1 WHAT IT IS
The Pivot Table widget summarises the records in a collection into a cross-tab grid — the same idea as a spreadsheet pivot table. One field's values run down the rows, another field's values run across the columns, and each cell shows a calculated number, such as a count, a sum, or an average, for that intersection. It's currently a Beta widget: fully usable on any dashboard, with refinements still on the way.
2 WHO IT'S FOR
Audience: End user Reading time: 4 min
Anyone viewing a dashboard that includes a pivot table — this article covers reading, filtering, and interacting with one that's already been added for you.
3 PREREQUISITES
No prerequisites. If you'd like more background on where widgets live, take a look at Creating dashboards & workspaces first.
4 HOW IT WORKS
Reading a pivot table
Here's a small example: a collection of documents, summarised by department (rows) and by quarter (columns), counting how many documents fall into each combination. The bottom row and right-hand column are totals; the small numbers under each count are that cell's share of the total — both show only when the widget has been set up to display them.
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality | 18 | 22 | 15 | 55 |
| Regulatory | 9 | 14 | 21 | 44 |
| Operations | 27 | 19 | 12 | 58 |
| Total | 54 | 55 | 48 | 157 |
Illustrative example — the row field, column field, and calculation shown are chosen by whoever set up the widget.
Using it on your dashboard
Every pivot table widget has a small toolbar in its header:
| Button | What it does |
|---|---|
| Filter | Narrows the data further, on top of whatever filter is already built into the widget — no editing required. A dot on the icon means a filter is currently applied. |
| Refresh | Reloads the widget's data, in case new records have come in since it last loaded. |
| Export | Downloads exactly what you're looking at, filters included, as an .xlsx or .csv file. |
Sorting
Each row and column heading has its own small sort control. Click it to flip that level between ascending and descending order, independently of the other levels.
Expanding and collapsing
If a row or column has a second, nested level, collapse it to see just the top-level totals, or expand it again to see the detail underneath.
Hovering
Hover over any number and its whole row and column are highlighted, making it easier to trace a value across a wide grid.
Drilling down
Click any value cell and a window opens showing the actual records behind that number — the fastest way to go from "27 documents" to the 27 documents themselves. Cells showing a dash are subtotals rather than real values, and aren't clickable.
Good to know
You'll only see a pivot table widget if you have rights to view it. If a widget is marked "Is confidential", only owners and managers of the underlying collection can edit its setup — the same rule that applies to other widgets.
Frequently asked questions
Why is a cell blank instead of showing 0?
That's controlled by a setting chosen when the widget was set up. Off means no data shows as blank; on means it shows as an explicit zero.
Why can't I click into some cells?
Cells showing a dash are subtotal placeholders (this happens with averages), not an actual calculated value — there's nothing underneath to drill into.
Why don't I see a percentage under a number?
Percentages aren't shown when the calculation is an average, a minimum, or a maximum — a percentage of an average or a maximum isn't a meaningful figure.
Why is it labelled "Beta"?
The pivot table widget is still being refined. It's fully usable, but expect ongoing improvements and the occasional rough edge.
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