Semaphor

Click Interactions

Learn how to create interactive click-based experiences in Semaphor dashboards

Overview

Interactions are what happens when someone clicks a card. A click on a bar, a table row, or a matrix cell can filter the rest of the dashboard, open another dashboard, or jump to a URL.

There are two kinds:

  • Click to filter is a setting on the card. Turn it on and a click filters the other cards straight away. See Click to Filter.
  • Actions are everything else a click can do. Each action follows a 3-step pattern:
  1. When I click on → Select a trigger (metric or attribute)
  2. I want to → Choose an action
  3. Configure → Set action-specific options

You can add four actions:

  • Drill into Dashboard - Navigate to another dashboard with context
  • Drill into Insight - View a saved visualization in a modal or inline
  • Drill Down - Navigate through hierarchies (e.g., Country → State → City)
  • Drill into URL - Open custom URLs with dynamic parameters

Click Selection Behavior

The type of chart element you click determines what data is captured.

Value of Metric (Intersection Behavior)

When you click on a metric value (the actual data visualization element like a bar, line point, or pie slice), the system captures all dimensions that define that data point.

Why? A metric value exists at the intersection of multiple dimensions. A bar in a stacked bar chart represents sales for a specific country AND state combination. Capturing all dimensions preserves the complete context.

Example 1: Stacked Bar Chart

Chart: Sum of Sales by Country, stacked by State
Click on: Bar segment showing $45K for USA/California

Captured filters:
- country = 'USA'
- state = 'California'

Filter propagated: country='USA' AND state='California'

Example 2: Multi-Dimensional Line Chart

Chart: Count of Orders over Time by Product Category
Click on: Line point in March for Electronics

Captured filters:
- month = 'March 2025'
- category = 'Electronics'

Filter propagated: month='March 2025' AND category='Electronics'

Example 3: Grouped Bar Chart

Chart: Revenue and Profit by Region and Quarter
Click on: Revenue bar for Q1 West region

Captured filters:
- quarter = 'Q1'
- region = 'West'

Filter propagated: quarter='Q1' AND region='West'

Multiple Metrics = Multiple Interactions

When a chart displays multiple metrics, you can configure a separate interaction for each one. Each metric can have its own distinct action.

Chart: User Metrics over Time with three metrics
- Monthly Active Users (blue line)
- Monthly Revenue (green line)
- Conversion Rate (orange line)

Interaction 1: Click "Monthly Active Users" → Drill to Insight showing user demographics
Interaction 2: Click "Monthly Revenue" → Drill to Dashboard showing revenue breakdown
Interaction 3: Click "Conversion Rate" → Drill to Insight showing conversion funnel

Result: Each metric tells its own story through specialized drill destinations

Key takeaway: All dimensional context that defines the clicked metric value flows through the interaction.

Value of Attribute (Single Dimension)

When you click on an attribute value (like an axis label), the system captures only that specific attribute, not any other dimensions present in the chart.

Why? Attributes represent categorical values independent of metrics. Even if the chart displays multiple dimensions, clicking on "California" means you want to filter by California specifically - not by all dimensions in that visualization.

Example 1: X-Axis Label

Chart: Sales by Country and State (stacked bars)
Click on: "USA" label on X-axis

Captured filter:
- country = 'USA'

Filter propagated: country='USA'
(State is NOT included, even though bars are stacked by state)

Example 2: Pie Chart Segment Label

Chart: Market Share by Region
Click on: "West" label next to a pie slice

Captured filter:
- region = 'West'

Filter propagated: region='West'

Key takeaway: Only the specific attribute clicked is captured, creating a focused filter on that dimension alone.

Multi-Metric Charts (Selective Triggering)

When a chart displays multiple metrics (e.g., revenue, profit, and orders), interactions can be configured to trigger only when a specific metric's visual element is clicked.

Why? Different metrics often require different actions. You may want clicking revenue to drill into a financial dashboard, while clicking orders drills into an operations dashboard.

Example:

Chart: Orders over Time with three metrics
- #count_of_orders (blue bars)
- #sum_of_sales (green bars)
- #sum_of_profit (orange bars)

Interaction configured: "When I click on #count_of_orders" → Drill to Operations Dashboard

User clicks blue bar for January:
✅ Interaction triggers
Captured filter: month='January'

User clicks green or orange bar:
❌ Interaction does NOT trigger

Multiple interactions on same chart:

Interaction 1: Click #sum_of_sales → Drill to Finance Dashboard
Interaction 2: Click #count_of_orders → Drill to Operations Dashboard

User clicks green bar (sales):
→ Navigates to Finance Dashboard

User clicks blue bar (orders):
→ Navigates to Operations Dashboard

This allows each metric to have its own distinct behavior.


Click to Filter

Click a row, a bar, or a matrix cell and the other cards on the dashboard filter to it. There is no second step: the click is the filter.

Click to Filter

What you see when you click

You do thisThis happens
ClickSelects that item and replaces any earlier selection from the same card
Cmd-click (Ctrl-click on Windows)Adds the item to the selection, or removes it if it is already selected
Shift-click a table rowSelects every row from the last one you clicked to this one
Click the only selected item againClears the selection
Press Esc with a table focusedClears that table's selection
Click an empty part of a chartClears that chart's selection

Your selection shows up in three places, so you always know what is filtering what:

  • A chip in the filter bar names what you clicked and the card it came from. Click its × to clear it.
  • The card you clicked shows Filtering N cards, with Clear next to it.
  • Each filtered card shows a filter badge. Open it to see which card the filter came from and which fields applied.

Selections from different cards combine. Click West on a region table and Enterprise on a segment chart, and the other cards show West and Enterprise together. Clear all in the filter bar removes every selection.

A selection holds up to 100 items.

Turn it on

  1. Open the card's Interactions panel.
  2. Switch on Click to filter.
  3. Save.

New dashboards have click to filter on for every card. On dashboards created earlier, it is off until you turn it on for a card.

Choose what a click carries

For tables, Filter by decides which columns a click sends to the other cards:

OptionWhat a click filters byGood for
Whole rowEvery dimension column on the rowMatching one exact row everywhere
Clicked cellOnly the column you clickedWide tables where each column means something different
Chosen columnsOnly the columns you tickFiltering by Region while ignoring Order ID

Values such as Revenue and calculated columns never become filters.

For a matrix, Filter from lets you choose which parts of the grid start a selection: row groups, column headers, and values. A row filters by its path, a column by its header, and a value by both. A subtotal filters by the group it totals.

A chart mark always carries every dimension it is drawn from, so a stacked bar segment filters by both its category and its series.

Choose which cards respond

Click Review cards to see every other card and what a click does there. Each clicked field gets a row per card:

StatusMeaning
AutoThe card uses the same dataset and has that field, so it filters with no setup
SuggestedThe card uses a different dataset that has a field with the same name. Click Accept to use it
MappedYou picked the field this click filters on that card
Not appliedThe card has no matching field. Pick one to apply it, or leave it
Needs mappingMore than one field could match. Pick the one you mean

A click only crosses from one dataset to another after you accept a suggestion or pick a field. Until then the card is left alone, so a click never breaks a card built on different data. If a dashboard filter already maps that field to the card, the click reuses the same mapping and shows Same as the Region filter.

To leave a card out completely, switch off Filtered by this click for it. The field rules are the same ones dashboard filters use. See Filter mapping.

Cards that should never be filtered

Some cards should always show the full picture, like a grand total. Open that card's Interactions panel and switch off Respond to clicks on other cards. It ignores every click on the dashboard from then on.

Multiple selection

Multiple selection is on by default. Switch it off if a card should only ever hold one selected item; every click then replaces the last one.

Saved visuals

When a card comes from a saved visual, how it behaves (on or off, what a click carries, multiple selection) is saved to the visual and applies everywhere it is used. Which cards it filters is saved for the dashboard you are on, because each dashboard has different cards.


Drill into Dashboard

Navigate to another dashboard, passing click context as filters.

Drill to Dashboard

Configuration Steps

  1. Select your trigger (metric or attribute)
  2. Choose Drill into dashboard action
  3. Click Choose dashboard to open the picker

Dashboard Picker

The dashboard picker includes:

  • Search bar - Filter dashboards by name
  • Two tabs:
    • "created by me" - Your personal dashboards (default)
    • "all" - All accessible dashboards
  • Dashboard cards showing:
    • Dashboard name
    • Description (if available)
    • Last modified timestamp

Context Modes

When drilling to a dashboard, you can control what context gets passed:

ModeWhat Gets PassedUse Case
Interaction FiltersOnly the clicked valuesFocused drill-down with minimal context
Full ContextClicked values + all active dashboard filtersPreserve complete filter state
No ContextNothingStart fresh, no filters applied

Example

When I click on: Country (attribute)
I want to: Drill into dashboard
Target: Regional Sales Dashboard
Context mode: Interaction Filters

Result:
Click "USA" → Navigate to Regional Sales Dashboard
Filters applied: country='USA'

Ensure the target dashboard has filters configured to receive the passed context. Field names must match exactly.


Drill into Insight

Drill into Insight

View a saved visualization (insight) with applied filters, either in a modal overlay or as an inline replacement.

What are Insights?

Insights are saved visualizations that can be reused across dashboards. When you drill into an insight, you can:

  • View it in a modal (large overlay)
  • Replace the current card content (inline)

Configuration Steps

  1. Select your trigger (metric or attribute)
  2. Choose Drill into insight action
  3. Click Choose insight to open the picker

Insight Picker

The insight picker shows:

  • Search bar - Filter by insight name
  • Two tabs: "created by me" | "all"
  • Insight items with:
    • 📊 icon for valid insights
    • × icon for invalid/deleted insights
    • Last modified timestamp

Display Modes

ModeBehaviorUse Case
ModalOpens insight in large overlay (90% viewport)Quick reference without leaving dashboard
Replace CardSwaps current card content with insightDeeper inline analysis

Modal Display:

  • Large overlay covers most of the screen
  • Click outside or press ESC to close
  • Returns to original dashboard view

Replace Card Display:

  • Insight content replaces the card
  • Breadcrumbs or back button appear
  • Click to return to original card

Example

When I click on: Product Category (attribute)
I want to: Drill into insight
Target: Product Details insight
Display mode: Modal
Context mode: Interaction Filters

Result:
Click "Electronics" → Modal opens showing Product Details
Filters applied: category='Electronics'

Drill Down

Drill Down

Navigate through a predefined hierarchy (e.g., Country → State → City) by drilling deeper with each click.

What are Hierarchies?

Hierarchies are predefined sequences of fields to drill through. Each click drills one level deeper.

Common hierarchy types:

  • Location - Country → State → City
  • Time - Year → Quarter → Month → Day
  • Product - Category → Subcategory → Product
  • Organization - Division → Department → Team

Configuration Steps

  1. Select your trigger (typically a metric)
  2. Choose Drill down action
  3. Click Choose hierarchy

Hierarchy Picker

The hierarchy picker displays available hierarchies with their drill paths:

📍 Location Hierarchy
   Country → State → City

📅 Time Hierarchy
   Year → Quarter → Month → Day

📦 Product Hierarchy
   Category → Subcategory → Product

Click + Create new to define custom hierarchies.

Drill Behavior

How it works:

  1. First click changes that card's view to level 2 (e.g., State)
  2. Second click changes the same card's view to level 3 (e.g., City)
  3. The card keeps the clicked members in its current view state while it regroups the data at the next level
  4. Breadcrumbs appear at the top showing the current path
  5. Click breadcrumbs to move that card's view back up

Example: Location Drill Down

Initial State:

Chart: Sales by Country
No filters active

User clicks "USA":

Chart updates to: Sales by State
Filter applied: country='USA'
Breadcrumb: USA

User clicks "California":

Chart updates to: Sales by City
Filters applied: country='USA', state='California'
Breadcrumb: USA > California

User clicks "USA" in breadcrumb:

Chart returns to: Sales by State
Filter applied: country='USA'
Breadcrumb: USA

Drill into URL

Navigate to a custom URL with dynamic parameters from the click context and dashboard state.

Drill into URL

URL Builder

The URL builder features a two-panel layout:

Left Panel: URL Template

  • Large textarea for entering your URL
  • Supports parameter placeholders: {{parameter_name}}
  • Live preview below shows example URL

Right Panel: Parameters

  • Browse and insert available parameters
  • Click any parameter to insert at cursor position
  • Organized into categories

Available Parameters

Attributes - Values from clicked chart data:

  • All groupBy and pivotBy fields from the current card
  • Example: {{country}}, {{product}}, {{order_date}}
  • Shows field name and qualified field path

Identifiers - System identifiers:

  • {{card_id}} - Current card ID
  • {{frame_id}} - Current frame ID
  • {{sheet_id}} - Current sheet ID

Configuration Steps

  1. Select your trigger (metric or attribute)
  2. Choose Drill into URL action
  3. Click Add Custom URL to open the builder
  4. Build your URL template:
    • Type the base URL in the left panel
    • Click parameters in the right panel to insert
    • Parameters auto-insert as {{parameter_name}} at cursor position
  5. Optional: Customize the menu label
  6. Click Save

URL Encoding

The URL encode parameters checkbox (enabled by default) controls how parameter values are encoded:

  • Enabled - Special characters are encoded (e.g., spaces → %20)
  • Disabled - Raw values are inserted

Recommendation: Keep enabled to ensure valid URLs with special characters.

URL encoding is recommended to handle special characters like spaces, ampersands, and quotes in parameter values.

The menu label field allows you to customize how this interaction appears when multiple interactions are available.

  • Default label: "Open External Link"
  • Custom examples: "View Order Details", "Open Support Portal", "See Full Report"

Example Configuration

URL Template:

https://erp.company.com/orders/{{order_id}}?status={{status}}&region={{region}}&card={{card_id}}

When user clicks:

  • Order ID: "12345"
  • Status: "Shipped"
  • Region: "West Coast"
  • Card ID: "abc123"

Generated URL:

https://erp.company.com/orders/12345?status=Shipped&region=West%20Coast&card=abc123

URLs always open in a new browser tab. Ensure proper security measures when linking to external systems.


Multiple Interactions

You can configure multiple interactions on the same card for different triggers or actions.

Use Cases

Different metrics, different actions:

Interaction 1: Click "Revenue" → Drill to Finance Dashboard
Interaction 2: Click "Units Sold" → Drill into an Insight

Different attributes, different destinations:

Interaction 1: Click "Product" → Drill down product hierarchy
Interaction 2: Click "Region" → Drill to Regional Dashboard

Combined workflows:

Interaction 1: Click "Category" → Drill down product hierarchy
Interaction 2: Click "Order ID" → Drill to URL (external system)

Managing Multiple Interactions

  • Each interaction is displayed as a separate card in the Interactions panel
  • Click Edit to modify an interaction
  • Click × to remove an individual interaction
  • Click + Add interaction to add more
  • No technical limit to the number of interactions per card

Interaction Selection Menu

When a single click matches more than one action, or an action and click to filter, a popup menu appears. Filter is listed first when click to filter is on:

  • Menu displays at the click location
  • Lists all matching interactions with icons and labels
  • User selects which action to execute
  • Custom menu labels help differentiate options

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