# Customizing Your Dashboard {% hint style="info" %} The Labels feature has been upgraded to **Tags**. All your existing labels have been automatically migrated to the new tagging system with no action required on your part. Existing labels were converted to a tag key with an empty value (for example, a label named `subnet-10` is now a tag with the key `subnet-10` and no value). You can now manage all tags centrally by navigating to **Manage > Tags**. {% endhint %} In the ThousandEyes platform, you can configure your **Dashboards** page to meet your individual needs. If your user role has the appropriate permissions, you can configure a dashboard and make it available for other users in your account group, or multiple account groups. The most typical way to create a new dashboard is to start from one of the built-in dashboards. Duplicate and rename it, and then you can customize it by adding, deleting, and re-configuring widgets. You customize a dashboard by selecting and configuring the widgets appropriate for the data you wish to include. Widget parameters allow for operations on the raw test data such as statistical calculations (for example, means, medians, or percentiles), data trends, and tabular views of the data. Widget configuration as described in [Dashboard Widgets](https://docs.thousandeyes.com/product-documentation/dashboards/dashboard-widgets) includes visual arrangement of the numbers, tables and time series graphs on the page. When viewing a dashboard, you can select a time frame of interest as described in [Using the Dashboard](https://docs.thousandeyes.com/product-documentation/dashboards/using-the-dashboard), and the dashboard page populates with that time period's test data according to the dashboard configuration. Configuration involves choosing the widgets, and configuring their settings as a one-time action. By contrast, time frame selection, which you might do many times over, only happens after the widgets have been configured. Users who don’t have permission to create or edit dashboards can still view them. ## Configuring Dashboard Display Settings On the **Dashboards** page, you can create, modify, and delete dashboards. You can also create and schedule snapshots of existing dashboards. You'll find the relevant options to manage a dashboard on the top menu. ![Dashboard top menu controls on the Dashboards page](/files/e5jP6YjKGr4FLcBROpHT) Following are the available options in the top menu (above screenshot) in order of appearance from left to right: * **Dashboard selector** This drop-down menu provides a list of existing dashboards, along with a Search field and filter options to search the list. Select a dashboard to view by clicking the dashboard name. A watch icon (![Watch icon](/files/-M5xtPYhlb1L3H7dTq3z)) next to the name of a dashboard indicates that the dashboard has scheduled snapshots. A shared-by icon (![Shared-by icon](/files/-M5xtPYiHKukSX-LwTsn)) next to the name of a dashboard indicates that the dashboard has been shared with other account groups in the same organization. A shared-with icon (![Shared-with icon](/files/-M5xtPYjd9jelMBFU0og)) next to the name of a dashboard signifies that the dashboard belongs to a different account group in the same organization. * **Dashboard Filters** This feature provides the ability to modify the values of multiple widgets that are connected to distinct data sources, eliminating the need to adjust filter values on each dashboard widget. For further information on filters, see [Dashboard Filters](https://docs.thousandeyes.com/product-documentation/dashboards/dashboard-filters). * **Dashboard Time Range selector:** Quickly select relative time ranges (for example, **Last 7 days**), fixed time ranges (for example, **This Month**) or configure a custom time range. Time ranges are displayed using the time zone configured within the user's profile. By default, data for the last 1 day is displayed. Widgets with a configured **Fixed Time Span** option are unaffected by the time range selector, unless the **Global Time Override** option is selected. Any live status widget cannot display data in a fixed time interval in the past, and the additional limitation applies to the Relative Time Interval Selection. Additionally, the Test Table widget always displays data on a 12-hour running period, the Alert Grid widget always shows data on a 24-hour running period, and the Agent Status widget always shows the live status of the agents displayed. * **Global Time Override** This selection allows you to override any **Fixed Period** selections made in individual widgets. By selecting the **Global Time Override** all widgets (excluding live status widgets) will show the time selected in the **Dashboard Time Range selector**. This override is only applied on a per-session basis and will not change the actual widget settings. * **Widget Auto-Refresher** The refresh icon allows the dashboard to instantly refresh its widgets, without reloading the entire browser. The dropdown menu to the right allows for customization of the auto-refresh time. To resume auto-refresh, use the drop-down menu to select an auto-refresh time interval. Auto-refresh is set to **OFF** for new dashboards by default, but you can customize this through the **Edit Dashboard** option located in the ellipses. Moreover, opening the dashboard [drill-down](https://docs.thousandeyes.com/product-documentation/dashboards/troubleshooting-with-drill-down) component or widget configuration panel also pauses the auto-refresh feature. * **Snapshots menu** provides the following options: * **Save a Snapshot:** The currently selected dashboard will be saved as a snapshot, using the time range configured in the Time Range selector. * **Schedule a Snapshots:** The currently selected dashboard can be saved as a snapshot on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. * **View Related Snapshots:** This will show you all snapshots related to the specific dashboard that you have selected. * **View All Snapshots:** This will show you every snapshot associated with the selected account group. * **Download Option** Allows a user to download the selected dashboard: * **Download as PDF:** Download the current contents of the dashboard as a PDF file. Timestamps will be displayed using the time zone configured for the organization. * Note that the download button options are not visible if a rendering is limited for the dashboard widget. See [Render Limits on Dashboards](https://docs.thousandeyes.com/product-documentation/dashboards/using-the-dashboard#render-limits-on-dashboards) for more information. * **Download as CSV:** Download the current contents of the dashboard as a CSV file. Timestamps will be displayed using the time zone configured for the Organization. * **+ Add Widget:** Opens the **Add a Widget** side panel. New widgets can be added to the dashboard. * **Options button** or ellipsis provides the following options: * **Create New Dashboard:** Creates a new blank dashboard to be named and populated with widgets * **Duplicate Dashboard:** Creates a copy of the currently viewed dashboard, to be renamed and modified * **Edit Dashboard:** Allows a user to edit the currently viewed **Dashboard Name**, **Dashboard Description,** **Default Time Range** for the specified dashboard, **Account Group Visibility,** **View Settings** which define defaults and private dashboards, and **Local Widget Time Settings** which allows you to define if the **Global Time Overide** button is on by default between sessions. * **Delete Dashboard:** Delete the currently viewed dashboard. ## Editing Dashboard Settings Select **Edit Dashboard** from the **Options** menu to configure the current dashboard's settings. These settings persist over time. ![Edit Dashboard dialog with name, description, time range, and visibility options](/files/sGJ0ubg0RWuWmIgtZh3Z) * The dashboard **Name** box displays the name of the dashboard. Click in the box to edit the dashboard name. The name of a dashboard is shown when the dashboard is used on the Dashboards page. * Use the **Description** field to note the dashboard’s intended purpose. * The **Default Time Range** applies to the entire dashboard. You can override this using the toggle on the main dashboard screen. See [Using the Dashboard Controls](https://docs.thousandeyes.com/product-documentation/dashboards/using-the-dashboard#using-the-dashboard-controls) for details. * The **Account Group Visibility** setting lets you configure the following sharing options: * **All account groups:** Share the current dashboard with all account groups in this organization. * **Only Current account group:** Do not the share current dashboard with other account groups. * **Specific account groups:** Share the current dashboard with the account groups you select from a dropdown list. * The **View Settings** controls dashboard sharing with others in your organization. * The **Set as private** checkbox indicates that this dashboard will be viewable by only you. If this box is unchecked, the dashboard is available to anyone from the account group in which you created the dashboard, and the **Account Group Visibility** drop-down will not be editable. * The **Set as my default** checkbox indicates that this dashboard will be your default dashboard--the one that appears when the Dashboards page is opened (you can still select and view other dashboards using the **Current** selector on the Dashboards page). Your default dashboard is displayed as "Default (Dashboard name)" in the **Current** selector to indicate its status as the default. If this box is unchecked, the Dashboards page displays the account group's default dashboard. * The **Set as default for account group** checkbox indicates that this dashboard will be used as the default for all users in the current account group. A user default supersedes an account group default. Only users with a role that has the *Set dashboard template as account group default* permission can set an account group's default dashboard. You cannot set a dashboard that is shared from another account group as your default. * Click **Save Changes** when you have finished editing, to return to the Dashboards page. {% hint style="info" %} You can’t edit the settings for the ThousandEyes built-in dashboards. {% endhint %} ## Creating a New Dashboard Follow these steps to create a new dashboard: 1. Open the new dashboard dialog. 1. On the **Dashboards** page, click **+ New**. ![Add New button menu showing Dashboard option](/files/EJED6VO8siiEt1uwWA5c) 2. Select **Dashboard**. 3. In the **Add New Dashboard** dialog, select **Start with a blank dashboard**. You can also choose to start a new dashboard using a template. For more details, see [Using the Dashboard Templates](https://docs.thousandeyes.com/product-documentation/dashboards/dashboard-templates). 2. In the **Create New Dashboard** dialog, enter basic dashboard information. 1. In the **Name** field, enter a name for the dashboard. You’ll receive an error if the name you enter already exists. 2. (Optional) Under **Tags**, select one or more tags from the dropdown. To manage your tags, click **Manage Tags** or navigate to **Manage > Tags**. 3. (Optional) In the **Description** field, enter up to 1,000 characters to describe the dashboard. ![Small image in HTML](/files/7lQioiogVs9pCKJ9emka) 3. Choosing the right layout: * Grid layout (default): Use this when you need predictable column alignment, or a denser layout. See [Dashboard Grid Layout](#dashboard-grid-layout) for details. * Vertical layout: Use this for narrow embeds or simple stacks where you want each widget to display at its full height. See [Dashboard Vertical Layout](#dashboard-vertical-layout) for details. 4. Set your dashboard time and refresh options. 1. In the **Time Range** dropdown, choose how much historical data to display: * Under the **Relative Time Interval** tab, choose a time period relative to the current time. * Or, select the **Fixed Time Interval** tab to define a specific date and time range. If you don’t select a time range, the default is **Last 24 hours**. 2. (Optional) Turn on **Override local widget time settings** to apply this time range to all widgets in the dashboard. 3. In the **Auto Refresh Rate** dropdown, select how often the dashboard should update automatically. The default refresh rate is **Off**. 5. Configure your dashboard visibility. 1. From the **Account Group Visibility** dropdown, select who can access the dashboard. The default account group visibility is **Only current account group**. 2. (Optional) Choose any of the following: * **Set as private** – Only you can view the dashboard. * **Set as my default** – Makes this your default dashboard. * **Set as default for account group** – Makes this the default dashboard for your account group. 6. Click **Create Dashboard**. ## Adding Widgets To add a new widget to the currently displayed dashboard, click **+ Add Widget** at the top of the page. Available widget types display in the **Add New Widget** panel, as shown below. ![Add a Widget panel showing available dashboard widget types](/files/uMiM3IUxgzZlz0wWr4e7) On the **Add a Widget** panel, click a widget type to bring up the widget configuration pane that is specific to that widget type. See [Dashboard Widget Types](https://docs.thousandeyes.com/product-documentation/dashboards/dashboard-widgets#dashboard-widget-types) for a list of available dashboard widgets. {% hint style="info" %} You can exclude data from Cloud Agents that are experiencing local problems. To exclude these agents, click **Exclude Data from Cloud Agents with Local Problems** in the widget's configuration. Note that not all widgets include this configuration option. {% endhint %} ## Shortcuts for Adding Widgets Additional shortcuts can be used to speed your dashboard creation process. ### From the Dashboard These instructions apply to the dashboard itself. Each widget has its own configuration menu, a gear, an ellipsis menu, and a chevron to change whether the widget is full-screen width or half-width. * To reposition a widget on the dashboard, drag it to a new location on the grid. * Click the **More Actions** menu (three vertical dots icon) to duplicate, rename, embed, or delete the widget. * In **Vertical layout** only, click the chevron (**<** or **>** icon, if present) to toggle the widget between full and half page width. In **Grid layout**, resize widgets directly using the corner and edge handles. * To reposition a widget on the dashboard, drag it to a new location on the grid. See [Dashboard Grid Layout](#dashboard-grid-layout) for grid drag/resize details. * Click the **More Actions** menu (three vertical dots icon) to duplicate, rename, embed, or delete the widget. * In **Vertical Layout** only, click the chevron (**<** or **>** icon, if present) to toggle the widget between full and half the page width. In **Grid Layout**, resize widgets directly using the corner and edge handles. ### With the Add a Widget Pane Open You can add widgets to the dashboard by clicking and dragging the widget's icon from the **Add a Widget** panel to the page below. ### With the Edit Widget Pane Open The widget configuration panel is named **Editing …** followed by the widget type. For example “Editing Pie Chart”. These instructions apply within the widget configuration panel while it is open. * You can minimize this panel and move it as needed. * If you’re adding a new widget but cancel out of the configuration panel, the widget displays on the dashboard as “Widget not fully configured”. Click the **Configure widget** link to re-display the configuration panel and finish setting up the widget. * Be careful when editing a widget's settings, since all changes are immediately applied for all users using the dashboard. * **Add Another Widget:** Click this button to add another widget from the widget configuration panel. * **Cancel Changes:** After you make updates to your widget configuration, you can preview those changes before saving them. If you don't like the changes you have made, click the **Cancel** button and the changes will revert – except if you're adding a new widget and cancel out if it. In that case, an empty widget shows up on the dashboard with a note indicating that it's not fully configured. ## Editing a Widget To edit an existing dashboard widget, scroll down to the widget and click the gear icon in the upper right of the widget card. This action brings up the widget configuration panel titled **Editing** followed by the widget type. This edit panel is the same as what’s used when adding a new widget as described in [Adding Widgets](https://docs.thousandeyes.com/product-documentation/dashboards/customizing-your-dashboard). The widget configuration is unique to each widget type. ### Customize Widgets with Dynamic Variables You can include **dynamic variables** to automatically update text based on your current configuration. You can apply these variables to the following elements: * Widget titles and descriptions * Number card titles (including individual number cards) Newly created widgets are pre-populated with default titles that use these variables, so the title stays in sync with the configuration as you adjust it. When a widget has multiple values configured for the same dimension (for example, two metrics), the resolved variable lists them separated by commas. #### Supported Variables Use the following variables in any widget title or description field. You can combine these variables with static text. If you enter an unrecognized variable, the system leaves the text unchanged. | Variable | Resolves to | | --------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `{metric}` | The display name of the selected metric (for example, Response Time or Throughput). | | `{measure}` | The label for the aggregation type (for example, Mean or 95th Percentile). | | `{groupBy}` | The group-by dimension in plural form (for example, Agents or Tests). | | `{filterNames}` | The names of the configured filters applied to the widget. | | `{filters}` | The configured filters with their selected values (for example, Agent: SF, NYC, Test: Login). | For example, if you enter the following text in a widget title: `{metric}` - `{measure}` by `{groupBy}` The widget resolves the title to: **Response Time** - **Mean** by **Agents** #### Troubleshoot Variable Warnings The widget edit modal displays two types of warnings when you use dynamic variables: * **Unsupported variables**: Some widget types—such as number cards, list widgets, and box-and-whisker plots—have restrictions on variable usage. If you use an unsupported variable, the following message appears: `{groupBy} is not supported for this widget type. Remove it or replace it with static text.` * Missing configuration: If a variable references a metric, group-by, or filter that has not been configured, the following message appears: `Configure this widget with a metric or remove {metric}.` ## Dashboard Grid Layout Dashboard Grid Layout is the default layout mode for new, edited, and duplicated dashboards. Widgets sit on a 12-column grid that expands vertically, so you can size and place widgets independently instead of stacking them in a single column. Vertical layout is still available when you create or edit a dashboard. ### How the Grid Works? Each widget occupies one or more cells in the grid. The grid expands vertically as you add widgets, so there is no fixed row limit. The grid is 12 columns wide. New widgets are added at the bottom of the dashboard at full width (12 x 6 by default), then you can drag and resize them to fit your layout. ### Rearranging Widgets You can rearrange widgets directly on the grid by dragging a widget to a new location. As you drag, valid drop targets highlight so you can see where the widget will land. To move a widget, drag the handle in the center of the widget header. As you drag, valid drop targets highlight so you can see where the widget will land. To resize, drag from the bottom-right corner of the widget card to change both dimensions, or hover the left or right edge to resize width only and the bottom edge to resize height only. Resizing can shift neighboring widgets as the grid auto-arranges to avoid gaps and overlaps. Rearranging helps when: * Your priorities change, for example, after a rollout you want latency tables above agent maps. * You are iterating on a new dashboard and refining the flow of summary, detail, and context. #### Widget Minimum Sizes * Most widgets have a minimum size of 4 x 4 cells. * Table widgets require a wider minimum size of 4 x 6 cells. * The Test Table widget has a fixed size and cannot be resized. * Resizing below the minimum size is prevented while you drag. #### Responsive Layouts The dashboard grid adapts to the viewer's screen size. On smaller screens, the 12-column grid collapses to fewer columns, and on narrow viewports (for example, phones) it collapses to a single column. The saved layout configuration does not change; only rendering adapts to the available viewport width. #### Level of Detail Behavior All widget types automatically adjust visual detail based on their rendered width. You cannot toggle this behavior manually. This behavior also applies when the grid collapses on smaller screens , so dashboards stay readable end-to-end without manual layout changes. Live-status widgets (Agent Status, Alert Grid, Test Table) follow the same level-of-detail behavior while preserving their fixed time windows. #### Viewing a Widget Full Size You can open a widget in full-size view using the widget controls or keyboard shortcut. This works for users with view-only access as well. You can open a widget in full-size view using the widget controls, or by selecting the widget and pressing **`v`**. To return to the dashboard, press **`v`** again or **`Esc`**. This works for users with view-only access as well. Opening a widget in full-size view pauses dashboard auto-refresh, the same as opening drilldown or the widget configuration panel. #### Performance on Long Dashboards Widgets defer data fetch until they are scrolled into view. This avoids blocking dashboard load on every widget at once. As you scroll, previously loaded widgets stay cached, so returning to them does not trigger a new fetch immediately. #### Saving Changes Layout changes (drag, resize, rearrange, add, or delete) are not saved automatically. After you make changes, click **Save** to store the new layout. {% hint style="warning" %} Layout is shared across everyone who can view the dashboard. There is no per-user layout. {% endhint %} #### Who Can Rearrange Widgets? Users with edit permission on the dashboard can rearrange, resize, add, and remove widgets. Viewers without edit permission see the dashboard in read-only mode and cannot move widgets. ## Dashboard Vertical Layout You can use vertical layout when you create, edit, or duplicate dashboards. This was the default layout for all dashboards created before grid layout was introduced. In vertical layout, widgets stack vertically in the order you add them. Use the chevron icon at the top of a widget to toggle between full-width and half-width. Each widget expands vertically to display its data. Vertical layout does not support grid layout features, such as responsive column collapse or lazy loading. Existing vertical dashboards remain unchanged unless you manually switch them to grid layout. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.thousandeyes.com/product-documentation/dashboards/customizing-your-dashboard.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. 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