How to Create and Configure List Reports in Storyboards

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Prerequisites: How to build queries using the Define panel – read this article first

What you’ll learn

By the end of this article, you’ll know how to:

• Create a list report (table) tile in a Storyboard.
• Configure column sorting, pagination, and totals.
• Use the expand/collapse feature for hierarchical dimensions.
• Apply conditional formatting and change indicators.

Overview

A List Report displays data in a tabular format with rows and columns. Where charts show patterns and trends visually, list reports let viewers see exact values, compare across multiple dimensions, and drill into the detail behind the headlines.

List Reports support features that charts don’t: column sorting, pagination for large datasets, expand/collapse for hierarchical dimensions, conditional formatting, sparklines, change indicators, and CSV export. They’re the right choice when your audience needs to work with the numbers, not just read them.

Before you begin

Confirm that you have the CanCreateStoryboard and CanExploreData permissions. Your Admin configures these in Admin > Application Role > Permissions. Without CanCreateStoryboard, the options to create a new Storyboard won’t appear.

To build tiles using the Define panel, you also need CanExploreData. To pin from the One AI Assistant, your organisation needs to have One AI enabled. See Roles and Permissions for full details.

Creating a list report

1. Enter Modify Mode by clicking on the pencil icon at the top right of the Storyboard title bar and click the Add (+) icon.
2. Select List Table from the tile type menu.
3. In the Define panel, add your Metrics and Dimensions. Unlike charts, list reports can display many metrics and dimensions side by side.
4. Click Run & Preview Query to see the table.
5. Click Insert to Storyboard.

Column sorting

Viewers can sort list report columns by clicking on a column header. Click once for ascending order, click again for descending. This is enabled by default and works for both metric columns and dimension columns.

As a Storyboard designer, you can set a default sort order in the Design panel so the table loads with your preferred column already sorted.

Pagination

Large datasets are paginated automatically. You can control the number of rows per page in the Design panel under table settings. Viewers navigate between pages using the pagination controls at the bottom of the tile.

Tip: If you’re using the expand/collapse feature, turning off pagination makes it easier for viewers to navigate the hierarchy without page breaks interrupting the structure.

Table totals and subtotals

You can add totals and subtotals to list reports through the Design panel. Totals appear at the bottom of the table and aggregate the visible data using the function you select (Sum, Average, Min, Max, or Count). Subtotals appear at each group break when the table is grouped by a dimension. 

For a more detailed explanation of table totals - read the Table Totals Guide.

Expand and collapse

When your query includes multiple levels of the same dimension (for example, four levels of a Sup Org hierarchy), you can enable expand/collapse so viewers drill into the hierarchy directly within the tile.

1. Build a query that includes multiple levels of a dimension.
2. Insert the table to the Storyboard.
3. In Modify Mode, open Tile Settings (colour palette icon) for the table tile.
4. Scroll to the Expand / Collapse section and toggle it to On.

The table initially shows only the top-level nodes. Viewers click the expand icon next to a node to reveal its children at the next level. Parent nodes display subtotals of their children.

Note: Each query is limited to 1,000 dimensions and nodes per level. Queries exceeding this limit will be too large to process.

Change indicators and sparklines

Change indicators show the direction and magnitude of change between periods directly in the table. Sparklines add a small trend chart within a table cell. Both are configured in the Design panel under table-specific settings.

The "No Change" visual indicator displays when a metric has not changed between periods, using a distinct colour (configurable in the Design panel) so viewers can quickly distinguish between no change and missing data.

Conditional formatting

Conditional formatting lets you apply colour-coded highlighting to metric values based on rules you define - for example, highlighting turnover rates above 15% in red. Configure this in the Design panel under the table formatting section.

Pinning from the One AI Assistant

If your organisation has the One AI Assistant enabled, you can ask questions in natural language and pin the results directly to a Storyboard. This is a fast way to go from a question (“What’s our turnover rate by department?”) to a visualisation on a Storyboard without building a query manually.

1. Open the One AI Assistant from the navigation bar.
2. Enter your question using the suggested prompts or type your own.
3. Review the AI-generated result.
4. Scroll down and click Pin Result to…
5. Select Create New Storyboard (or choose an existing Storyboard to add it to).
6. Repeat with additional questions to build out the Storyboard.

For more on what the AI Assistant can answer and how to get the best results, see: What is One AI Assistant and what can it answer?

Note: Access to the One AI Assistant is controlled by your Application Access Role permissions. If you don’t see the One AI Assistant option, check with your Admin.

Next steps

Now that you can build list reports, you might want to explore:

• How to use Storyboard filters – filtering list reports dynamically.
• How to customise Storyboard appearance using the Design panel – styling tables, colours, and layout.
• How to build a basic chart in a Storyboard – when a visual tells the story better than a table.