14. Master filter, drill-down and interactivity

Master filter, drill-down and interactivity

Master filter connects elements, drill-down leads from overview to detail and drill-up back - so the dashboard becomes a guided analysis tool.

Open Dashboard Designer on the desktop Administration.

Your goal

You can use an element as a master filter, control target areas and configure a meaningful drill-down hierarchy.

Why this is crucial in the dashboard designer

Interactivity enables the most important analytical movement: from salient overall value to cause. However, without clear behavior, the same function appears like a data error.

Elements and settings at a glance

• Master Filter Mode: Off, single or multiple selection for an interactive element.
• Target elements: Dashboard elements affected by the selection.
• Ignore Master Filters: Protects an element from incoming master filters.
• Clear Master Filter: Resets the active selection.
• Drill down: Moves from coarse to detailed across multiple dimensions.
• Drill Up: Returns to the previous hierarchy level.
• Hierarchy order: Order of dimensions from overview to detail.
• Cross data source filtering: Only works if filter values are functionally and technically compatible.

Here's how to do it

1. Choose an appropriate grid, chart, pie or filter element as the master filter.
2. Define single or multiple selection.
3. Check which elements react and which ones consciously ignore.
4. Organize drill-down dimensions from coarse to fine.
5. Test selection, multi-selection, drill-up and full reset.

Exercise

Use a category chart as a master filter for trend, card and grid. Add drill-down from category to item group to item.

Check the result

• A click only changes intended elements.
• Active selection is visible.
• Totals after filtering remain plausible.
• Drill hierarchy follows technical logic.
• Resetting completely restores the initial state.

Typical errors and their solutions

• Click effect without notice: Readers consider changed values to be a data error.
• Multiple competing master filters: Create intersections that are difficult to understand.
• Drill down in wrong order: Leads from detail to inappropriate overview.

Your result

Users can intuitively get from the key figure to the cause while maintaining the data context at all times.

Further information / source

Related topics

1. For customizers – customize screens and forms › Dashboard designer › 08. Grid and Pivot
2. For customizers – customize screens and forms › Dashboard designer › 10. Filter elements and time periods
3. For customizers – customize screens and forms › Dashboard designer › 16. Layout, groups and tabs

Frequently asked questions