Customize Boards

Customize and organize your Boards to present data in a way that enhances team collaboration and decision-making.

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Introduction

Boards let you organize, display, and control access to your data. Customize them to create consistent views that help your team collaborate and make informed decisions. Each level of customization offers unique options to tailor the workspace to your needs:

• Board: Manage your workspace’s name and sharing settings, ensuring the right team members have access and understand the context of the Board.
• Query Section: Customize layout, filter queries, and adjust time settings to group and view queries in a way that highlights the most relevant data.
• Query Panels: Fine-tune individual queries by adjusting conditions, captions, and display types to present your data most effectively.

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Managing Boards

A Board is a collection of panels and sections, designed to bring together different resources that contribute to a broader investigation. Manage your Board structure and access to create focused, shareable workspaces that cater to your team’s needs.

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Filtering Boards

If your Boards have tags applied to them, you can filter by tags. This helps you focus on related items. To filter Boards by tag:

1. Select Boards () from the navigation menu.
2. Select the Filter by tags field (or the tag area if a default tag is already applied), and choose the tags that you want to filter by.

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Modifying Board Details

Change the name or description of a Board to improve clarity or better align with changes in its use. To update a Board’s name or description:

1. Select Boards () from the navigation menu.
2. Select the Board you want to modify.
3. On the Board’s details page, select Edit ().
4. Hover over the name or description, then select the pencil icon ().
5. Make your changes.
6. Select Done.

The page refreshes, and the Board updates to reflect your changes.

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Rearranging Panels

Rearrange the panels on your Board to highlight priority data and surface what matters most in your Board’s layout. To rearrange panels:

1. Select Boards () from the navigation menu.
2. Choose the Board containing the panel you want to move.
3. On the Board’s details page, select Edit ().
4. Hover over the panel until the cursor turns into a four-directional arrow ().
5. Drag and drop the panel to its new location.
6. Select Done.

The page refreshes, and the Board updates to reflect your changes.

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Resizing Panels

Resize the panels on your Board to optimize space and improve usability using the flexible Boards experience. To resize panels:

1. Select Boards () from the navigation menu.
2. Choose the Board containing the panel you want to resize.
3. On the Board’s details page, select Edit ().
4. Hover over the panel resize handle until the cursor turns into a diagonal arrow.
5. Drag the panel edge to the appropriate size.
6. Select Done.

The page refreshes, and the Board updates to reflect your changes.

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Changing Access

Boards can be shared with your entire Honeycomb Team or restricted to a subset of your Team members. By default, Boards are public which means any Team member can access them. To limit access to yourself or specific teammates, adjust the access level and add collaborators.

1. Select Boards () from the navigation menu.
2. Choose the Board you want to modify.
3. Select Share.
4. Locate the Who can view and edit this board dropdown, and choose an option:
   • Team (All members of environment): [default] Visible to all members of your Honeycomb Team.
   • Restricted (Collaborators and owners only): Only visible to you, Team owners, and invited collaborators. Restricted Boards display a lock next to their name.
5. Confirm your choice:
   • If you chose Team, select Confirm.
   • If you chose Restricted, Honeycomb saves your changes automatically. Only you and your Team owner can access the Board. To share it with others, add collaborators.

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Adding Collaborators

Add collaborators to make it easier for your Team to actively contribute and keep your Board relevant. Collaborators can contribute to a Board by adding or removing panels and by modifying the Board’s name and description. To add collaborators:

1. Select Boards () from the navigation menu.
2. Select the Board you want to modify.
3. Select Share.
4. In the Who can view and edit this board dropdown, make sure Restricted (Collaborators and owners only) is selected.
5. In the Collaborators section, either:
   • In Email Address(es), enter email addresses of your teammates as needed, then select Add Collaborator.
   • Select Add All Teammates to add everyone on your team, then remove individual collaborators as needed.

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Removing Collaborators

Keep your Board secure by removing collaborators who no longer need access. To remove a collaborator:

1. Select Boards () from the navigation menu.
2. Choose the Board you want to modify.
3. Select Share.
4. Locate the Who can view and edit this board dropdown, and make sure Restricted (Collaborators and owners only) is chosen.
5. In the Collaborators section, find the email address of the collaborator you want to remove, then select Remove.

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Leaving a Board

Keep your workspace relevant by leaving Boards you no longer need. Whether you’re stepping away from a project or no longer monitoring a particular board, removing yourself as a collaborator helps you stay focused. To leave a Board:

1. Select Boards () from the navigation menu.
2. Choose the Board you want to modify.
3. Select Share.
4. Locate the Who can view and edit this board dropdown, and make sure Restricted (Collaborators and owners only) is chosen.
5. Find your email address, then select Leave.

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Transferring Ownership

If you are stepping away from a project, delegating responsibilities, or need someone else to manage a Board’s settings and permissions, you can transfer administrative control to another Team member. To transfer ownership:

1. Select Boards () from the navigation menu.
2. Choose the Board you want to modify.
3. Select Share.
4. Locate the Who can view and edit this board dropdown, and make sure Restricted (Collaborators and owners only) is chosen.
5. Find the email address of the team member you want to make the owner, then select Make Owner.

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Managing the Query Section

The query section of your Board houses the key queries that provide the insights you need. Manage the query section to control how queries are organized and to improve the overall clarity of this section of your Board.

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Rearranging Query Panels

Reorganize the queries on your Board to prioritize data and improve navigation. To rearrange query panels:

1. Select Boards () from the navigation menu.
2. Choose the Board containing the query you want to move.
3. On the Board’s details page, select Edit ().
4. Hover over the query panel until the cursor turns into a four-directional arrow ().
5. Drag and drop the query panel to its new location.
6. Select Done.

The page refreshes, and the Board updates to reflect your changes.

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Changing Time Range

Adjust the time range for the queries displayed on a Board to analyze specific time periods. This lets you focus on relevant data, whether it is for troubleshooting or long-term trend analysis.

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Selecting a Preset Time Range

Preset time ranges offer a quick way to select common time periods for your queries, saving you time when you need to analyze recent or recurring data. To use a preset time range:

1. Select Boards () from the navigation menu.
2. Select the Board that you want to modify.
3. On the Board’s details page, locate and open the time picker.
4. Choose a preset time range from the list of common options, such as Last 10 minutes or Last 30 days.
5. Select Apply.

The page refreshes, and your queries update to reflect the selected time range.

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Defining a Custom Time Range

Choose a custom time range to define a specific time period for your queries, which helps you focus on a precise window of data. To define a custom time range:

1. Select Boards () from the navigation menu.
2. Select the Board that you want to modify.
3. On the Board’s details page, locate and open the time picker.
4. Select Custom.
5. In the modal, configure your time range:

   Field	Description
   Start time	Start time for the query time range.
   Relative to now	Defines how time is specified for the end time: a range relative to the current time [on], or a fixed date and time in UTC [off].
   End time	End time for the query time range. For relative time ranges, this is always set to now.

6. Select Apply.

The page refreshes, and your queries update to reflect the selected time range.

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Changing Granularity

Granularity controls how Honeycomb groups data over time in your Board’s queries, affecting the level of detail shown in charts and tables. To adjust granularity for query panels:

1. Select Boards () from the navigation menu.
2. Select the Board that you want to modify.
3. On the Board’s details page, open the time picker and choose Custom.
4. In the Granularity dropdown, choose the desired time interval.
   Choose auto to let Honeycomb adjust the level of detail automatically based on time range and data volume, balancing performance and clarity.
5. Select Apply.

The page refreshes, and the queries update to reflect the selected granularity.

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Setting Default Time Range & Granularity

You can set default time range and granularity values for a Board, so all of its queries start from a consistent time window and detail level. Individual queries can still override these defaults when needed. To set a default time range and granularity for a Board:

1. Select Boards () from the navigation menu.
2. Select the Board for which you want to save defaults.
3. On the Board’s details page, select Edit ().
4. Open the Set time defaults dropdown, and choose your preferred time range and granularity options.
   If any individual queries already have custom time or granularity settings, those values persist unless you select the Override x custom queries checkbox (where x represents the number of affected queries).
5. Select Apply.
6. Select Done to save defaults to the Board.

The page refreshes, and the queries update to reflect the selected default time range and granularity.

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Filtering Queries

Apply or modify filters on your Board to customize data views and ensure consistent, relevant results. You can use:

• Preset filters (if configured): Define commonly used filters that appear as dropdowns on your Board.
• Ad-hoc filter expressions: Enter filter expressions to create custom filters.
• Both

Save filters to the Board to preserve context across sessions, so anyone who views it later will see the filtered results by default.

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Configuring Preset Filters

Preset filters let you define commonly used filters that appear as dropdowns on your Board, making it easier for viewers to filter data without writing filter expressions. You can add multiple preset filters to help users narrow their view. To configure preset filters:

1. Select Boards () from the navigation menu.
2. Choose the Board to which you want to add preset filters.
3. On the Board’s details page, select Edit ().
4. Select Add Filter ().
5. From the Property dropdown, select the field you want to filter by.
6. Enter a Display name for the filter. This name appears as the label for the filter dropdown.
7. Select Create filter.
8. Select Done to save your configuration.

The page refreshes, and the Board updates to reflect your configured presets.

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Removing Preset Filters

To remove a preset filter configuration:

1. Select Boards () from the navigation menu.
2. Choose the Board from which you want to remove preset filters.
3. On the Board’s details page, select Edit ().
4. Select the Delete icon () next to the filter display name you want to remove.
5. Select Done.

The page refreshes, and the Board updates to reflect your changes.

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Applying Preset Filters

If your Board has preset filters configured, you can use the filter dropdowns to narrow your data view. To apply preset filters:

1. Select Boards () from the navigation menu.
2. Choose the Board you want to filter.
3. Select a filter dropdown.
4. Choose an operator, and select values.
5. Select Apply.

The page refreshes, and the queries update to reflect your changes. To make preset filter selections persist across sessions, apply your filters and then select Save Parameters. This saves the filter logic as an ad-hoc filter expression.

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Applying Ad-Hoc Filters

You can enter filter expressions directly in the filter bar to create custom filters. To apply ad-hoc filters:

1. Select Boards () from the navigation menu.
2. Choose the Board you want to filter.
3. On the Board’s details page, locate the Filter by text box, and select or remove your criteria.

The page refreshes, and the queries update to reflect your changes. Ad-hoc filters work alongside preset filters. When you use both types together and select Save Parameters, all active filter logic saves as an ad-hoc filter expression.

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Checking Filter State

Filters apply to all queries on a Board, but because a Board can contain queries from different datasets, filters may not affect every query. To ensure your data is accurate and consistent, check the filter state for each query. The filter state can impact your results and how you interpret the data. To check the applied filters:

1. Select Boards () from the navigation menu.
2. Choose the Board you want to review.
3. On each query panel, locate the filter state label next its settings (). The label indicates the filter status. Possible statuses include:

   Status	Description
   All	All filter parameters are successfully applied to the query.
   No filters applied	No filters are applied because the fields do not exist in the query’s dataset.
   Partial	Some filter parameters are applied, but not all fields exist in the query’s dataset. To inspect applied filters, select the Show Details icon ().

   If you do not see filter state labels on your query panels, make sure filters are applied to the Board. Filter state can only be determined when filter criteria are in place.

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Managing Views

If you regularly check a Board with the same filter configuration, save it as a named view. Views preserve your exact filter settings so you can return to the precise context you need with a single click, eliminating the need to rebuild the same scope each time.

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Saving Views

After applying filters to your Board, save them as a named view.

1. Expand () the View dropdown, then choose Save as new.
2. In the modal, enter a name that describes the filter configuration.
3. Select Save.

Your view is now available from the View dropdown whenever you return to this Board.

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Applying Views

Return to a previously saved filter configuration to quickly analyze your Board from a familiar perspective. To apply a saved view:

1. Select Boards () from the navigation menu.
2. Select the Board containing the view.
3. From the View dropdown, choose the view you want to apply.

The Board updates to display the saved filter configuration.

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Renaming Views

Update a view’s name to better reflect its purpose or to maintain clarity as your Board’s usage evolves. To rename a view:

1. Select Boards () from the navigation menu.
2. Choose the Board containing the view.
3. Expand () the View dropdown, then choose Edit views.
4. Select the Edit icon () next to the view you want to rename.
5. Modify the name.
6. Select Save.

The list of views updates to reflect your changes.

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Deleting Views

Remove views you no longer need to keep your workspace focused and organized. To delete a view:

1. Select Boards () from the navigation menu.
2. Choose the Board containing the view.
3. Expand () the View dropdown, then choose Edit views.
4. Select the Remove icon () next to the view you want to remove.
5. Select Remove.

The list of views updates to reflect your changes.

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Managing Query Panels

A query panel represents an individual query on your Board. Modify individual query panels to refine the data and its presentation, so you can focus on the most relevant insights for your investigation.

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Changing Query Conditions

Change query conditions to ensure your data remains aligned with evolving needs. To modify a query on a Board:

1. Select Boards () from the navigation menu.
2. Choose the Board that contains the query you want to modify.
3. On the Board’s details page, select the query you want to edit.
4. In the Query Builder, edit the query.
5. Select Run Query to apply the changes.
6. Select Update to save the modifications.
   

The page refreshes, and the query panel updates to reflect your changes.

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Changing Query Display

Adjust the display format for individual queries on your Board. To change the query display:

1. Select Boards () from the navigation menu.
2. Select the Board containing the query you want to modify.
3. On the Board’s details page, select Edit ().
4. Locate the target query and select the Show Actions icon ().
5. Select your preferred display option:
   • Display Graph only: Shows only the visualization.
   • Display Graph & Table: Displays both the visualization and the summary table.
   • Display Table Only: Shows only the summary table.
6. Select Save.

The page refreshes, and the query panel updates to reflect your changes.