Adding a nested dashboard widget

Use nested dashboards to organize your visualizations and to make the information more convenient to view.

A nested dashboard is a self-contained dashboard that you can add to a dashboard canvas or to another nested dashboard. You can use a nested dashboard to include multiple sets of content on the dashboard canvas.

In the following examples, there is one nested dashboard on the left half of the dashboard canvas that shows a bubble visualization, while the right half of the dashboard canvas has a nested dashboard with three different visualizations, each with their own advantages, that you can view while referring to the bubble visualization. You can access these different visualizations with either tabs or a drop-down list.

Dashboard canvas with a bubble visualization in the nested dashboard on the left half and three tabs with different visualizations in the nested dashboard on the right half.Dashboard canvas with a bubble visualization in the nested dashboard on the left half and a drop-down list with three different visualizations in the nested dashboard on the right half.

Nested dashboards differ from dashboards in the functioning of widget connections.

For nested dashboards, these connections are created by default between the following groups of visualizations or visualizations and widget filters:
  • Visualizations and widget filters that are placed in tabs of a nested dashboard
  • Visualizations and widget filters that are placed inside and outside nested dashboards within the same tab of dashboard

You can break or re-create these connections. For more information on widget connections and managing them, see Disconnecting visualizations and filter widgets.

For dashboards, such connections are only created between visualizations or visualizations and widget filters within a single tab. No inter-tab connections can be created in dashboards

Tab filters work for the entire dashboard and dashboard tab, respectively, including nested dashboards.

Note: The nested dashboards widget is not available in Cognos Analytics Mobile

About this task

You can add a nested dashboard into the main dashboard canvas or into another nested dashboard. Three levels of nesting are available.

Procedure

  1. Click the Widgets icon Widgets icon.
    If you don't see the Widgets icon, click the Edit icon Edit iconfirst.
  2. To add a nested dashboard from the Widgets tab into the main dashboard canvas, complete one of the following steps:
    • If you want to position the widget yourself, drag the Nested dashboards icon Nested dashboards icon to the canvas.
    • If you want the widget to fill the next available pane in the template, click the Nested dashboards icon Nested dashboards icon.
  3. To add a nested dashboard from the Widgets tab into another nested dashboard, complete one of the following steps:

    You can nest two additional levels of nested dashboards, for a total of three levels of nesting. That is, your main dashboard canvas can have a first level nested dashboard, which can have a second level nested dashboard, which can then have a third level nested dashboard.

    • If you want to position the widget yourself, drag the Nested dashboards icon Nested dashboards icon to the destination dashboard.

      A blue border appears in the destination dashboard.

    • If you want the widget to fill the next available pane in the nested dashboard, click the destination dashboard to highlight it, then click the Nested dashboards icon Nested dashboards icon.