Filter Variables

Filter Variables make dashboards interactive. They let you and your team drill into specific data—a particular client, date range, or status—without editing individual widgets.

What is a Filter Variable?

A Filter Variable is a dropdown or input in the filter bar at the top of your dashboard. When someone changes the value, every connected widget updates instantly.

Common examples

• Date Picker: Filter to “Last 7 Days” or “This Quarter”
• Customer Dropdown: Show data for a specific client during a meeting
• Status Toggle: Switch between “Open” and “Closed” tickets across the whole dashboard

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Creating a Filter Variable

You can also ask Eric to create or update supported Filter Variables while you work in chat. Variables Eric creates are the same company controls you manage here and in Settings.

1. Open a dashboard and click the Edit icon
2. Click Filter Variables in the top toolbar
3. Click + Add Variable
4. Configure it:
   • Name: Label users will see (e.g., “Select Client”)
   • Type: String, Number, Dynamic, Dynamic Date Range, Between Dates, or Search
   • Mode: Single Select or Multi Select (where applicable)
   • For Dynamic or Dynamic Date Range: pick a Filter Variable Source and the columns that supply options (see below)
   • For static types: enter the fixed option list by hand
5. Set Defaults: Choose the initial value when the dashboard loads
6. Click Save Variable

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Dynamic option sources

Dynamic and Dynamic Date Range Filter Variables populate their options from a Filter Variable Source. Choose exactly one source:

Source	When to use it
Dataset	Options come from a column on a synced dataset
Data Modifier	Options come from a Modified Dataset
Query Dataset	Options come from columns on a saved Query Dataset result

For Dynamic variables, pick the value column and optionally a label column (and email column when needed). For Dynamic Date Range, pick start and end date columns from the same source.

Only saved Query Datasets with Query Source Access appear in the picker. Query Dataset Drafts cannot be Filter Variable Sources.

Options are stored on the Filter Variable and refreshed from the source result. Dashboard viewers and Share Link viewers use those persisted options—they do not need access to the underlying Dataset, Data Modifier, or Query Dataset.

Option source vs dashboard filtering

Using a Query Dataset as a Filter Variable Source only fills the dropdown or date-range list. It does not put dashboard Filter Variable filtering inside the Query Dataset Definition. When a Query Widget should react to a Filter Variable selection, bind that Filter Variable through a Query Parameter on the Query Widget.

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Connecting widgets to variables

Creating the variable adds it to the filter bar, but you still need to link your widgets.

1. Hover over a widget and click Edit
2. Scroll to Filter Variables in the widget editor
3. You’ll see all Filter Variables on the dashboard
4. Map the Variable: Choose which column in this widget’s dataset should be filtered
   • Example: Map “Select Client” to the client_id column
5. Click Save & Close

Tip

You can connect multiple variables to one widget. A chart could filter by both “Client Name” and “Date Range” at the same time.

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Filter chip display

Each filter variable appears as a chip in the dashboard filter bar. The chip label shows the current selection state.

Single-select mode

State	Chip label
No explicit selection (default)	Variable Name: <first value>
One value selected	Variable Name: <value name>
No values available	Variable Name: None

When a single-select variable has no explicit selection saved, it defaults to the first value in the list. For dynamic filter variables, values are sorted alphabetically before the first value is picked.

Multi-select mode

State	Chip label
All values selected (or no explicit selection)	Variable Name: All
Some values selected	Variable Name: X selected
No values selected (explicit empty state)	Variable Name: None
Exactly one value selected	Variable Name: <value name>

Value ordering for dynamic variables

Dynamic filter variable values are sorted alphabetically (case-insensitive) when loaded. Text values sort A–Z, numbers sort numerically, and dates sort chronologically. Items with identical display labels preserve their original configured order relative to each other.

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Type compatibility for dynamic variables

When you connect a Dynamic filter variable to a widget column, the system validates that the data types match. This prevents filter mismatches that would return no results.

How it works

Dynamic filter variables carry metadata about their source column data type. When you map a variable to a widget column, the picker checks compatibility:

• String columns accept only dynamic variables from string source columns
• Boolean columns accept only dynamic variables from boolean source columns
• Number columns (integers or decimals) accept dynamic variables from numeric source columns
• Date and datetime columns have no restrictions - they accept any dynamic variable

What you will see

Incompatible dynamic variables appear grayed out in the filter variable picker. You cannot select them. This enforcement happens automatically—you don’t need to guess which variables will work.

Example: If you have a dynamic variable pulling from a “Company Name” text column, it will be unavailable when filtering numeric columns like “Revenue” or boolean columns like “Is Active.”

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Next steps

• Query Datasets — reusable SQL sources that can also populate dynamic Filter Variable options
• Dashboard sharing options
• Advanced calculations
• Data Management Settings