Save and share favorites

Save your analysis points and insights as favorites and share them with your team.

Favorites are one of the key features of Phocas.

When you change your view of the grid or filter the data during your analysis, you can save that view as a favorite. You can save multiple favorites and easily switch from one to another for quick access to the information that you need.

Some features are linked to the underlying mode settings and might not be available in favorites saved before the feature was introduced. This protects existing favorites from changes that might affect their setup or behavior.

If a new option is missing from a favorite, updating the favorite with your current view should make the option available. If it doesn't, save a new favorite.

Save and share favorites

Learn about favorites in Flex Modes

Favorites work a little differently in Flex Modes than in Analytics.

Flex favorites on your homepage

In Flex Modes, saved favorites are sometimes referred to as Flex favorites to distinguish them from Analytics favorites. On your homepage and side navigation menu, Flex favorites have a different icon. In this page, the term favorite refers to favorites saved in Flex Modes unless otherwise specified.

Updates

When you make changes to an existing favorite, a pink badge appears on the Favorite controls button to remind you to either:

• update the existing favorite, or
• save the changes as a new favorite.

When you click the actions arrow, the available options are grouped under headings: Favorite, Alert, Dashboards, and Administration. Only the groups that apply to the item you have open are shown. For example, opening an alert created from a favorite shows both the Favorite and Alert groups together.

Permissions and sharing

All database permissions and restrictions still apply in Flex Modes, regardless of whether you're using a favorite or who created it.

Unlike Analytics, standard favorites user permissions don't currently apply in Flex Modes. Users can only manage favorites they own.

Favorite owner

The person who created the favorite can:

• View the favorite
• Update the favorite
• Delete the favorite
• Share the favorite
• Create a new favorite based on it

Users the favorite is shared with automatically see updates and lose access if the favorite is deleted.

Viewers

When a favorite is shared with a user, they can:

• View the favorite
• Create a new favorite based on it

They can't update, delete, or share the favorite.

Dynamic periods

Favorites saved with dynamic periods automatically update over time.

For example:

• If Period 1 is set to Last month and you save the favorite in December, the favorite displays November data.
• When you open the same favorite in January, Period 1 still shows Last month, but the data updates to December.

Save a new favorite

1. Open a database in Flex Modes and carry out your analysis.
2. Do one of the following:

   • Click the actions arrow next to the database name and select Save as favorite.
   • Click the Save as favorite button on the toolbar.

     
3. Enter a name for the favorite and click Save.

   

After saving:

• The favorite name appears next to the database name.
• The favorite button changes to a full heart icon.

Save a favorite based on an existing favorite

Use this option to create a variation of an existing favorite, including one shared with you. This creates a separate new favorite.

1. Click either:

   • the actions arrow next to the favorite name, or
   • the Favorite controls button
2. Click Save as new favorite.
3. Enter a name.
4. Click Save.

Update a favorite

Use this option to overwrite a favorite you own with your latest changes.

1. Click either:

   • the actions arrow next to the favorite name, or
   • the Favorite controls button
2. Click Update favorite.
3. Optionally change the favorite name.
4. Click Save.

Share a favorite

Flex Modes has a basic permissions and sharing model, so use caution when sharing favorites.

You can share favorites you own with selected users. Shared users can view the favorite but can’t edit or manage it.

1. Click the Favorite controls button .
2. Click Share favorite.
3. Select the users to share with.
4. Click Save.

Subscribe to a favorite

You can subscribe to a favorite to receive email notifications whenever the underlying data updates.

See Manage subscriptions.

Delete a favorite

You can delete favorites you own from either of these locations:

From within the favorite:

Either click the actions arrow next to the favorite name or click the Favorite controls button , then click Delete favorite > Delete.

From your homepage:

Locate the favorite, click its menu button, and then click Delete > Delete.

• From within the favorite: Either click the blue arrow next to the favorite name or click the Favorite controls button , then click Delete favorite > Delete.

From your homepage: Locate the favorite, click its menu button, and then click Delete > Delete.