Configure Widgets

About Dashboard Widgets

Adding, configuring, and updating Dashboard Widgets is a snap:

Open your target Dashboard
Click the ellipsis . . . → and select Edit Dashboard
From there, either →
- Add a new Widget by clicking + Add Widget
- Or click the Edit pencil icon to update an existing Widget

Select new widgets from Add Widget panel, which is divided into four sections → Filter, Data and Chart. Within these categories are 15 distinct Widget types to choose from. Each has its own unique attributes and advantages.

How to Configure the Widgets

Each Widget has its own Configuration needs. (Widgets are needy.)

Click the links below for specific help:

FILTER Widgets
- Text Filter → filter any Text Entry fields in your Records
- Select Filter → filter by any drop-down selection item listed in your Records
- Related Record Filter → segment selected Records for direct comparisons
DATA Widgets
- Records Table → track, segment, and update your Records in a table format
- Calendar → view, select, and manage dates or scheduled events within your Dashboards
- Gantt → apply visual timelines to project schedules by displaying task durations, dependencies, and progress
- Event Controller → select Events by Date and/or Name
  - Segment the progress of an event (inning, quarter, half, etc.) with Event Markers
DISPLAY Widgets
- Rich Text → insert instructions or static text into Dashboards
- Page Break → add a page break for PDF Report printing purposes
CHART Widgets
- Bar & Stacked Bar Charts → chart and track any drop-down selection and status updates
- Donut Chart → chart and track any drop-down selection and status updates in a Pie Chart format
- Response Matrix → insert a sortable table with a Form's Column Fields applied as headers and a Form's Records displayed as Rows
- Number Chart → aggregate the number of occurrences
- Average Time to State → track the time it takes to resolve open issues
- Line Chart → track changes over time for single or several different categories simultaneously

How to Remove Widgets

To Edit the configuration of a Widget, or to remove it altogether:

Select the Edit icon → make your updates
Click Remove Widget
Confirm the deletion → by tapping Remove
Click ✓ Save Changes

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Filter Widgets

Text Filter

Let's start with an easy one — a Text Filter — which filters Records based on the words found in a Text entry field → ex. the 'Description' field marked below.

To Configure a Text Filter:

Select the Edit pencil icon
Configure your Widget
- A. Enter your Placeholder text → ex. Search Description
- B. Link your Form Data → ex. 'Issue' Form
- C. In the Select Fields to Filter box, pick a Text Field to filter → ex. 'Description' field
Click ✓ Save Changes

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Select Filter

Select Filters will narrow down your Records by specific, manageable categories. Filtering reduces the need to build separate Dashboards for every scenario. Select Filters will:

Instantly isolate key data by hiding extraneous Records
Simultaneously update all related Charts and Tables
Isolate specific performances for use in Reports
Return you to an 'All Records' view by clicking x Clear Filters

Configure a Dashboard's Select Filter Widgets for any of your Form's "drop-down" or "inline" Select Fields. Single and multiple selections are permitted. For example:

A. Status Filter → ex. Open, Dispatched, On Scene, Closed, etc.
B. Department Filter → ex. Custodial, Guest Services, Patrol, etc.
C. Issue Filter → ex. Wet Spill, Bio Spill, Dry Spill, etc.

Learn more about Select Fields

Select Fields are so versatile that we've created a dedicated guide in the Resource Center → see Select Lists in Forms

To Configure the Select Filter:

Select the Edit pencil icon
Configure your Widget
- A. Enter your Placeholder text → ex. Issue Status
- B. Link your Form Data → ex. the Issue Form
- C. In the Select Field box, pick a Select Field to filter → ex. Issue Status field
- D. Click on the Select Multiple Values switch (if you wish to allow more than a single item in the filter)
Click ✓ Save Changes

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Use the Related Record Filter to perform focused, "apples-to-apples" comparisons. By isolating a specific set of records, the filter removes extraneous data, ensuring your Charts and Data Widgets display only the most precise analytical visualizations.

How it Works!

Some charts and datasets can get messy and may not reveal the segmented analytics you wish to visualize. Yuck!

Make your Selections

Here we'll select just Thunderskate Hockey Events for our comparison. Other events will be excluded.

View the 'Related' results

The result is a valuable equal-footing comparison of Thunderskate games appearing in the related Charts and visualizations.

Step-by-Step

To Filter Multiple Event Records:

Add the Related Records Filter widget to a Dashboard → then size and drag it into position
Configure the Widget. For example, to compare multiple selected Events:
- A. Placeholder → ex. Event Comparisons
- B. Form Data → ex. Event
- C. Record Lookup Fields → ex. Event date/time & Event name
- D. Sort Direction → ex. Ascending
- E. Important: Switch on the Multiple toggle!
Click ✓ Save Changes

About the Multiple toggle

Switching the Multiple toggle on allows the selection and filtering as many Events (or Issues) as you need to segment

Switch the toggle off and you'll only be able to segment a single Event or Issue

In this image, we are comparing seven Thunderskate Hockey games inside Dashboard Editing mode

Such tests in Editing mode can help you see the actual impact of the Filter

Configure Charts to Effectively Display Filtered Results

Pick and configure the Charts and Data tables that will authentically display the results of your Related Records Filter

Configure the Breakout Field if needed for Charts (ex. Event → Event Name)

Here's a list of suitable Data tables and Charts for this filter:

DATA Widgets

Records Table → track, segment, and update some or all of your Records in a table format

CHART Widgets

Bar & Stacked Bar Charts → chart and track any drop-down selection and status updates
Donut Chart → chart and track any drop-down selection and status updates in a Pie Chart format
Response Matrix → insert a sortable table with a Form's Column Fields as headers and Records as Rows
Number Chart → aggregate the number of occurrences
Average Time to State → track the time it takes to resolve open issues
Line Chart → compare trends, growth rates, and fluctuations over time

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Display Widgets

Rich Text

Inform your team by posting information in shared Dashboards. Insert instructions into your Dashboards using the Rich Text widget.

For example, the many game day limitations to entry are easily reviewed by staff in this Dashboard.

The Widgets are formatted in Markdown, so a combination of ** will appear as you click the Formatting options.

Take a peek at this before and after.

To format your Rich Text Widgets:

Select the Edit pencil icon
Enter or edit your text
Format your Widget's text with the following options:

A. Bold
B. Italic
C. Large Heading
D. Quotes
E. Numbered List
F. Bulleted List
G. Horizontal Line
H. Link
I. Find Help with Markdown

Click ✓ Save Changes

Save!!!

If you don't save, yet leave the Dashboard — even for a second — your changes will be gone

Poof 💨

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Page Break

When converting a Dashboard into a PDF Report, some content can break across pages in awkward places — cutting through charts, tables, or widgets mid-display. The Page Break widget gives you precise control over where each page ends — so your PDF Reports always paginates cleanly.

And the nice part is, there are no Configuration steps to worry about.

Just make sure to ✓ Save your Changes

Visit our Reports Article

Learn a bit more in our Reports article

Remove the Page Break by . . .

Click ✓ Save Changes

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Data Widgets

Records Table

A Records Table is where you'll track, dispatch, edit, and act on all types of Records and Issues. It is a cornerstone of any Command Center Dashboard.

See how to:
- A. Configure & Edit
- B. Add New Columns
- C. Rearrange Columns
- D. Delete Columns
- E. Rename Column Headers
- F. Group Multiple Fields Under a Column Header

Don't forget to Save

Click ✓ Save Changes at every step!

A. Configure & Edit

To edit and configure your Records Table:

Select the Edit pencil icon
Configure (or update) your widget. For example:
- A. Change your Table Title → ex. Records Table
- B. Link your Records Table widget to its Form Data → ex. Issue Form

B. Add New Columns

To add a Column Header and its related Values to a Records Table:

Click the + button → as seen in the above and below images
Click the ⌄ chevron next to the default option → ex. Record Key
Select from among the Form Data's options → ex. Issue, Person Dispatched, Location(s), etc.

C. Rearrange Columns

To change the order of your column headers:

Drag any field up or down by its handle

D. Delete Columns

To delete a column from your Records Table:

Click the Trash icon

E. Rename Column Headers

In this example, we'll shorten a column header from Issue Status to simply Status.

To Rename a column header:

Click the Pencil icon
Rename the header → ex. Status

F. Group Multiple Fields under a Single Column Header

In this example, we'll group two Fields of Metadata under a single Column Header.

What's Metadata?

Metadata includes any information captured automatically by SwitchBase - Record Key and Record Created are good examples - In this example, we'll stack both together under a single column - This will avoid 'crowding' your Records Table columns

To display multiple fields in the same column:

Click the + Folder icon
Enter a Column Header or title → ex. Metadata
Click the + icon to add new Fields → ex. Record Key, Record Created
Click Add Field Group
Click ✓ Save Changes

Edit your Field Group

To edit your Field Group:

Click the Gear icon
Make your changes → ex. 'Metadata' to 'Key Created'
Click Update Field Group
Click ✓ Save Changes or, well you know . . .

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Calendar

A Calendar Widget provides a dynamic, time-based view of your operations, allowing you to visualize upcoming schedules, manage events, and track deadlines at a glance. It is a cornerstone of any scheduling or planning Dashboard.

Calandar Widgets must be configured to a specific Form fit for the purpose → ex. like this Event Controller Form

To configure and edit your Calendar:

Select the Edit pencil icon
Configure (or update) your widget. For example:

A. Form Data → ex. Event
B. Event Source → ex. Start / End date fields
C. Start Date Field → ex. Event Date / Time
D. End Date Field → ex. End of Event (Optional)
E. Event Label Field → ex. Event Name
F. Color Form → ex. Event Type (Optional)
G. Default View → ex. Month Note:
H. Click Remove Widget → if you make a mistake and need to start over

Enter Calendar Items

See how to add Calendar items in our supplimental Calendars article

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Gantt Chart

A Gantt chart is essentially a visual timeline — bars on a horizontal axis representing when tasks start, how long they run, and when they end. Gantt charts can be a cornerstone of a resource-allocation or planning Dashboard.

Here's a sample Resource Gantt, which displays multiple independent items in parallel rows, with each row representing a separate resource, asset, or task.

Here's a Pipeline Gantt, which displays a single project or workflow as a continuous series of stages along one horizontal timeline.

All About Gantt Charts

Learn how to configure Resource and Pipeline Gantt Charts in our full Gantt Chart configuration article

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Event Controller

It's vital to configure your Event Controller to your Event Form, especially when managing multiple events and various start times.

Polish your Event Controller

For more about managing Events with your Event Controller

See how to Add an Event Controller to a Dashboard

See how to segment the checkpoints of a concert or game in our Event Markers guide

To configure an Event Controller:

Open a Dashboard → click the ellipsis (. . .) → and pick Edit Dashboard
Click the Editing Pencil
Configure your Event Controller by picking the following:
- A. Form Data → pick Event
- B. Record Lookup Field → select Event date/time, Event name, & Event summary
- C. Sort Direction → click Ascending or Descending as needed
- D. Event Markers Field → click Event Markers if needed

Associate (Link) the Event Controller to your Issue Form

To isolate Issues by their corresponding Events, you'll need to tie the two together in a neat bow. Doing so will let you filter each event separately for post-event analysis:

Pick Forms from the Admin tools
Pick Add Field
In the Edit field panel, choose:
- A. Field Type → select Related Field
- B. Field Name → enter Event Name
- C. Related Form → click Event
Move the new Field up from the bottom to the very top by dragging it by its handle

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Chart Widgets

Bar & Stacked Bar Charts

Bar Charts use rectangles of varying lengths to represent and compare values, making them easy to understand at a glance.

Stacked Bar Charts include Secondary Breakout Fields in the Bars → ex. showing the Status of Issues by Department in a single chart.

Rank charts of both types (from high to low) using Value Sort → ex. showing the Department with the most Open Issues at the top.

To edit and configure a Bar Chart:

Select the Edit pencil icon on your Bar Chart widget
Configure your Widget:
- A. Enter your Chart Title → ex. Status
- B. Link your Bar Chart to its Form Data → ex. Issue
- C. Click the Breakout Field you wish to display in your chart → ex. Issue Status
Click ✓ Save Changes

About Breakout Fields

The Breakout Field is the most critical setting for your widgets

It tells SwitchBase exactly how to "slice" your data

The Form Data (Step B) selects the source of the information

The Breakout Field (Step C) determines the categories displayed on the chart

Stacked Bar Charts

Stacked bar charts are configured like regular Bar charts except you'll select a Secondary Breakout Field from the same Form Data options as the first → ex. Department.

Value Sort Bar Charts

It's often valuable to isolate specific values. There are three options:

None → No filter. Show All values
Top → Show the Top value or values
Bottom → Show the Bottom value or values

For example, here is a team of 10 contributors.

By changing the filter, the 10 can be reduced to the top 3 contributors.

To filter a Bar Chart:

Select the Edit pencil icon on your Bar Chart widget
Pick the Value Sort drop-down list and choose:
- A. None → to show All values
- B. Top → to show the Top value or values → ex. 2
- C. Bottom → to show the Bottom value or values → ex. 1
Click ✓ Save Changes

Donut Chart

Donut Charts use a Pie Chart format to represent and compare values. The hole in the middle allows an additional data point over traditional Pie charts → ex. 7 Total. Emphasize specific data points using the Value Sort Filter.

To edit and configure a Donut Chart:

Select the Edit pencil icon on your Donut Chart widget
Configure your Widget:
- A. Enter your Chart Title → ex. Status
- B. Link your Donut Chart to its Form Data → ex. Issue
- C. Click the Breakout Field you wish to display in your chart → ex. Issue Status
Click ✓ Save Changes

About Breakout Fields

The Breakout Field is the most critical setting for your widgets

It tells SwitchBase exactly how to "slice" your data

The Form Data (Step B) selects the source of the information

The Breakout Field (Step C) determines the categories displayed on the chart

Filter Donut Charts with Value Sort

It's often valuable to emphasize specific values around the Donut. There are two Value Sort options:

Desc → display in Descending order → which is also the Default setting (None)
Asc → display in Ascending Order

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Response Matrix

Response Matrix

The Response Matrix allows venue operators to select key dimensions (department, issue, location, affected people, and more) as rows and columns. This immediately provides a cross-sectional view of incidents and events.

Aggregated Insights

Instead of just showing raw data, each cell in the Response Matrix can display aggregated metrics, such as:

Count → Total number of incidents of a certain type in a specific area during an event.

Average → Average response time for incidents by type or location.

Sum → Total resources deployed for certain event phases or incident categories.

Distribution → A breakdown of incident statuses (e.g., open, dispatched, closed) within each cell

Maximum → Pinpoint the highest value in a dataset can help identify peak performance, the largest transaction, or the most significant issue during an event. Can also highlight outliers or top achievements

Minimum → Can help recognize the lowest performance, smallest transaction, outliers, or the baseline of a metric. Min can also identify potential issues and shed light on the lower bounds of your data

The Response Matrix helps venue management gain real-time operational awareness, make data-driven decisions, and enhance safety and efficiency during large-scale events

To edit and configure a Response Matrix chart:

Select the Edit pencil icon
Configure your Widget
- A. Enter your Table Title → ex. Response Matrix
- B. Link to your Dataset or Form → ex. Issue Configure your Columns
- C. Define your Columns → ex. Count, Average, Sum, etc. Configure your Rows
- D. Define your Rows → ex. Count, Average, Sum, etc.
Click ✓ Save Changes

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Number Chart

Number charts can transform raw data into actionable insights, enabling on-the-spot decision-making.

In this example, a $250 game day budget for Magic Moments is going fast — and it's only the third inning! The Guest Services team needs to hold off on pricier food concessions and gift lower-cost stickers and drinks instead.

Functions can dynamically calculate and display these aggregation types:

	Function	Description
A	Record Count	Simply count the total number of Records
B	Sum	Track cumulative totals, such as total revenue, total hours logged, total guests screened, total spend, or the total number of units sold
C	Average	Gain a critical understanding of typical performance or central tendency (ex. average time to 'Close' Records, 'Average Time' to scene, 'Average Number' of guests over a season to be screened). This can help in benchmarking and identifying trends and where resources should be positioned (See Average time to state)
D	Minimum	Can help recognize the lowest performance, smallest transaction, outliers, or the baseline of a metric. Min can also identify potential issues and shed light on the lower bounds of your data
E	Maximum	Pinpoint the highest value in a dataset, which can help identify peak performance, the largest transaction, or the most significant issue during an event. Can also highlight outliers or top achievements

Currency

Use currency symbols ($, €, ¥, etc.) and add decimal places to currency options

A. Record Count

Select the Edit pencil icon
Enter your Chart Title → ex. Total Magic Moments
Click the Aggregation Type you wish to display → ex. Record Count
Link your Form Data → ex. Magic Moments
Click ✓ Save Changes

Use Case for Record Counts

This major venue uses the Record count widget to monitor the level of activity

The number of records created conforms to a venue of its size Issues, Patrols, LEOs, and Risk Reports are all tracking

Weaknesses include:

Lost & Found, which seems to be a new function and needs work

Delivery management also seems to be new and may need additional training