Configuring visualizations

Use this information either when creating a visualization or when editing an existing visualization.

Before you begin

As a starting point for this task, you must have completed one of the following actions:

• Clicked the Create a visualization link in a new dashboard page to open the Create New Visualization page. (In this case, start from step 1 in the procedure that follows.)
• Clicked the Add Visualization icon from a new dashboard page, and then clicked Create Visualizations to open the Create New Visualization page. (In this case, start from step 1 in the procedure that follows.)
• Clicked the Add Visualization icon from an existing dashboard, and then clicked Create Visualizations to open the Create New Visualization page. (In this case, start from step 1 in the procedure that follows.)
• Clicked the Edit icon in the upper right corner of a visualization container in an existing dashboard, to open the visualization builder page. (In this case, start from step 2 in the procedure that follows.)
• Clicked the Edit button for a visualization in the Manage Saved Objects page, to open the visualization builder page. (In this case, start from step 2 in the procedure that follows.)

As a starting point for this task, you must have completed one of the following actions:

• Clicked the Create a visualization link in a new dashboard page to open the Select a visualization page. (In this case, start from step 1 in the procedure that follows.)
• Clicked the Add Visualization icon from a new dashboard page, and then clicked Create visualizations to open the Select a visualization page. (In this case, start from step 1 in the procedure that follows.)
• Clicked the Add Visualization icon from an existing dashboard, and then clicked Create visualizations to open the Select a visualization page. (In this case, start from step 1 in the procedure that follows.)
• Clicked the Edit icon in the upper right corner of a visualization container in an existing dashboard, to open the Configure visualization page. (In this case, start from step 3 in the procedure that follows.)
• Clicked the Edit icon for a visualization in the Manage Saved Objects page, to open the Configure visualization page. (In this case, start from step 3 in the procedure that follows.)

To configure visualizations, you must either be the owner of the API provider organization, or be assigned a role that has the Analytics > Manage permission for the selected Catalog or Space. For information about enabling Spaces in a new or existing Catalog, see Creating and configuring Catalogs and Enabling Spaces in a Catalog. For more information about assigning Catalog or Space permissions to a role, see Managing Catalog membership and Managing Space membership.

To configure a visualization, complete the following steps:

1. From the Create New Visualization page, choose the type of visualization that you want to create:
   From the Select a visualization page, choose the type of visualization that you want to create:
   • Area chart
   • Data table
   • Line chart
   • Markdown widget
   • Metric
   • Pie chart
   • Tile map
   • Vertical bar chart
   • Tag cloud
   Tip: If necessary, review the guidance on the page to help you decide what type you need.
2. From the visualization builder page, define the content and layout for the visualization you are creating or editing.
   You can configure your settings by using the visualization builder controls in the left pane, and then view the results of your actions in the preview canvas on the right.
   1. From the Data tab in the visualization builder, configure the metric and bucket aggregations for the visualization.
   2. From the Options tab in the visualization builder, specify view options for the visualization.
   For full details about completing the visualization builder for your selected visualization, see the following information in the Kibana documentation:

   • Area Charts
   • Bar Charts
   • Coordinate Maps
   • Data Table
   • Gauge Chart
   • Goal Charts
   • Heat Map Chart
   • Line Charts
   • Markdown Widget
   • Metric
   • Pie Charts
   • Region Maps
   • Timelion
   • Tag Clouds
   • Vertical Bar Charts

   For additional information about visualizations and aggregations, see the Creating a Visualization section in the Kibana documentation.

   As you configure each setting in the visualization builder, you can click Apply changes to view the results of your action within the preview canvas, or click Discard changes to undo a change. You can also click the Refresh icon to refresh the visualization preview. If you are creating a complex visualization, you might find it useful to save and name the visualization (as described in step 4) after the initial metric or bucket aggregations are configured, and then save in stages as you configure more aggregations for the visualization.

3. From the Configure visualization page, define the content and layout for the visualization you are creating or editing.
   You can configure your settings by using the aggregation builder on the left, and then view the results of your actions in the preview canvas on the right.
   1. From the Data tab in the aggregation builder, configure the metric and bucket aggregations for the visualization.
   2. From the Options tab in the aggregation builder, specify view options for the visualization.
   For full details about completing the aggregation builder for your selected visualization, see the following information in the Kibana documentation:

   • Area Charts
   • Data Table
   • Line Charts
   • Markdown Widget
   • Metric
   • Pie Charts
   • Tile Maps
   • Vertical Bar Charts

   For additional information about aggregations, see the Aggregation Builder section in the Kibana documentation.

   As you configure each setting in the aggregation builder, you can click Apply changes to view the results of your action within the preview canvas, or click Discard changes to undo a change. You can also click the Refresh icon to refresh the visualization preview. If you are creating a complex visualization, you might find it useful to save and name the visualization (as described in step 4) after the initial metric or bucket aggregations are configured, and then save in stages as you configure more aggregations for the visualization.

4. When the configuration is complete, save the visualization:
   1. Click the Save Visualization icon .
   2. Specify a name for the visualization in the text field (if not already specified).
   3. Click the Save button. (If you have previously saved, confirm that you want to overwrite.)
5. Click the Close button to close the visualization builder page.
   You return to the previous dashboard.

   • If you created a visualization, it is added to the saved list.
   • If you edited an existing visualization, your changes are reflected in any dashboards that contain that visualization.
6. Click the Close icon to close the Configure visualization page.
   You return to the previous dashboard.

   • If you created a visualization, it is added to the saved list.
   • If you created a visualization from an existing dashboard or while creating a dashboard, the visualization is added to the dashboard and to the saved list.
   • If you edited an existing visualization, your changes are reflected in any dashboards that contain that visualization.