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:
- When I click on → Select a trigger (metric or attribute)
- I want to → Choose an action
- 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 destinationsKey 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 triggerMultiple 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 DashboardThis 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.

What you see when you click
| You do this | This happens |
|---|---|
| Click | Selects 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 row | Selects every row from the last one you clicked to this one |
| Click the only selected item again | Clears the selection |
| Press Esc with a table focused | Clears that table's selection |
| Click an empty part of a chart | Clears 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
- Open the card's Interactions panel.
- Switch on Click to filter.
- 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:
| Option | What a click filters by | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Whole row | Every dimension column on the row | Matching one exact row everywhere |
| Clicked cell | Only the column you clicked | Wide tables where each column means something different |
| Chosen columns | Only the columns you tick | Filtering 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:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Auto | The card uses the same dataset and has that field, so it filters with no setup |
| Suggested | The card uses a different dataset that has a field with the same name. Click Accept to use it |
| Mapped | You picked the field this click filters on that card |
| Not applied | The card has no matching field. Pick one to apply it, or leave it |
| Needs mapping | More 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.

Configuration Steps
- Select your trigger (metric or attribute)
- Choose Drill into dashboard action
- 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:
| Mode | What Gets Passed | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Interaction Filters | Only the clicked values | Focused drill-down with minimal context |
| Full Context | Clicked values + all active dashboard filters | Preserve complete filter state |
| No Context | Nothing | Start 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

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
- Select your trigger (metric or attribute)
- Choose Drill into insight action
- 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
| Mode | Behavior | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Modal | Opens insight in large overlay (90% viewport) | Quick reference without leaving dashboard |
| Replace Card | Swaps current card content with insight | Deeper 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

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
- Select your trigger (typically a metric)
- Choose Drill down action
- 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 → ProductClick + Create new to define custom hierarchies.
Drill Behavior
How it works:
- First click changes that card's view to level 2 (e.g., State)
- Second click changes the same card's view to level 3 (e.g., City)
- The card keeps the clicked members in its current view state while it regroups the data at the next level
- Breadcrumbs appear at the top showing the current path
- Click breadcrumbs to move that card's view back up
Example: Location Drill Down
Initial State:
Chart: Sales by Country
No filters activeUser clicks "USA":
Chart updates to: Sales by State
Filter applied: country='USA'
Breadcrumb: USAUser clicks "California":
Chart updates to: Sales by City
Filters applied: country='USA', state='California'
Breadcrumb: USA > CaliforniaUser clicks "USA" in breadcrumb:
Chart returns to: Sales by State
Filter applied: country='USA'
Breadcrumb: USADrill into URL
Navigate to a custom URL with dynamic parameters from the click context and dashboard state.

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
- Select your trigger (metric or attribute)
- Choose Drill into URL action
- Click Add Custom URL to open the builder
- 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
- Optional: Customize the menu label
- 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.
Menu Label Customization
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}}®ion={{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®ion=West%20Coast&card=abc123URLs 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 InsightDifferent attributes, different destinations:
Interaction 1: Click "Product" → Drill down product hierarchy
Interaction 2: Click "Region" → Drill to Regional DashboardCombined 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