Build, edit, and convert existing and new dashboards in the Splunk Dashboard Studio

This topic assumes that you are working in the Splunk Dashboard Studio, rather than in the classic dashboard framework. If you're in the wrong manual, and want to build Simple XML dashboards, see the Splunk Classic Dashboards and Visualizations manual.

Use the Dashboard Studio to perform the following dashboard tasks:

Action	Description
Create a dashboard in the Splunk Dashboard Studio.	For more information, see Create a dashboard in Dashboard Studio.
Export existing Splunk dashboards from Search & Reporting to the new framework.	To see more information on converting an existing Simple XML dashboard, see Convert an existing Splunk dashboard in the Splunk Dashboard Studio.
Migrate dashboards out of the Splunk Dashboards app (beta) and into another app.	See Migrate your dashboards out of the Splunk Dashboards app (beta).
Choose grid or absolute layout.	See Compare absolute and grid layouts
Modify the time range for a visualization.	By default, all visualizations are controlled by the Global Time Range Picker, but you can modify the input or delete it and set time properties for each data source in the source editor. For more information, see Modify the time range for a visualization.
Modify the canvas size.	You can resize the dashboard canvas using both the visual and source editors. For more information, see Change the canvas size.
Upload a custom background image or specify a background color.	The new editor allows you to upload a custom background image or specify a background color when you use the absolute layout. See Modify the background.

Though the visual and source editors are new in the Splunk Dashboard Studio, the logic behind ensuring your SPL queries result in a data structure that fits your visualizations is the same as in Search & Reporting. You can navigate to a specific visualization topic to ensure that your data is formatted correctly for that visualization.

Create a dashboard in Dashboard Studio

Build a basic dashboard using the visual editor.

1. From the dashboards listing page in any app, Create new Dashboard.
2. Choose the Splunk Dashboard Studio to build your dashboard. If you choose to use the classic dashboard framework, please see the Get Started with Dashboards in the Splunk Dashboards and Visualizations manual.
3. Choose either Grid or Absolute layout when prompted.
   For more information about both layouts, see Compare absolute and grid layouts.
4. Give your dashboard a title.
5. (Optional) Edit ID for your dashboard. By default, the Dashboard ID is the same as the Dashboard Title. You can edit the Dashboard Title at any time, but you can't change the Dashboard ID later.

Different dashboards in the same app can share the same Dashboard Title, but they can't share the same Dashboard ID. Dashboards in different apps, however, can share both titles and IDs. By editing the Dashboard ID, you can create multiple dashboards with identical titles in the same app.

6. Decide whether you want others to be able to view your dashboard or whether you'd like it to be private.
7. (Optional) Access the source editor.
   To access the source editor, click the source icon in the editing toolbar ().
   The source mode window shows the JSON source code that makes up your dashboard definition. The stanzas correspond to the visualizations you place on your dashboard and any searches or inputs you create. There is also a layout section that corresponds to the placement of objects. For more information on using the source editor, see Use layout options to modify your dashboard canvas with the source editor and Add a data source to a visualization
8. Save your dashboard. Click Save

Don't change the layout format for a populated dashboard. Changing your style of layout, especially from absolute to grid will likely clear your dashboard and result in an error.

When you navigate away from your dashboard, all running searches continue to run by default. You can modify this setting by setting the cancelJobsOnFocusLoss option in the defaults section of the dashboard definition to true. For more information on cancelJobsOnFocusLoss see Create data source and visualization defaults.

Convert an existing Splunk dashboard in the Splunk Dashboard Studio

Many of your existing Simple XML dashboards can be converted and edited in the Splunk Dashboard Studio. If there are elements in your dashboard that are not supported in the new framework, you might not see the unsupported element in the new dashboard, or an error message will appear when you attempt to convert your dashboard.

Export your dashboard using the following procedure:

1. Select a dashboard from the dashboards listing page.
2. Click the ellipses ( ... ) and select Open in Dashboard Studio if the option is available.
   The dashboard is cloned in the Splunk Dashboard Studio. You will not lose the original dashboard.
3. (Optional) Click Edit to edit your dashboard.
   If you're using the absolute layout and the aspect ratio of your cloned dashboard is inaccurate, use your mouse or the manual fields on the Configuration panel to resize the dashboard on the canvas grid.
4. Name your dashboard.
5. (Optional) Access the source editor. To access the source editor, click the source icon in the editing toolbar ().
   The source editor window shows the JSON source code, which is translated from the Simple XML of the initial dashboard. The source code corresponds to the elements on your dashboard and any queries will now be a part of a data source. For more information on using the source editor, see Add a data source to a visualization.
6. Click Save to save your dashboard and choose whether to share the dashboard with others in the app or keep it private.

Modify the time range for a data source

By default all data sources that power visualizations on a dashboard are controlled by the default Global Time Range Picker. You can use the source editor to modify set time ranges for individual data source stanzas and override the Global Time Range Picker. Because it's an input, you can also delete or modify the default Global Time Range Picker in the source editor. To learn how to use data source options that affect the time range, for example, queryParameters, see Data source options. To read more about the time range picker, see input.timerange in the Use inputs and tokens section.

Compare absolute and grid layouts

The absolute and grid layouts serve very different needs. If you want to quickly put together a dashboard using only charts that snap to your specified rows, then choose the grid layout. If you want access to features like pixel-perfect placement, shapes, icons, and image uploading, use the absolute layout.

In the classic Splunk dashboard framework, visualizations you add to the canvas snap to a row-column structure. The grid layout is most similar to that structure. In the grid layout, the number of visualizations in a row determines the size of the other visualizations in that row and they all size to equal proportions. You can modify the width of a visualization using your mouse. This layout automatically scales dashboards to the size of the browser.

By default, the absolute layout does not automatically scale dashboards to the size of the browser. However, you can change this setting in the visual editor by clicking on the background and selecting Fit to Width in the Display Mode section of the Configuration panel.

This table shows what features are available using the two layouts:

Option	Absolute	Grid
Charts	All charts are available. See the Object options reference for all of the options.	All charts are available. See the Object options reference for all of the options.
Background Color	You can choose a background color for your dashboard canvas.	Changing the background color is not supported in the grid layout.
Canvas size	You can customize the size of the canvas in the Configuration panel.	While you cannot change the size of the canvas, you can use your mouse to change the height of the rows or the width of the visualizations within the rows.
Number of visualizations	There is no limit to the number of visualizations that can be added to the canvas.	The number of visualizations that can fit in a row depends on the width of the visualizations. You can change the width of individual visualizations by using your mouse to drag the edges.
Shapes	Add rectangles, lines, and ellipses to your dashboard.	Shapes are not supported in the grid layout.
Icons	You can choose from an assortment of default icons, or upload your own icons in SVG format.	Icons and icon uploads are not supported in the grid layout.
Images	You can upload images up to 16MB in size.	Images are not supported in the grid layout.

Change the canvas size

This only applies to absolute layout. The dashboard canvas has default dimensions of 1920x1080 pixels. This is conceptually different from the classic Splunk editor, which has an infinite canvas.

1. Click any part of the canvas that does not contain a visualization.
2. (Optional) Change the Display Mode using one of the following options:
   • Select Actual Size to display the actual size in pixels.
   • Select Fit to width so the canvas takes up the entire window and applies to both edit mode and view mode. The canvas fits horizontally but might still require vertical scrolling.
3. Manually change the dimensions of the canvas in pixels, using the Canvas Width and Canvas Height fields.

The following configurations are some standard examples of canvas sizes:

Aspect ratios	Examples
16:9 aspect ratio resolutions such as 1280 x 720 (HD), 1920 x 1080 (FHD), 3840 x 2106 (4K UHD)	Monitors and TVs
4:3 aspect ratio resolutions such as 640 x 480, 900 x 600	US letter
18:9 aspect ratio resolutions, such as 2880 x 1440	Some mobile phones

Modify the background

If you are using the absolute layout, you can choose a color or custom image for your canvas background. Changing the background color or adding an image is not supported in the grid layout.

Change the background color

1. Click the dashboard canvas grid.
2. Expand the Configuration panel.
3. Select a Background Color. By default, the background color is set to transparent. If you want to change it, either enter the hex code for a color, such as #FFFF00, or select a color from the square palette.
4. Click Save in the editing toolbar when you are finished.

The background color is applied to the bottom canvas layer while background images are placed one layer above. If you add a background image to your dashboard, only portions of the canvas that are not covered by the image are visible in the designated color.

Upload a background image

Only users with the admin role can add images to dashboards.

The supported image types are JPG and PNG only for local images. You can also use web-based images, however, these will not be exported if you a download a PNG or PDF of the dashboard. You should download any web-based images to a local location to ensure they render.

By default, uploaded background images are positioned at (0,0) on your dashboard canvas. This means that the top left corner of the uploaded image appears at the top left corner of the canvas. Increasing the y-axis value moves the image down the canvas, while increasing the x-axis value moves the image to the right.

1. In the Background Image section of the Configuration panel, drag and drop your image file or click browse... to choose a file on your computer. You can also specify a URL for web-based images. If you use a web-based image, the image updates each time you refresh your dashboard.
2. Configure the sizing options to fit your individual needs:
   • Select Contain to fit the image to the canvas width. The canvas height might not be completely covered.
   • Select Cover to cover the entire canvas with the image. The entire background image might not be displayed if the height to width ratio of the image is different than the height to width ratio of the canvas.
   • Select Custom to position the image on the x-axis and y-axis and to change the width and height in pixels.
   • Select Original Size to display the image with its original dimensions.
3. Click View to preview the image as it appears in the dashboard. This will does not save your changes.
4. Click Save in the editing toolbar when you are finished.