Dashboard Creation and Customization
Learn how to create and customize dashboards to visualize your metrics exactly how you want.Dashboard Types
Pre-built Category Dashboards
Dashtray includes 5 pre-built dashboards organized by category:- Payments: MRR, ARR, subscriptions, churn, revenue (Stripe)
- Analytics: Page views, users, sessions, bounce rate (Google Analytics, Plausible)
- Development: Commits, PRs, issues, deployments (GitHub, Vercel)
- Marketing: Ad spend, ROI, email metrics, campaigns
- Communication: Messages, response times, satisfaction
Overview Dashboard
The Overview page shows all widgets from all connected integrations in one place, plus bookmarks to external services.Custom Dashboards
Create personalized dashboards with only the metrics you care about. Available on Pro+ plans. Limits by Plan:- Free: 1 custom dashboard
- Pro: 10 custom dashboards
- Scale/Agency: Unlimited custom dashboards
Creating a Custom Dashboard
Step 1: Create the Dashboard
- Click Dashboards in the sidebar
- Click New Dashboard button
- Enter a dashboard name (e.g., “Executive Summary”)
- Click Create
Step 2: Add Widgets
- Click Add Widget button
- Select widget type:
- Metric: Single value with trend
- Chart: Line, bar, area, or pie chart
- Table: Sortable data table
- Text: Markdown notes
- Configure the widget (see Widget Configuration below)
- Click Add to Dashboard
Step 3: Arrange Widgets
- Click Edit to enter edit mode
- Drag widgets to reposition them
- Resize widgets by dragging corners (desktop only)
- Click Save to persist changes
Step 4: Customize Layout
- Hide widgets: Click the eye icon to hide/unhide
- Delete widgets: Click the trash icon
- Edit widgets: Click the settings icon
- Reorder: Drag and drop in edit mode
Widget Configuration
Metric Widget
Displays a single metric value with trend indicator. Configuration:- Metric: Select from connected integrations
- Time Range: 24h, 7d, 30d, 90d, 1y, all
- Comparison: Compare to previous period
- Show Sparkline: Mini chart showing trend
Chart Widget
Displays time series data as a chart. Configuration:- Metric: Select from connected integrations
- Chart Type: Line, bar, area, or pie
- Time Range: 24h, 7d, 30d, 90d, 1y, all
- Aggregation: Sum, average, min, max, count
- Show Legend: Display legend
- Show Grid: Display grid lines
Table Widget
Displays data in a sortable, filterable table. Configuration:- Data Source: Select metric or integration
- Columns: Choose which columns to display
- Sort By: Default sort column and direction
- Page Size: Rows per page (10, 25, 50, 100)
- Filters: Add filters to narrow data
Text Widget
Displays markdown-formatted text for notes and documentation. Configuration:- Content: Write markdown text
- Preview: Toggle between edit and preview mode
Widget Sizes
Widgets use a responsive grid system:- Desktop: 12 columns
- Tablet: 6 columns
- Mobile: 1 column (stacked)
- Small (3 columns): Metric cards
- Medium (6 columns): Charts
- Large (12 columns): Tables, detailed charts
- Tall (4 rows): Detailed metrics with context
Customizing Pre-built Dashboards
You can customize pre-built category dashboards:- Navigate to a category dashboard (e.g., Payments)
- Click Edit to enter edit mode
- Hide/unhide widgets with the eye icon
- Drag to reorder widgets
- Click Save to persist changes
Customizing the Overview Page
The Overview page can be customized:- Navigate to Overview
- Click Edit to enter edit mode
- Hide/unhide widgets from any integration
- Drag to reorder widgets
- Add/edit/delete bookmarks
- Click Save to persist changes
Bookmarks
Add quick links to external services not integrated with Dashtray.Adding a Bookmark
- Go to Overview page
- Click Edit mode
- Click Add Bookmark
- Enter:
- Title: Display name (e.g., “Stripe Dashboard”)
- URL: Full URL including https://
- Click Save
Editing a Bookmark
- Click Edit mode on Overview
- Click the edit icon on a bookmark card
- Update title or URL
- Click Save
Deleting a Bookmark
- Click Edit mode on Overview
- Click the trash icon on a bookmark card
- Confirm deletion
Time Range Selector
All dashboards include a time range selector in the header:- Today: Current day
- Yesterday: Previous day
- Last Week: Last 7 days
- Last Month: Last 30 days
- Last Year: Last 365 days
Refreshing Data
Manual Refresh
Click the Refresh button in the dashboard header to trigger a manual sync for all connected integrations. Limits:- Free: 3 manual syncs per day
- Pro/Scale/Agency: Unlimited manual syncs
Automatic Sync
Data syncs automatically based on your plan:- Free: Manual only
- Pro: Every 3 hours
- Scale/Agency: Every 30 minutes
Sharing Dashboards
Coming Soon: Dashboard sharing is not available in the MVP but will be added in a future update. Planned features:- Share dashboard with team members
- Generate public shareable links
- Embed dashboards in other tools
- Export dashboard as PDF
Dashboard Best Practices
Organization
- Create focused dashboards: One dashboard per team or use case
- Use descriptive names: “Sales Team KPIs” not “Dashboard 1”
- Group related metrics: Keep similar metrics together
Layout
- Most important metrics first: Place key metrics at the top
- Consistent sizing: Use similar sizes for related widgets
- Leave whitespace: Don’t overcrowd the dashboard
- Mobile-friendly: Test on mobile devices
Performance
- Limit widgets: Keep dashboards under 20 widgets for best performance
- Use appropriate time ranges: Shorter ranges load faster
- Avoid redundant widgets: Don’t show the same metric multiple times
Maintenance
- Review regularly: Remove unused widgets
- Update configurations: Adjust as your needs change
- Archive old dashboards: Delete dashboards you no longer use
Keyboard Shortcuts
When in edit mode:- Esc: Exit edit mode without saving
- Cmd/Ctrl + S: Save changes
- Cmd/Ctrl + Z: Undo last change
- Delete: Delete selected widget
Troubleshooting
Widget Shows “No Data”
- Check connection: Ensure integration is connected and active
- Wait for sync: Initial sync can take 5-10 minutes
- Adjust time range: Try a longer time range
- Verify data exists: Check the source integration for data
Widget Shows Error
- Check error message: Hover over error icon for details
- Reconnect integration: Go to Integrations and reconnect
- Check permissions: Ensure API key has required permissions
- Contact support: If error persists, email support@dashtray.com
Dashboard Won’t Save
- Check internet connection: Ensure you’re online
- Try again: Click Save again
- Refresh page: Reload and try again
- Check plan limits: Ensure you haven’t exceeded dashboard limits
Widgets Not Updating
- Check last sync time: View on Integrations page
- Trigger manual sync: Click Refresh button
- Verify subscription: Free tier requires manual syncs
- Check for errors: Red status on integration card
FAQ
Q: How many widgets can I add to a dashboard? A: No hard limit, but we recommend keeping it under 20 for best performance. Q: Can I duplicate a dashboard? A: Not in the MVP. Coming in a future update. Q: Can I export a dashboard? A: Not in the MVP. Scale+ users will get export functionality in a future update. Q: Can I share a dashboard with someone outside my team? A: Not in the MVP. Public dashboard sharing coming in a future update. Q: Can I schedule dashboard reports? A: Not in the MVP. Email reports coming in a future update. Q: Can I set a default dashboard? A: The Overview page is the default. You can customize it to show your most important metrics. Q: Can I create dashboard templates? A: Not in the MVP. Dashboard templates coming in a future update.Need Help?
- Email: support@dashtray.com
- Video Tutorials: youtube.com/dashtray
- Community: Join our Discord for tips and tricks