{"id":5154,"date":"2025-12-13T09:01:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-13T09:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/differenzforce.com\/blog\/?p=5154"},"modified":"2025-12-08T09:50:33","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T09:50:33","slug":"how-to-create-a-dashboard-in-salesforce-lightning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/differenzforce.com\/blog\/how-to-create-a-dashboard-in-salesforce-lightning\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Create a Dashboard in Salesforce Lightning?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Dashboards in Salesforce Lightning are powerful tools that transform your data into actionable insights at a glance. Whether you want to track sales performance, monitor customer service metrics, or analyze marketing campaigns, a well-designed dashboard can save time and support informed decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With AI enhancements and dynamic layouts, creating a dashboard in Lightning is easier and more impactful than ever. This step-by-step guide walks you through the process from start to finish, so you can build a dashboard tailored to your business needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"list-item-1\">Why to use Dashboards in Salesforce Lightning?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before moving forward, let\u2019s first understand why the dashboard matters. Dashboards pull data from your <a href=\"https:\/\/differenzforce.com\/blog\/salesforce-reports\/\">Salesforce reports<\/a> and display it visually using charts, tables, or gauges, making it easy to spot trends or issues. In Lightning, the drag-and-drop builder and responsive design let you customize dashboards quickly, even if you\u2019re not a tech professional. With updates like Agent Force integration in 2025, dashboards can use AI to highlight predictive insights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"list-item-2\">Prerequisites for Creating a Salesforce Lightning Dashboard<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>To create a dashboard, you\u2019ll need:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Access and Permissions<\/strong>: A Salesforce account with the Lightning Experience interface enabled and appropriate permissions assigned to your user profile to create and customize dashboards (Admin or Editor roles), as well as to manage and view dashboards in public folders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Prepared Reports<\/strong>: Dashboards in Salesforce are built on reports that provide the data visualizations shown in dashboard components. Before creating a dashboard, develop at least one saved report in Salesforce that contains the data you want to visualize, and structure your reports with appropriate grouping and filters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"list-item-3\">Step by Step Guide to Creating a Dashboard in Salesforce Lightning<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Step 1:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Go to the Dashboards Tab<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Log into Salesforce Lightning.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click the App Launcher (the grid icon in the top left corner).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Now search for \u201cDashboards\u201d and select the&nbsp;<strong>Dashboards tab.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click&nbsp;<strong>New Dashboard<\/strong>&nbsp;in the top right corner to start.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Step 2:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Give\u00a0<strong>Name<\/strong>\u00a0and Save Your Dashboard<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In the pop-up, enter a Name for your dashboard, like \u201c2025 Sales Tracker\u201d or \u201cCustomer Support Aspects.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Choose a&nbsp;<strong>Folder<\/strong>&nbsp;to store, select a public folder for team access or a private one for personal use.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click&nbsp;<strong>Create<\/strong>&nbsp;to open the Dashboard Builder.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Step 3:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Add a Component<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In the Dashboard Builder,&nbsp;<strong>click + Component<\/strong>&nbsp;on the toolbar.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Select a&nbsp;<strong>Report<\/strong>&nbsp;from your saved reports list, like \u201cMonthly Sales by Region,\u201d and click Select.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Choose a&nbsp;<strong>Display<\/strong>&nbsp;Type:<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Chart<\/strong>&nbsp;(e.g., bar, pie, or line for trends).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Table<\/strong>&nbsp;(for detailed lists).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Metric<\/strong>&nbsp;(for a single number).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Gauge<\/strong>&nbsp;(for goal progress).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Customize the component\u2019s title, colors, or labels as needed, then&nbsp;<strong>click Add.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Step 4:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Arrange and Resize Components<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Drag the component onto the dashboard\u2019s grid layout, it\u2019ll snap into place.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Resize it by pulling the corners, make it larger for emphasis or smaller to fit more components.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Repeat Step 3 to add up to 20 components, mixing different types for a comprehensive view.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Step 5:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Add Filters (Optional)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click&nbsp;<strong>+ Filter<\/strong>&nbsp;on the toolbar to let users refine data dynamically.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pick a field from your report, like \u201cClose Date\u201d or \u201cRegion.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Set filter options, such as \u201cThis Quarter\u201d or specific regions (e.g., \u201cNorth America\u201d).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click&nbsp;<strong>Apply<\/strong>. You can add up to three filters to keep it user-friendly.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Step 6:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Set Dashboard Settings<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click on the&nbsp;<strong>gear icon<\/strong>&nbsp;to access dashboard properties.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Theme:<\/strong>&nbsp;Choose light or dark mode for better visibility.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Running User:<\/strong>&nbsp;Decide whose data to show, select yourself, a role, or \u201cThe dashboard viewer\u201d for dynamic, user-specific data.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use the&nbsp;<strong>Preview<\/strong>&nbsp;button to check how it looks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click&nbsp;<strong>Save<\/strong>&nbsp;to apply the settings.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Step 7:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Save and Share<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click&nbsp;<strong>Save<\/strong>&nbsp;to store your progress.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click&nbsp;<strong>Done<\/strong>&nbsp;to exit the dashboard editor.\u200b<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>To view the most current data, click&nbsp;<strong>Refresh<\/strong>&nbsp;on the dashboard.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Share it by adjusting folder permissions through \u201cShare\u201d in the folder settings, or embed it on a Lightning page (such as the Home tab) using the Lightning App Builder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"list-item-4\">Best Practices<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Use Agentforce-powered reports to add predictive metrics for smarter insights.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Limit to 5\u20137 components to avoid overwhelming users.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dashboards don\u2019t update automatically, so click the refresh button (top right) when needed to pull the latest data.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lightning dashboards work in the Salesforce mobile app, so check and test how they appear on your phone.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Set \u201cView Dashboard As\u201d to \u201cThe dashboard viewer\u201d to personalize data based on user roles.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><br>Creating a dashboard in Salesforce Lightning is a powerful way to visualize data, track performance, and make informed decisions in real time. With its intuitive interface and customizable components, Lightning Experience makes building and managing dashboards easier and more effective than ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As you explore dashboard capabilities, it&#8217;s important to understand the <a href=\"https:\/\/differenzforce.com\/blog\/difference-between-salesforce-classic-and-lightning\/\">key difference between Salesforce Classic and Lightning<\/a>. Lightning provides a more modern, flexible, and user-friendly experience, especially for reporting and analytics. Embracing Lightning enhances usability and unlocks the full potential of Salesforce&#8217;s data visualization tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"list-item-6\">FAQs<\/h2>\n\n\n<div id=\"rank-math-faq\" class=\"rank-math-block\">\n<div class=\"rank-math-list \">\n<div id=\"faq-question-1746182406497\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">What is a Salesforce Lightning Dashboard?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>A Salesforce Lightning Dashboard visually represents key business metrics and data trends, compiled from reports within Salesforce.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1746182419505\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">How do I create a new dashboard in Salesforce Lightning?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>To create a new dashboard:\u200b<br \/>Go to the\u00a0<strong>Dashboards<\/strong>\u00a0tab.\u200b<br \/>Click on\u00a0<strong>New Dashboard.<\/strong>\u200b<br \/>Provide a\u00a0<strong>&#8216;name&#8217;<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0<strong>&#8216;description&#8217;<\/strong>\u00a0for the dashboard.\u200b<br \/>Click\u00a0<strong>Create<\/strong>\u00a0to start adding the components.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1746182437982\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Can I use multiple reports in a single dashboard?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Yes, you can place multiple reports in a single dashboard by adding different components, each linked to a separate report.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1746182444395\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Can I schedule automatic refreshes for my dashboard?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Yes, you can schedule dashboards to refresh at specific intervals:\u200b<br \/>Open the dashboard and click on &#8216;Subscribe&#8217;.\u200b<br \/>Set the frequency and time for automatic refreshes.\u200b<br \/><strong>Save<\/strong>\u00a0the subscription settings.\u200b<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1746182454675\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">How do I share my dashboard with others?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Dashboards are stored in folders, and their access is determined by folder permissions. Open the dashboard and click &#8216;Subscribe.&#8217; Set the appropriate permissions for the folder (Viewer, Editor, or Manager).<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1746182468908\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">What are dynamic dashboards, and how do they differ from standard dashboards?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/differenzforce.com\/blog\/dynamic-dashboards-in-salesforce\/\">Dynamic dashboards in Salesforce<\/a> display data tailored to each viewer\u2019s access and permissions, showing only the data they are authorized to see. Standard dashboards display data based on the permissions of a specified running user, regardless of who views the dashboard.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dashboards in Salesforce Lightning are powerful tools that transform your data into actionable insights at a glance. Whether you want to track sales performance, monitor customer service metrics, or analyze marketing campaigns, a well-designed dashboard can save time and support informed decisions. With AI enhancements and dynamic layouts, creating a dashboard in Lightning is easier [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":5685,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[226],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5154","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-salesforce-reporting"],"rank_math_description":"Step by step guide on how to build a custom dashboard in Salesforce Lightning to visualize data, add reports, and track performance in real time.","category_names":["Salesforce Reporting"],"author_name":"Shyam Agarwal","post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/differenzforce.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5154","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/differenzforce.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/differenzforce.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/differenzforce.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/differenzforce.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5154"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/differenzforce.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5154\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6189,"href":"https:\/\/differenzforce.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5154\/revisions\/6189"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/differenzforce.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5685"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/differenzforce.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5154"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/differenzforce.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5154"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/differenzforce.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5154"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}