Filters
Filters allow you to refine and control the data displayed in visualizations. By applying filters, you can focus on specific subsets of data based on certain criteria, such as date ranges, geographical locations, product categories, or other relevant attributes.
Depending on the type of data source used in your visualization, the filtering mechanics may vary, but the end goal remains the same.
Filters in Rollstack encapsulate:
- Filters and Parameters in the case of Tableau
- Filters and Slicers in the case of PowerBI
- Filters in the case of Looker
- Filters in the case of Metabase
Whenever you set a filter at the visualization level in Rollstack, the filter value gets saved for all future updates of your visualization.
Rollstack automatically extracts available filters from various spreadsheet elements, allowing for seamless interaction with data visualizations. Filters are derived from the following sources:
- Cell Ranges & Named Range: The top row of the selected range is available as filters.
- Pivot Tables: Filters are extracted from the top row of the pivot table’s data source.
- Charts:
- The top rows of the chart’s data sources are available as filters.
- Additionally, three columns to the left and right of the data source are considered for headers, ensuring comprehensive filtering options.
Once filters are extracted, they can be applied to other visualizations within the same spreadsheet. If a visualization exists in the same sheet as the modified filter, it will automatically update based on the applied selections. This ensures consistency across multiple visual elements, enhancing data exploration and analysis.
If your visualization comes from a dashboard, you will be able to modify the saved filter in Rollstack by clicking on the Edit icon above, which will then redirect you to the visualization settings.
You can then click on Modify
After modifying the filter, you can either choose to apply the filter selection to:
- Only this visualization
- Other visualizations where the same filter is applicable
If you select the option Apply to other visualizations, you will be prompted to select the target visualizations as well
Inside your destinations settings, the filters tab shows a comprehensive view of all the filters used in the visualizations you added.
This view is aggregated by filter value
On this page, whenever you modify a filter value, we provide you with the option to apply it to other visualizations where the filter is applicable. Rollstack will only apply the filter you have modified. Any independent existing filters will not be affected.
Filters are matched based on the filter name
For Tableau specifically, there may be a delay between modifying a filter and the propagation of the changes to Rollstack. Please wait a few seconds until the Save button begins loading, which indicates that the propagation is in progress.
Rollstack keeps track of your filter names and IDs across your dashboards to accurately match filters between dashboards and visualizations.
If you modify a filter name, some data sources may take a while to propagate this change. In such cases, you can manually force a sync by clicking Sync filters with data source.
