# Get started with Dashboard Designer

Dashboard Designer lets you build dashboards with minimal training. A dashboard combines several reports in one view. Use it to monitor multiple reports at once, keep quick links to pages you use often, and view charts while you work.

In this topic:

* [View a dashboard sample](#view-a-dashboard-sample)
* [Tour the Dashboard panels](#tour-the-dashboard-panels)
* [Create your first dashboard](#create-your-first-dashboard)

### View a dashboard sample

This section highlights popular Dashboard Designer capabilities, using the sample dashboard **Sales Performance (Dashboard)** in the **Getting Started** widget.

1. In the **Getting Started** widget on the Home page, click the **Samples** tab.
2. Scroll down to **Sales Performance (Dashboard)**.
3. Click **Explore** to open a new browser window, then click the **Samples** tab.
4. Scroll right in the horizontal list at the bottom.
5. Click **Sales Performance (Dashboard)**.

![Dashboard sample](/files/dTLfXoRAXeIs18zhmL2i)

### Tour the Dashboard panels

You can open the editable version of **Sales Performance (Dashboard)** in Dashboard Designer from **Browse Files**.

1. In the **Folders** pane, expand `Public`, then select `Steel Wheels`.
2. In the center pane, double-click **Sales Performance (Dashboard)**.
3. After the dashboard opens, in **File Actions**, click **Edit**.

![Dashboard example](/files/WJSh76ccW8QhFZEMmxh2)

| Item | Name                           | Function                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| ---- | ------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| 1    | **Opened** page                | Provides quick access buttons across the top to create and save a new **Analysis Report**, **Interactive Report**, and **Dashboard**. Opened reports and files show as a series of tabs across the page.           |
| 2    | Prompts panel                  | The prompts panel gives you a way to add filters to the individual parts of your dashboard.                                                                                                                        |
| 3    | **Browse** and **Files** panel | Locate your files using the **Browse** and **Files** panels, and add them to dashboards.                                                                                                                           |
| 4    | Dashboard canvas               | Shows a dynamic view of your dashboard as you work to build it. The look of your dashboard refreshes as you add content from the **Browse** and **Files** panels, and work with the prompts or **Objects** panels. |
| 5    | **Objects** panel              | Refine the look of your dashboard with the **Objects** panel by choosing a dashboard template or changing the titles for each object in the dashboard.                                                             |

### Create your first dashboard

1. From the User Console Home page, click **Create New**, then select **Dashboard**.
2. In the **Edit** pane, click the **Templates** tab, then select **2 over 1**.
3. In the **Edit** pane, click the **Properties** tab, then enter `My Dashboard` in **Page Title**.

   This is the title for your dashboard page.

   ![Properties tab, Dashboard](/files/vfwOKkbIVKUwTRsuBB7Y)
4. Click the **Themes** tab, then select a theme.

   The new theme applies immediately.
5. In the **Browse** pane, open the folder you used earlier.
6. From the **Files** pane, drag `Territory - Sales` onto the top-left dashboard panel.

   ![Drag and drop into dashboard](/files/80NpWS0U7N5390SxVMuE)
7. In the **Edit** pane, enter `Territory - Sales` in **Title**, then click **Apply**.

   The panel populates with the **Territory - Sales** report.
8. Locate your Interactive report in the **Browse** pane.
9. Drag `In Stock Report` onto the top-right dashboard panel.
10. In the **Edit** pane, enter `In Stock Report` in **Title**, then click **Apply**.

    The panel populates with the **In Stock Report**.
11. Drag any report from `Public/Steel Wheels` into the bottom dashboard panel.
12. Enter a title for the bottom panel, then click **Apply**.
13. In the toolbar, click **Save As**.
14. Save the dashboard as `My Dashboard`, then click **Save**.
15. Close the dashboard (click **X** on its tab).
16. Go to **Browse Files**, then double-click `My Dashboard` in the **Files** pane.

![Created dashboard](/files/UEQukzhn5xRfVMjHZBAS)

You created a simple dashboard. See **Pentaho Business Analytics** for details on complex dashboards.


---

# 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.pentaho.com/pdia-try-pdia/archive-flattened-pages/get-started-with-dashboard-designer.md?ask=<question>
```

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.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.