7.5 Editing Dashboards
Key Takeaways
- Edit mode lets you rearrange panels, change panel titles, update panel searches, change visualizations, and delete panels.
- Report-backed panels can open/edit the underlying report or convert/clone behaviors depending on UI options—know that panel search editing is a core skill.
- Drag-and-drop (or layout controls) rearrange panels so the most important visuals appear first.
- Deleting a panel removes it from the dashboard; it does not necessarily delete the underlying saved report.
- Keep Dashboard Studio as light awareness only—User objective 6.7 does not require Studio token or drilldown mastery.
7.5 Editing Dashboards
Objective 6.7 Edit a dashboard is the maintenance skill that keeps Domain 6.0 practical. After you create a dashboard and add reports, you will inevitably need to move panels, fix titles, update searches, change visualizations, or remove outdated panels. The User exam tests whether you know those edit actions exist and what they affect.
Entering Edit Mode
From an open dashboard:
- Click Edit (often labeled Edit Dashboard).
- Use the UI editor to change layout and panels.
- Save when finished (unsaved edits can be lost if you navigate away).
Classic dashboards may also offer a Source editor for Simple XML. User-level focus stays on the UI actions below—not hand-authoring XML.
| Edit surface | User use |
|---|---|
| UI editor | Rearrange, retitle, edit searches/viz, delete panels |
| Source (Simple XML) | Exists for advanced customization; not the User study priority |
| Dashboard Studio editor | Optional awareness if present in your org; not token/drilldown depth |
Rearranging Panels
Dashboards should present the highest-priority signal first. In edit mode you typically:
- Drag panels to new positions
- Resize panels when the UI allows
- Place summary charts above detailed tables (common ops pattern)
| Layout goal | Edit action |
|---|---|
| Put the error trend on top | Drag the timechart panel to the first row |
| Put a detailed table below | Move the stats table panel under the chart |
| Side-by-side comparisons | Place two panels on the same row if layout permits |
Rearrange is not cosmetic trivia—exam stems often describe “move the panel” or “change the order of panels,” which maps directly to edit-mode layout changes.
Editing Panel Titles
Click a panel title in edit mode to rename it. Good titles state the metric and scope:
- Prefer
5xx Errors by Host (24h)overPanel 2 - Align panel titles with the underlying report name when helpful, but they can differ
Title edits change the dashboard display; they do not automatically rename the saved report object.
Editing a Panel Search
Panels are driven by searches. In edit mode, panel search options commonly include:
| Panel type | Typical edit options |
|---|---|
| Inline search panel | Edit the SPL directly on the panel; optionally convert to a report |
| Report-backed panel | Open/edit the report, select a different report, or clone to an inline search (wording varies) |
| Either | Change title; set refresh interval options in some UIs |
High-yield User scenarios
Scenario A — Wrong filter on an inline panel
Edit the panel search from status=500 to status=5*, run/verify, save the dashboard.
Scenario B — Report-backed panel needs a better time span
Edit the underlying report’s time range/search (section 7.1), then return to the dashboard—panels referencing that report pick up the corrected definition.
Scenario C — Swap the report used by a panel
In edit options for a report panel, select a different report when the UI provides that choice—faster than deleting and re-adding when available.
Remember: editing a report can affect every dashboard panel that uses it. Editing an inline panel search usually affects only that panel.
Editing Panel Visualizations
In edit mode, change a panel’s visualization the same way you would in Search:
- Switch Table → Column
- Switch Pie → Bar when slices are unreadable
- Confirm the underlying statistical data still matches the new chart type
If the panel is report-backed, some UIs let you use the visualization specified by the report or override it for the panel—recognize that visualization edits are part of dashboard editing, not a separate certification track.
Deleting a Panel
To remove a panel:
- Enter edit mode.
- Use the panel’s delete/remove control.
- Save the dashboard.
| Delete action | What it removes | What it usually keeps |
|---|---|---|
| Delete panel | That panel from this dashboard | The saved report (if the panel was report-backed) |
| Delete dashboard | The whole page | Reports that were only referenced, not owned as “part of” the dashboard file in the User mental model |
Exam trap: deleting a panel is not the same as deleting the report knowledge object. If you still need the analysis elsewhere, keep the report.
Light Touch: Refresh and Inline vs Report
Some editors expose an automatic refresh interval for panels. Know that dashboards can refresh panel data on a timer; deep scheduling of searches remains closer to Domain 8.0 scheduled reports. For 6.7, prioritize rearrange / retitle / edit search / change viz / delete.
Dashboard Studio — Awareness Boundary (Again)
If your environment uses Dashboard Studio, edit actions may look different (canvas layouts, different property panels). For User blueprint 6.7:
- Optional awareness: Studio is another editor
- Out of scope depth: tokens, interactive drilldowns, complex inputs frameworks, Studio JSON architecture
When practice questions dive into $token$ wiring or drilldown hierarchical cascades, they have left Core User Domain 6 and entered Advanced Power User territory.
End-to-End Edit Checklist
Use this when a dashboard “isn’t right”:
- Edit the dashboard.
- Rearrange so critical panels are visible first.
- Retitle unclear panels.
- Edit searches (inline) or fix/select reports (report-backed).
- Adjust visualizations to match the data question.
- Delete obsolete panels.
- Save.
- Verify permissions if others cannot see changes.
Exam Traps for 6.7
| Trap | Reality |
|---|---|
| Believing you must recreate the dashboard to move a panel | Use edit mode rearrange |
| Assuming delete panel deletes the report | Report usually remains in Reports |
| Fixing a shared report panel by only editing one inline clone elsewhere | Know whether the panel is report-backed |
| Studying Studio drilldowns as required User content | Keep Studio optional/light |
| Using macros/tags/event types to “edit a dashboard” | Wrong toolset for 6.7 |
Domain 6.0 Closing Picture
| Objective | User skill |
|---|---|
| 6.1 | Save As Report |
| 6.2 | Edit report search/viz/permissions |
| 6.3 | Statistical table reports |
| 6.4 | Chart visualization reports |
| 6.5 | Create dashboard |
| 6.6 | Add report to dashboard |
| 6.7 | Edit dashboard panels/layout |
Master that ladder and the 12% Domain 6 weight becomes a structured workflow instead of scattered UI trivia.
You want the trend chart at the top of a Classic dashboard and the detailed table underneath. What should you do?
You delete a report-backed panel from a dashboard. What is the most accurate result?
A dashboard panel’s inline search still filters status=500, but ops now wants all 5xx codes. What is the appropriate User edit?