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Button parameters for LookML dashboards

Buttons are supported only by LookML dashboards with the following settings:

preferred_viewer set to dashboards-next
layout set to newspaper

This page demonstrates how to add and customize a LookML dashboard element of type: button with LookML dashboard parameters in a dashboard.lkml file. Buttons are useful for placing links within your dashboards. You can link to Looker content, such as Looks and dashboards, or to other websites.

For information about adding buttons to a dashboard through the Looker UI, see the Creating user-defined dashboards documentation page.

Example usage


## BASIC PARAMETERS
type: button
name: text
height: N
width: N
row: N
col: N

## BUTTON PARAMETER
rich_content_json: '{
 "text": "button text",
 "description": "description",
 "newTab": true | false,
 "alignment": "left" | "right" | "center",
 "size": "small" | "medium" | "large",
 "style": "OUTLINED" | "FILLED" | "TRANSPARENT",
 "color": "hex string or css color",
 "href": "link"
 }'

Parameter definitions

Parameter Name	Description
Basic Parameters
`type` (for elements)	Determines the type of visualization to be used in the element
`name` (for elements)	Creates an element
`height` (for elements)	Defines the height of a button element's tile box. Height is in units of rows for `layout: newspaper` dashboards
`width` (for elements)	Defines the width of a button element's tile box. Width is in units of columns for `layout: newspaper` dashboards
`row`	Defines the top-to-bottom position of a button element's tile box in units of rows for `layout: newspaper` dashboards
`col`	Defines the left-to-right position of a button element's tile box in units of columns for `layout: newspaper` dashboards
Button Parameter
`rich_content_json`	A JSON object that contains key/value pairs with information about the button

Basic parameters

When defining a LookML dashboard element of type: button, you must specify values for at least the name and type parameters.

The height, width, row, and col parameters apply to a button element's tile box, not to the button itself.

`name`

This section refers to the name parameter that is part of a dashboard element.

name can also be used as part of a dashboard filter, described on the Dashboard parameters documentation page.

Each name declaration creates a new dashboard element and assigns it a name. Element names must be unique.

The name given to the button will not appear in the dashboard UI.

- name: orders_by_date

`type`

This section refers to the type parameter that is part of a dashboard element.

type can also be used as part of a dashboard filter, described on the Dashboard parameters documentation page.

type can also be used as part of a join, described on the type (for joins) parameter documentation page.

type can also be used as part of a dimension, described on the Dimension, filter, and parameter types documentation page.

type can also be used as part of a measure, described on the Measure types documentation page.

The type parameter determines the type of visualization to be used in the element.

- name: element_name
  type: text | looker_grid | table | single_value | looker_single_record |
        looker_column | looker_bar | looker_scatter | looker_line | looker_area |
        looker_pie | looker_donut_multiples | looker_funnel | looker_timeline |
        looker_map | looker_geo_coordinates | looker_geo_choropleth | looker_waterfall |
        looker_wordcloud | looker_boxplot | button

See the type (for LookML dashboards) documentation page for an overview of the different types of LookML dashboard elements.

`height`

This section refers to the height parameter that is part of a dashboard element.

height can also be used as part of a dashboard row, described on the Dashboard parameters documentation page.

The height parameter defines the height of a button element's tile box, in units of row.

Button element tile boxes default to a height of 6 rows. The minimum height is 1 row. Changing button element height may affect other elements on the dashboard but will not affect the height of the button itself.

For example, the following code sets the button's tile box to be 12 rows tall:

- dashboard: sales_overview
  layout: newspaper
  ...

  elements:
  - name: orders_by_date
    height: 12
    ...

`width`

This section refers to the width parameter that is part of a dashboard element.

width can also be used as part of a dashboard, described on the Dashboard parameters documentation page.

The width parameter defines the width of a button element's tile box, in units of columns.

The width of a button element's tile box defaults to 8 columns, which is one-third of the full width of a dashboard. The minimum width for a button's tile box is 2.

For example, the following code sets a button's tile box to half the width of the dashboard:

- dashboard: sales_overview
  layout: newspaper
  ...

  elements:
  - name: orders_by_date
    width: 12
    ...

If there is room within a button's tile box, the button's width will increase to accommodate a long string of text, which is defined in text. However, the button's width will not increase beyond the value set in the width parameter; and, if necessary, the string defined in text will be truncated on the button.

`row`

The row parameter defines the row that the top edge of a button element's tile box is placed on.

A dashboard begins with row 0 at the top of the dashboard. Dashboard button elements default to an element height of 6 rows, meaning the dashboard elements at the top of a dashboard (row: 0) would default to taking up rows 0-5.

In the following example, the code sets a button's tile box to be placed on the second row of elements in the dashboard, assuming elements are set at the default height:

- dashboard: sales_overview
  layout: newspaper
  ...

  elements:
  - name: orders_by_date
    row: 6
    ...

`col`

The col parameter defines the column that the left edge of the button element's tile box is placed on.

Dashboards are divided into 24 columns. A dashboard begins with column 0 at the left of the dashboard. A dashboard with newspaper layout defaults to an element width of 8 columns, meaning the dashboard elements at the left of a dashboard (col: 0) would default to taking up columns 0-7.

For example, the following code sets an element to be set in the third column of elements in the dashboard:

- dashboard: sales_overview
  layout: newspaper
  ...

  elements:
  - name: orders_by_date
    col: 16
    ...

Button parameter

The parameter described in this section can be used to add content to a LookML dashboard element of type: button.

`rich_content_json`

rich_content_json is a JSON object with several key/value pairs that define characteristics of the dashboard button.

rich_content_json: '{
 "text": "Go to Sales Dashboard",
 "description": "View sales from the last 18 months.",
 "newTab": true,
 "alignment": "center",
 "size": "medium",
 "style": "FILLED",
 "color": "forestgreen",
 "href":"https://instance_name.looker.com/dashboards/152?State=California&Created+Fiscal+Quarter=2022"
 }'

`text`

text defines the text that will appear on the button in the dashboard UI. The button expands in width to accommodate the text until it reaches the limit set by the width parameter, at which point the text will be truncated.

`description`

description defines text that appears as a pop-up tooltip upon hover over the button. If no description is provided, it defaults to show the link provided in href.

`newTab`

newTab is a Boolean that defines whether the button link will open in a new tab (true) or open in the current tab (false). newTab defaults to true.

`alignment`

alignment sets the alignment of the button within the button element's tile box. alignment defaults to center.

size

size sets the size of the button and its text to small, medium, or large. The value of size does not affect the size of the button element's tile box or the height parameter.

`style`

style sets the style of the button to one of the following values:

FILLED: The button's body is filled by the color set in color. The button's text is white. This is the default value.
OUTLINED: The button has an outline around its edge but its body is transparent. The color of the button text is set by color.
TRANSPARENT: The button's body is transparent. The color of the button text is set by color.

`color`

color sets the color of the button or the button's text, depending on the style setting. color defaults to the first color in the Looker instance's default categorical color collection.

Color values can be formatted as hex strings, such as #2ca6cd, or as CSS color names, such as mediumblue.

`href`

href sets the URL to which the button will take users. Links to other Looker dashboards can contain filter parameters that set dashboard filters to specific values.

In an embedded experience, links to dashboards should contain embed/ in the link URL.