Global filters are a unique and powerful way to change overall data displays in Harmoni. They are a top-level filter option that is applied at the project, view, story or dashboard level.
When a global filter is active, views are filtered to show only the data applicable to that filter. This filtering occurs on the fly and is seen in projects, analyses, stories, and dashboard displays.
Global filters allow tailoring the view of data to a specific group or individual, this helps to ensure privacy and to target data displays to specific areas of interest.
The application of Global filters is driven by a combination of personalization keys, meta-data input in the form of an excel spreadsheet, data inclusions defined in the Project, and the settings applied to the analysis view when saved to a story.
In this article
1. Global filters - Project Tree
Global filters are used to subdivide the data in a project down to the definitions that have been applied by the project owner through the global filters spreadsheet exceptions file.Identifies the axis(es) and/or elements displayed in the global filters dropbox as well as in the project tree that can be then used for analysis and reporting. Learn more.
After loading a project, to switch on Global Filters, you can use the toggle at the top right of the project and analysis pane.
Once you apply a filter, all data views in the session will be subsequently filtered on that view.
a) Editing the project tree with global filters
When global filters are turned on, the edit functionality in the design menu is limited. Global filters can reduce the availability of variables so it can be necessary for Project Owners to turn global filters off when designing and editing a project.
Creators and Explorers also need to turn them off when creating private variables to access full functionality.
As a Project Owner with global filters on, the design menu displays the items under construct. The other sections of the design menu are not available.
As a Creator (non-owner) or Explorer with global filters on, users will also see items available under construct specific to these user types.
2. Global filters - Reporting
When clicking on the '+' sign to save an analysis view into a story, you see an option to save with “Global Filter On” or “Global Filter Off”.
Typically, saving stories with global filters off is what you want. Saving with filters on can lead to users not being able to see your story views.
a) Save with global filter on
- Saving with a filter on will save the view by fixing the global filter you are currently working with.
- If you save with a global filter on, users with a different global filter setting will not be able to see the view. For example, if you have saved using a filter on of all Regions (i.e. Global) users who only have access to the North America region will see no data.
b) Save with global filter off
- Saving with filter off will save the view without fixing the global filter.
- What the data users can see is determined by their personalization settings.
- The view will remain in your saved story and automatically update with every change you make in the global filter. If you don’t change the global filter, the data showing will remain the data you have saved the view in.
c) Replicating views - filter off then on
In the reporting areas (such as stories and dashboards), global filters are a powerful way to create and duplicate exports (digital reporting or PPT/Excel).
Once a particular market, brand, metric story or dashboard has been created, applying a global filter can quickly change the entire data output to be another slice of that story, dashboard or project. This one time/one place change is then reflected in all areas of the platform.
In order to use this saved story to replicate for another market/category, you can either:
- Just change the filter in the global filter and export or share ad hoc.
- Fix the story to the new filter by
- Copying the story first
- Changing the filter
- Saving the view again – but this time with the filter on
Where to from here?
Learn more about global filters.