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Customize a Dashboard

Learn how you can customize a Dashboard to get the most value out of your reporting and data

Sara Sorenson avatar
Written by Sara Sorenson
Updated over a month ago

Customize a Dashboard

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Dashboards on Muck Rack enable you to view data and graphs from across several data sources in one central view. See how your coverage changes in real-time in your organization’s live Dashboard to gain a comprehensive and up-to-date understanding of your press hits.

Exclusive to Premier

Please note that Dashboard customization is exclusive to those with a Premier Muck Rack subscription. If you'd like to explore upgrading your subscription, we recommend you reach out to your Customer Success Manager directly.

Learn More in Muck Rack Academy

You can learn all about Dashboards by taking the Dashboards course on the Muck Rack Academy.


Create a New Custom Dashboard

  1. From the navigation bar, select Reporting > Dashboards.

    Shows the Reporting menu expanded with the 'Dashboards' option circled in red


  2. Select the Create New button in the top right corner, then select Create custom.

    Shows the 'Create new' button expanded with the 'Create custom' option circled in red


  3. Select your desired widgets from the Widget Library, then select the Add widgets to Dashboard button at the bottom.

    Shows the 'Widget library' panel expanded with several widgets selected


  4. Give your Dashboard a name, select sharing settings (with your organization or only you), then choose Save.

    Shows the 'Dashboard settings' pop-up window


  5. For each widget, select the + Add data button and choose your data sources (Saved Search, New Search, or Coverage Report) then select Save.

    Shows data sources being added to a widget using the steps previously listed

NOTE: You can add up to 18 widgets to any of your custom Dashboards.


Add Widgets to a Custom Dashboard

For a full list of available widgets, see our Dashboard Widgets & Templates article.

  1. From a new Dashboard, select Pick your own widgets button. From an existing Dashboard, select the Add widget button.

    Shows the 'Create a Dashboard' page with the 'Pick your own widgets' button highlighted
    Shows an existing dashboard with the 'Add widget' button highlighted in the top right-hand corner


  2. Select your desired widget to add from the widget library then select the Add widget(s) to dashboard button at the bottom.

    Shows the 'Widget library' panel expanded with several widgets selected


  3. Choose your data source. This is the search or report from which information will be displayed. You can choose Saved Search, New Search, or Coverage Report.

    Shows data sources being selected in the 'Configure widget' panel


    NOTE: Coverage Reports added to Dashboards will update over time as the data updates in real-time.

  4. Select your desired item from the drop-down if adding an existing Saved Search or Coverage Report. If you add a New Search, fill out your desired fields in the search panel that appears to the right.

    Shows the 'New article search' panel


  5. Select the Save button.

    Shows the 'Configure widget' panel with the 'Save' button highlighted at the bottom

NOTE: You can add up to 18 widgets to any custom Dashboards.


Customize Your Dashboard Widgets

Select the dots in the upper right of your Widget to edit it. This will open the Configure Widget panel.

From the Configure Widget panel, you can edit the name of your widget, add or remove data sources, change the labels of your data, and customize the colors of your data visualizations.

Shows colors being updated on a widget using the 'Configure widget' panel

💡TIP: Want to change the colors for all of your widgets at once so you don't have to edit each one manually? Here's how to do it:

  1. Before any other widgets are populated with data, open the Configure Widget panel for a widget that includes colored visualizations (such as a line graph or pie chart).

  2. Assign colors to each of your data sources using the Configure widget panel.

    Shows colors being updated on a widget using the 'Configure widget' panel

  3. Select Save at the bottom of the panel.

  4. Select the Add now link in the Populate more widgets pop-up that appears in the bottom right-hand corner.

    Shows a closeup of the 'Populate more widgets' pop-up message with the 'Add now' link circled in red


    Once you populate the widgets using the panel that appears, they should all reflect the same colors for the same data sources.


Combine Multiple Data Sources Into One Visualization

There are times you may want to combine multiple data sources into a single visualization. For example, let's say you have a dedicated Coverage Report set up for each major brand of electric vehicles your company competes with, but you want to be able to see the data for all of those combined without having to create a new Coverage Report or Saved Search.

You can use the Visualization checkbox to combine data from all of your sources:

Shows the "Visualization" option in the Configure Widget panel with a description that reads, "Combine data from all sources"

Here's the difference when Visualization is left unchecked vs. checked:

Before (Unchecked)

After (Checked)

Shows an Articles Over Time widget with the "Visualization" option left unchecked, showing multiple lines in a line graph
Shows an Articles Over Time widget with the "Visualization" option checked, showing only one line in a line graph

NOTE: If only 1 data source is selected, this option will either not appear or will show a different option to run a time comparison.


Add Custom Article Data to a Dashboard

Want to visualize the custom article data from your Coverage Report in a chart or graph? You can do so using the following steps:

  1. From a new Dashboard, select Pick your own widgets button. From an existing Dashboard, select the Add widget button.

    Shows the 'Create a Dashboard' page with the 'Pick your own widgets' button highlighted
    Shows an existing dashboard with the 'Add widget' button highlighted in the top right-hand corner

  2. Search for the "Custom article data" widget in the Widget Library. Select the widget, then select the Add widget(s) to Dashboard button at the bottom.

    Shows the Widget library filtered by the keyword "custom" showing a "Custom article data" widget

  3. Give your widget a name and select a Coverage Report as your data source.

    Shows a name and data source being added using the Configure Widget panel


  4. Scroll down to the "Custom data" section and select which custom column you want to use within the Coverage Report to populate this widget with data.

    Shows the "Custom column" dropdown menu expanded

  5. If desired, assign custom colors by selecting the color picker next to each data item.

    Shows the "Custom column choices" section of the Configure Widget panel

  6. Select the Save button to populate your widget.

    Shows the fully customized widget within the dashboard


Compare Data to a Previous Time Period

Easily compare key metrics in your Dashboards across previous periods such as month-over-month, year-over-year, quarter-to-quarter, or custom date ranges, to better understand how your coverage evolves over time.

  1. Navigate to the Configure Widget panel either when creating a new Dashboard or editing existing widgets in an existing Dashboard.


    Shows the 'Configure widget' panel


  2. Add a single data source to a compatible widget (see widgets marked with an asterisk in the Widget List below).

    Shows a single data source being added


  3. Select the Compare one data source over time option.

    Shows the 'Configure widget' panel with the 'Visualization' option highlighted


  4. Select Save.

    Shows the 'Configure widget' panel with the 'Save' button highlighted


  5. Scroll to your new widget and select the comparison time period to open a date picker.

    Shows a dashboard being refreshed to show a widget with the time comparison visualization and a cursor selecting the link 'previous 365 days' to open a date picker


  6. Select a date range and then select Apply to update your widget.

    Shows the date picker that appears

NOTE: When loading your Dashboard after adding a widget with the time comparison option selected, the new widget will default to the date range of your Dashboard.

E.g. If your Dashboard is set to Last Week, your time comparison widget will show your data source compared over the previous week.

The date range available is based on how many days have passed in the filtered timeframe selected.

E.g. If "This week" is selected and it is the middle of the week, you will only be given the option to select a comparison range equal to the number of days that have already passed in the current week.



Reorder or Move Your Dashboard Widgets

Strategically placing certain types of data next to each other is an effective way to show your impact to stakeholders. For example, a dashboard that shows Pitch volume, earned media, and website traffic side-by-side is a great way to show how your PR efforts have impacted tangible business outcomes.

To change the order in which your widgets appear, simply select and drag a widget within the dashboard:

Shows a widget being dragged to another position within a dashboard


Delete a Dashboard Widget

If you decide you want to remove a widget from your dashboard, you can do so at any time by selecting the dots in the upper right corner of the Widget, then select the Delete button at the bottom.


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Question

Answer

Can I filter the data in my Dashboard widgets?

While you cannot apply filters directly to a widget, you can filter your data sources, i.e. the Saved Search or Coverage Reports attached to the widget.

How many widgets can I add to a custom Dashboard?

You can add up to 18 widgets to any custom Dashboards.

Why can't I add any new widgets to my Dashboard?

There are only two instances where you should be unable to add a new widget:

  1. You have reached the maximum allowed (18 total widgets).

  2. You are on a non-Premier Muck Rack subscription and are thus limited to the widgets included in the Dashboard Template.

I can see all of the data in my Dashboard, but my teammate in the same organization only sees some data. Why is this?

This can happen if you are using data sources (Saved Searches or Coverage Reports) that are set to 'Only me' visibility. We recommend checking the settings within your data sources to ensure visibility is shared with the whole org if you'd like to use them in Dashboards.

Can I export my dashboard?

To share a dashboard, you can either create a Presentation or export individual widgets to include in external reports or messages.


Get Help

For additional help, contact support by choosing the chat icon in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen and selecting Messages > Send us a message.


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