gives the widget the 'view' permissions of a selected user, rather than the user who is actually viewing the dashboard. * For example, a manager wants to show a sales performance widget for all branches to staff who normally only see information about their own branch. The manager can select his or her own name from the dropdown to allow users to view the widget exactly as the manager sees it, although they cannot analyze the widget. * **Limit Rows**: Specify the limit rows value. This option displays if you have selected a dimension. It filters either the top or bottom records by the specified value. For example, setting **Limit Rows** to Bottom 10 would only show the bottom 10 records. This action is also known as 'Top/Bottom N Analysis'. * **Hide search box**: Hide the search box to create more space for rows. This option displays if your widget contains data at a deeper level than Summary view, as it will automatically contain a search box. 5. Click **Save**.
### Add a list widget You can add a list of databases, dashboards, favorites, or alerts to a dashboard. These lists can be filtered. You can only add one type of list at a time, but you can add as many lists as you want as individual widgets. 1. Open the dashboard and click **Unlock and edit**. 2. Click **Add widget** > **List**.
3. Select the type of list you want to display on the dashboard. 4. Apply a filter and/or sort if required. For example, you can filter by when the list contents were last updated and sort by name or when updated. 5. Select an existing line or select **New** to create a new line. 6. Enter a description for the list. 7. Click **Save**.
### Add a text widget You can add a text area in which you and other users can add information or comments about the items on the dashboard. It has a simple editor window, in which you can choose from built-in styles or set your own formatting. 1. Open the dashboard and click **Unlock and edit**. 2. Click **Add widget** > **Text**. 3. Select an existing line or select **New** to create a new line. 4. Enter a name and description for the widget. 5. Click **Save**.
### Add a web page You can embed a web page in your dashboard using a URL widget. For example, you could add an internal or external page, login screen, or entry point to other web-based systems. 1. Open the dashboard and click **Unlock and edit**. 2. Click **Add widget** > **URL**.
3. Select an existing lineClick **Add widgetw** or select **New** to create a new line. 4. Enter a name for the widget. 5. Enter the URL of the web page you want to display on the dashboard. If possible, copy and paste the full URL for accuracy. The prefix *https\://* should be used (as shown in the image below), as trying to embed an *http\://* address typically fails on web-hosted instances of Phocas.
6. If you want the URL to be displayed as well as the web page, select **Show URL** > **Yes**. 7. Click **Save**.
Sites that do not allow embedding: Many popular websites do not allow their pages to be embedded within another web page, for example, Facebook. There might be instructions on their website, or in your browser settings, about enabling embedding. ### Add a nested table A nested table is an expandable report with up to three levels that you can add to a dashboard. It appears on its own line, stretching the full width of the dashboard. Each level, and rows within a level, can be expanded and collapsed.
Transaction mode and Summary view queries must be placed at the lowest level in the nested table. If you try to set them as higher levels, they will not display in the table. 1. Open the dashboard and click **Unlock and edit**. 2. Click **Add widget** > **Nested Table**. There are three tabs on the Nested Table screen, one for each level, plus a preview tab.
3. Define level 1: 1. On the **Level 1** tab, select the database (**Sales**). The grid updates to reflect your selection.
2. Select a dimension. 3. Select and focus on data in the usual way, changing the mode, period, properties, measures, and so on. Your settings and selections will be displayed in the nested table. 4. Define the other levels. Repeat the above steps on the **Level 2** tab and, if needed, **Level 3** tab. You can use different data structures for different levels. Remember that queries from Summary view or Transaction mode must be the lowest level in the nesting. 5. Enter a name for the new widget, and a description, if required. 6. Click the **Preview** tab to see how the nested table widget will look before you add it to your dashboard. Note that the preview will only provide a snippet of your data. 7. Click **Save**. A nested table may take some time to build, particularly if multiple levels have been chosen with large amounts of data.\ The nested table widget will appear on a new line at the bottom of the dashboard. ### Clone a widget The ability to clone (copy) a widget is particularly useful when you want to create multiple similar widgets. For example, you might want to have several summary widgets, which might have a different measure or summary type. Cloned widgets are added to the same line as the original widget. You cannot clone nested widgets. Open the dashboard and click **Unlock and edit**. Locate the widget you want to clone, then click the **Clone** button in its toolbar. ### Add a line Open the dashboard and click **Unlock and edit**. Click **Add line**. A new line displays at the bottom of your dashboard. You can then proceed to add widget on the line.