Analytics Dashboard

Analytics Dashboards present data with a highly intuitive interface. As a web-based interface, this dynamic feature enables users to explore data using filters, drill-down features, and other tools.

Objective

Analytics Dashboards allow organizations to present business data in a visually engaging and actionable format. Analytics Dashboards are most commonly embedded on user homepages in VisualVault, allowing users to monitor the metrics that matter most as soon as they log in.

From an administrative perspective, Analytics Dashboards centralize reporting and analytics management, making it easy to distribute data securely across departments, roles, or individual users.

Description

Key Functionality

• Dashboard Management: Create, duplicate, edit, or delete dashboards from the VisualVault Dashboards page.

• Permission Control: Assign viewer, editor, or owner permissions to user groups to control access and administrative rights.

• Secure Access: Ensure dashboards are only visible to authenticated users and prevent access by the Public group.

• Shareable Links: Generate dashboard URLs for sharing or embedding within VisualVault forms, workflows, or external communications.

• Pre-Filled Parameters: Use query strings to share dashboards with predefined parameter values for consistent reporting across automated processes.

• Workspace Integration: Embed dashboards into user Workspaces to provide role-specific analytics on login.

Quickstart

VisualVault Dashboard Page

The VisualVault Analytics Dashboard page is where administrators manage Analytics Dashboards. This page should primarily be accessed only by users with VaultAccess. Users with VaultAdmin, Owner, or Editor permission to one or many dashboards should also be able to access this page.

For users who need to view and interact with Analytics Dashboards, the dashboard should be embedded in other locations, such as on a Workspace.

Dashboard Options

The following buttons can be found in the Dashboards page and are used for managing dashboards. VaultAccess users have access to all these items.

Clicking the New Dashboard button will open a new Dashboard Designer page.

To delete dashboards, first, select the dashboard(s) to be deleted using the checkboxes on the side of each row, then click the Delete button. Only VaultAccess and Owners can delete dashboards.

The email icon opens an email draft containing links to the dashboard.

The picture icon opens the dashboard in viewer mode. This is only accessible to users who have at least Viewer permission to the dashboard.

The pencil icon opens the Dashboard Designer in edit mode. This is only accessible to users who have at least Editor permission to the dashboard.

The copy button opens a window allows Owners to duplicate the dashboard.

When a dashboard is copied, the user who copied the dashboard will be assigned as Owner to the dashboard. Any security permissions that existed on the original dashboard will not be applied to the duplicate.

The lock icon allows Owners and VaultAccess users to modify the security permissions of the dashboard. This is also where the name and description of the dashboard can be updated.

Walkthrough

This section walks administrators through the key steps in managing Analytics Dashboards, from creating a new dashboard to setting access permissions and sharing dashboards securely.

Accessing the VisualVault Dashboard Page

By default, the VisualVault Analytics Dashboard page is not available in the default menu or through the control panel.

Direct URL Access

The VisualVault Dashboard Page can be accessed directly by typing the suffix /Dashboards into the VisualVault URL. 

This will look like the following link, where the SITE, CUSTOMER, and DATABASE are replaced with the customer information:

https://SITE.visualvault.com/app/CUSTOMER/DATABASE/Dashboards

Adding a Menu Item

For sites where frequent access to the Analytics Dashboard designer is needed, access to the Dashboards page can be added to the top menu bar. Configure this menu item to be visible only to users who will create or manage dashboards, not those who need to view dashboards.

Create a New Dashboard

To create a new Analytics Dashboard, you must be a member of the VaultAccess group. Only VaultAccess users can create a blank dashboard from scratch. However, users with Editor or Owner permissions can also create new dashboards by duplicating existing ones.

To create a new dashboard:

1. From the Dashboards page, select the New Dashboard icon. The Dashboard Designer will open.

2. Select the Dashboard Menu (☰) in the upper left corner and click New… or click Create.

   

3. Type the Dashboard Name.

4. Click Create Data Source.

   

5. In the Dashboard Data Source Wizard, select the data source type and connection.

   1. For form data, select Database > VisualVault Forms

   2. For document, project, or training views, select Database > VisualVault

   3. For data warehouse, select JSON > VisualVault Data Warehouse

    >  

6. Click Run Query Builder or manually type the SQL string. For more information, see Query Builder.

7. Once the query is built, select Finish.

8. Click Create.

9. Drag and drop any dashboard item onto the design board.

10. Open the Dashboard Menu (☰) in the upper left corner and click and click Save.

Security and Access

Each dashboard in VisualVault has its own security configuration, allowing administrators to control who can view, edit, or manage dashboard settings. Security is managed by assigning permissions to groups, not individual users. This practice ensures consistent access control and reduces administrative maintenance when users change roles or leave the organization.

To configure dashboard security:

1. From the VisualVault Dashboards page, click the Security icon under the Options column.  

2. In the Details and Security window, select the desired group(s) from the Available Users list.

3. Assign the appropriate permission level using the buttons provided (see permission matrix below).

4. Observe that the selected group is shown in the Assigned Users list.

5. Click Save to apply changes.

Sharing Analytics Dashboards

Administrators and users with at least Viewer permission can open dashboards directly from the VisualVault Dashboards page.

If a user does not have at least Editor permission, it is not recommended that they access a dashboard through the Dashboards page. Instead, administrators should share the URL of the dashboard or embed it in other areas of VisualVault, such as a workspace or menu item.

To view a dashboard from the Dashboards page:

1. Locate the dashboard in the list.

2. Click the View icon to open it in view mode.

For users who do not have access to the Dashboards page, dashboards can be shared through a secure link.

Administrators can obtain a dashboard’s shareable link in two ways:

Option 1 – Email Icon:
From the VisualVault Dashboards page, click the Email icon for the desired dashboard. This generates an email that includes the dashboard URL. You can send this directly to users or copy the link for use elsewhere.

Option 2 – Direct URL:
From the VisualVault Dashboards page, click the View icon to open the dashboard in view mode. Then, copy the URL from your browser’s address bar.

Only users with at least Viewer permission can access the dashboard, even if they have the direct link. Analytics Dashboards cannot be viewed by Public (unauthenticated) users.

Sharing Dashboards with Pre-Filled Parameters

In some cases, you may want a dashboard link to open with specific parameters already filled in. For example, a weekly email might include a link to a dashboard filtered automatically by date or department. This is accomplished by adding query strings to the dashboard URL.

Important: Query strings only work when the analytics dashboard already includes defined parameters that support filtering or data restriction.

What Are Query Strings?

A query string is a portion of a URL that passes values to a webpage. In dashboards, query strings can automatically populate dashboard parameters when the link is opened.

Example base URL:

The portion after the question mark (?) is the query string. The dashboardId parameter identifies which dashboard to open and should not be modified.

Writing Query Strings for Dashboards

• Format: &ParameterName=ValueToFillIn

• Separate multiple parameters with &

• ParameterName must exactly match the parameter name defined in the dashboard

• Only parameters can be prefilled (not data fields)

• Dates must be in MM/DD/YYYY format

• Spaces and special characters must use URL escape codes (for example, %20 instead of a space)

Example Query String in Use

To add the parameter Position = Technical Support I, add the following to an analytics dashboard URL:

https://SITE.visualvault.com/app/CUSTOMER/DATABASE/DashboardDesigner?dashboardId=7&mode=1&position=Technical%20Support%20I

User Groups and Permissions

The Public group cannot be assigned any permissions. Analytics dashboards are restricted to authenticated VisualVault users.

FAQ