Dashboard components for tracking progress against targets
Key Takeaway
For progress against a target, use a gauge. It shows one value inside ranges you set. In dynamic mode, a gauge chart can take its target from a field value, so the goal updates automatically without editing the dashboard.
A dashboard turns report data into visual components, so people can see results at a glance. When the success criteria in a user story include targets, the component you choose decides how clearly users see progress. A gauge shows one value against a goal range, and a metric shows one key number. Charts and tables show broader detail.
Choosing a dashboard component
A dashboard curates data from reports using components such as charts, tables, gauges, and metrics. Viewers who need more detail can open the reports that supply the dashboard's data. Match each component to what its success criterion measures.
- Gauge: shows a single value, such as closed deals, within a range of custom values. Users see how far they are from reaching the goal.
- Metric: shows one key value. For example, a report's total for all opportunities in the Closed, Commit, and Base Case stages this month can be named and shown as the month's revenue target.
- Table: shows report data in columns, which suits ranked lists.
- Chart: shows data graphically, and you can choose from a variety of chart types.
- Visualforce page: covers needs the other types can't meet, such as showing data from an external system or showing Salesforce data in a custom way.
Use a metric when one key value is enough on its own. Use a gauge when that single value should sit within a range of custom values, because the ranges show how close the value is to the goal.
Visualforce page components are available only in Salesforce Classic. A Visualforce page component isn't available when third-party cookies are disabled. A Visualforce page must also meet certain requirements, or it won't appear in the "Visualforce Page" dropdown list.