Troubleshooting dashboards
If a dashboard doesn't behave as you expect, find the symptom below. Each fix says who can make it:
- You: anyone viewing the dashboard
- Editor: someone who can edit the dashboard
- Admin: someone with access to Application Settings
A filter doesn't change a tile
Several filters can apply to a tile at once, and some take priority over others. If a filter doesn't change a tile, work through these checks in order:
- See what reaches the tile. Select Underlying Filter on the tile's option menu. It lists every filter that applies to the tile, written out for the table the tile counts through.
- Look for a tile filter. A blue dot on the tile's option menu shows an active tile filter, which takes precedence over any conflicting user filters. Only an editor can change it.
- Check for Exclude User Filters. If an editor has turned on Exclude User Filters, the tile ignores user filters.
- Check whether it's a Pareto tile. A Pareto tile isn't affected by user filters from other tiles.
- Check the table the tile counts through. A filter on another table reaches the tile through the tile's resolve table, which can change what the filter selects.
For the full rules, see How filters combine.
Other filter problems
These problems are about adding, applying, or changing filters.
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Selecting categories doesn't update the dashboard straight away | Auto Filter is turned off | You: build up your filter from several tiles, then apply it. Admin: turn on Auto Filter |
A tile shows This tile is not selectable |
Prevent Category Selection is turned on for the tile | Editor: turn off Prevent Category Selection |
| You can't add user filters | Allow Filter By Dimension is turned off | Admin: turn on Allow Filter By Dimension |
| You can't add a search filter | You can't edit the dashboard, or Dashboard Search Filters is turned off | Editor: share the dashboard with you with Edit permission. Admin: turn on Dashboard Search Filters |
| You can't edit a filter from a Venn tile | Venn filters can't be edited | You: delete the filter, then select the subsets again |
Tile problems
These problems are about what a tile shows, and setting one up.
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| A tile shows more categories than expected | The tile counts through a higher table than its own, such as People for a chart of bookings. A filter then selects people, and the tile shows everything they have | Editor: check the tile's Select Via setting |
The tile editor shows Chart requires 2 dimensions. |
The chart doesn't have the dimensions or measures its type needs | Editor: add them. Most multi dimension charts need two dimensions and one measure, and combo charts need two measures |
| Type and Limit are greyed out under Category Limit | The editor hasn't let viewers change the limit | Editor: turn on Allow the user to adjust this limit |
| The Behaviours tab is missing when you choose a dimension, measure, or filter | The table has no child transaction table, which behaviours need | Ask your system administrator. Behaviours need a parent-child relationship between tables |
| A calculated measure doesn't match FastStats | FastStats rounds during the calculation, but Orbit calculates to a higher precision | Nothing: small differences are expected. See Calculated measures |
Export and file problems
These problems are about exporting a dashboard or a tile, and uploading files.
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Images are missing from a PDF export | The images are hosted on an external domain whose server doesn't send permissive cross-origin HTTP headers | Check whether the server hosting the images allows cross-origin requests. See Export a dashboard as PDF |
| You can export a data grid tile in only one format, or not at all | Restrict Export is turned on for the tile | Editor: change or turn off Restrict Export |
| You can't choose Permanent for a URN file | All URN files in user filters are set to be temporary | Admin: turn off Force URN filter files to be stored temporarily |
Limits
These aren't faults. Orbit works this way.
| You can't | Because |
|---|---|
| Add a second Pareto tile to a dashboard | A dashboard can have only one Pareto tile |
| Drill down on a profile tile | Profile tiles don't support drilldowns |
| Compare analysis groups side by side on one dashboard | All the profile tiles on a dashboard share the same analysis filter |
| Use a behaviour as a measure on a Venn tile | On a Venn tile, behaviours can only define sets |