Working with Visuals

Creating a New Visual

Put your dashboard in editing mode and open the Visuals tab in the sidebar by clicking the burger icon (☰) on the top left (when in embedded mode) or the right chevrons (>>) on the top left in the sheet tab (when in console mode). Click the "+" button to create a new visual.

You'll land in the Visual Editor with a blank canvas. Pick your data source, select your database and table, create a chart using builder or write a SQL query, choose a chart type, and configure however you like. When you're done, hit "Save to Library." Your visual is now available to use on any dashboard.

Saving Existing Cards

The more common approach: you've already built a great chart on your dashboard and want to reuse it elsewhere.

Open the Visual Editor for any card (click the pencil icon), then click the "..." menu and select "Save As."

The dialog that opens has three fields:

Name — This auto-fills intelligently. For single-card visuals, it uses the card title. For multi-card visuals, it uses whichever card is active. Change it to whatever makes sense.

Description — Optional but helpful. Describe what the visual shows so your teammates know when to use it.

Save to — Pick at least one:

• Current Dashboard adds the visual to this dashboard
• Visual Library saves it for reuse across dashboards
• Both checkboxes? It saves to the library AND adds it to this dashboard as a linked instance

Single vs Multi-Card Behavior

Here's a subtle but important detail: for single-card visuals, the card title and visual name stay in sync. When you save, the card title updates to match the visual name. This prevents confusion where the card says one thing and the library visual says another.

For multi-card visuals, titles stay independent. The visual name describes the collection ("Sales Dashboard") while card titles describe components ("Revenue by Region," "Top Products").

Adding Visuals to Dashboards

Open the Visuals tab while editing any dashboard. You'll see all your saved visuals as cards showing their name, description, and who created them.

Click the "+" icon on any visual card to add it to your current dashboard. It appears at the end of your sheet as a linked visual—meaning it stays in sync with the library version.

If you have more than 5 visuals, a search box appears. Search by title, description, or creator name to find what you need quickly.

Understanding Linked Visuals

When you add a library visual to a dashboard, you're not copying it—you're creating a link. Think of it like a shortcut.

The purple "Linked" badge tells you this visual is connected to the library. If anyone edits the library version, all linked instances update automatically when dashboards load. This is how everyone stays on the same page.

Editing Options

When you edit a linked visual, you get three save choices:

Save & Apply — Updates the library visual and all linked instances everywhere. Use this when you want to improve the visual for everyone.

Apply Locally — Saves changes only to this dashboard. Breaks the link and converts it to a local visual. Use this for dashboard-specific customizations you don't want to share.

Save As... — Creates a new library visual with a new name. Leaves the original untouched. Use this when you want to create a variation.

Linked vs Local

Linked visuals (purple badge):

• Connected to the library
• Auto-update when the library version changes
• Perfect for company-wide metrics that should match everywhere

Local visuals (no badge):

• Exist on one dashboard only
• Never update from library
• Great for one-off analysis or dashboard-specific context

You can break a link anytime by using "Apply Locally" when editing. You can't re-link it later though—you'd need to delete it and add the library visual fresh.

Tips

Name visuals clearly. "Revenue - By Region (Excl. Refunds)" beats "Chart 3."

Add descriptions. Future you (and your teammates) will thank you when trying to find the right visual six months later.

Save to both when in doubt. Check both boxes in Save As to save to library and add to your current dashboard. You can always remove it from the dashboard later if you change your mind.

Don't break links unnecessarily. If you need a custom version, use "Save As" to create a new visual instead of breaking the link. That way you keep the benefit of automatic updates on the original.

Common Questions

Can I add the same visual to a dashboard multiple times? Yes. Each instance gets unique IDs but all link to the same library visual.

What if I edit a library visual by accident? The Visual Editor shows a blue "Library" badge when editing library visuals directly. If you see that badge and didn't mean to edit the library version, just cancel.

How do I convert a local visual to library? Edit it and use "Save As" with "Visual Library" checked. This creates a new library visual. The original stays local.

Can viewers access saved visuals? No. Only users with POWER_USER permissions can access the Visuals tab and work with saved visuals.