A new strategic vision for Kibana streamlines the workflow for building and managing dashboards in Kibana. With fewer steps, less clicks, you can spend more time exploring and analyzing your data.

Our Kibana team has been hard at work implementing and executing on a new Kibana strategic vision to streamline the dashboard creation process and sand down the rough edges of creating visualizations for dashboards. We accomplished our goal and reduced the overall time it takes users to go from a blank slate to a meaningful dashboard that conveys insights about the data.In this post, I’m going to explain the technical concepts behind these improvements, and how they work to create a user-friendly and efficient dashboard creation process. My hope for this post is that it helps inform the mental models of our curious power users while they attempt to learn these new dashboard creation flows. For a high-level walkthrough of the Kibana features, check out our other blog post, <a href="/blog/building-kibana-dashboards-more-efficiently">Building Kibana dashboards more efficiently</a>.<h2>By-ref vs By-value</h2>Before describing the new flow in detail, it’s helpful to understand how visualizations live on the dashboard. A dashboard is populated with panels. Each panel has what’s known as an embeddable. Embeddables are responsible for displaying your visualization, whether it’s a chart, map, or tag cloud.&nbsp;In 7.11 and earlier, all visualization panels that you added to a dashboard were by-reference embeddables. Kibana stores by-reference embeddables as saved objects, which contain a saved object ID that is used to render the visualization in the panel. When you export a dashboard with by-reference embeddables from Stack Management, then view the NDJSON file, the dashboard JSON object contains a list of by-reference embeddables and their IDs.<img src="https://images.contentstack.io/v3/assets/bltefdd0b53724fa2ce/blt5ac344f141e64f4b/60cb8d6eb930a53616fa32db/blog-time-to-viz-1.png" data-sys-asset-uid="blt5ac344f141e64f4b" alt="blog-time-to-viz-1.png"/>In 7.12, you can now also add by-value embeddables to your dashboards.By-value embeddables are NOT saved in the Visualize Library. Instead, everything that the dashboard needs to render the visualization is packaged in the by-value embeddable that is stored in the dashboard data structure. Visualizations contained within by-value embeddables only exist within the dashboard. If you compare the JSON of a dashboard with only by-value embeddables to a dashboard with only by-reference embeddables, you’d see that the dashboard with by-value embeddables contains much more information than the by-reference embeddable dashboard.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.contentstack.io/v3/assets/bltefdd0b53724fa2ce/blt13e26b90478964b4/60cb8d7f1e0505677a8819bc/blog-time-to-viz-2.png" data-sys-asset-uid="blt13e26b90478964b4" alt="blog-time-to-viz-2.png"/><h2>Out with the old, in with the new (if you want)</h2>Previously, when you created a dashboard, you could use Lens or Maps to create your visualizations, save it to Kibana, go back to your dashboard, then add your new visualization. There’s a lot of steps in this workflow. Additionally, when you are forced to save every visualization you create, the list of saved visualizations becomes so long that it is difficult to quickly find what you need.In 7.12, the new flow is streamlined so you can spin up dashboards as quickly as possible. To create a dashboard, you select Create panel, select a visualization type, then create your visualization. When your visualization looks correct, you now simply click Save and return to instantly return to the dashboard with your new visualization. The new visualization is a by-value embeddable and only exists within your dashboard. This means you can freely edit or delete the visualization without affecting other dashboards or visualizations. This is the dashboard-first flow: if you create a visualization directly from a dashboard, you are returned directly to the dashboard with your new visualization when you select Save and return.&nbsp;<h2>Create visualizations for reuse</h2>When you create visualizations directly in Visualize, Lens, or Maps, then select Save, you are presented with a new save modal. From this modal, you can add a title and description to your visualization per usual, but now you have the option to add the visualization directly to a new dashboard, an existing dashboard, or to the Visualize Library. If you add the visualization to your dashboard, the visualization is added by-value which, to reiterate, means it will only exist within your dashboard. If you plan to re-use the visualization in multiple places (perhaps on several dashboards or in a Canvas workpad), you’ll want to select the Add to library option, which saves the visualization to the Visualize Library.You can have dashboards that contain visualizations powered by both by-value embeddables and by-reference embeddables to fit your workflow and use case.&nbsp;<h2>Create visualizations for a single dashboard</h2>Visualizations that exist in the Visualize Library display a folder icon in the panel heading on your dashboard. If you want to decouple the visualization from the Visualize Library, you can select Unlink from library from the panel menu.<img src="https://images.contentstack.io/v3/assets/bltefdd0b53724fa2ce/blt5f56e562fa23565f/60cb8d9cd78f9d375f0814d5/blog-time-to-viz-3.gif" data-sys-asset-uid="blt5f56e562fa23565f" alt="blog-time-to-viz-3.gif"/>With the by-value version, you can edit the visualization without changing the version that exists in Visualize Library, or how the visualization functions on other dashboards. If you change your mind, you can add the visualization to the Visualize Library from the panel menu.We hope that with these new flows at your disposal, you are able to create actionable and useful dashboards quicker than ever before.&nbsp;<h2>Get started</h2>If you’d like to try out these new features, <a href="https://cloud.elastic.co/registration">spin up a free trial of Elastic Cloud</a> or <a href="/downloads/">download the latest version of the Elastic Stack</a>. Already have Kibana running? Just upgrade to 7.12 to get started!

blog-banner-release-kibana.png

blog-thumb-release-kibana.png

New in Kibana: How we made it easier to manage visualizations and build dashboards

Start free trial

Blog Footer CTA

Sign up for Elastic Cloud free trial

Poff Poffenberger

By submitting you acknowledge that you've read and agree to our <a href="/legal/elastic-cloud-account-terms" target="_self">Terms of Service</a>, and you agree to receive the <a href="/legal/privacy-statement#how-we-use-the-information" target="_self">selected communications</a> at the contact details you provided above. See <a href="/legal/privacy-statement/" target="_self">Elastic’s Privacy Statement</a> for more details or to opt-out at any time.

Communication Preferences - ONLY for /communication-preferences

Durch das Absenden erklären Sie, dass Sie unsere <a href="/de/legal/elastic-cloud-account-terms" target="_self">Nutzungsbedingungen</a> gelesen haben und mit ihnen einverstanden sind und dass Sie Elastic erlauben, <a href="/de/legal/privacy-statement#how-we-use-the-information" target="_self">ausgewählte Nachrichten und Informationen</a> an die oben von Ihnen bereitgestellten Kontaktangaben zu senden. Weitere Informationen, darunter auch dazu, wie Sie Ihre Einwilligung zurückziehen können, finden Sie in der <a href="/de/legal/privacy-statement/" target="_self">Datenschutzerklärung von Elastic</a>.

By submitting you acknowledge that you've read and agree to our <a href="/legal/serverless-preview-terms" target="_blank">Terms of Service</a>, and that Elastic may <a href="/legal/privacy-statement#how-we-use-the-information" target="_blank">contact you</a> about our related products and services, using the details you provide above. See <a href="/legal/privacy-statement/" target="_blank">Elastic’s Privacy Statement</a> for more details or to opt-out at any time.

Serverless GDPR Text

Durch das Absenden erklären Sie, dass Sie unsere <a href="/de/legal/serverless-preview-terms" target="_self">Nutzungsbedingungen</a> gelesen haben und mit ihnen einverstanden sind und dass Sie Elastic erlauben, bezüglich unserer zugehörigen Produkte und Dienstleistungen und unter Nutzung der von Ihnen oben bereitgestellten Kontaktangaben <a href="/de/legal/privacy-statement#how-we-use-the-information" target="_self">mit Ihnen in Kontakt zu treten</a>. Weitere Informationen, darunter auch dazu, wie Sie Ihre Einwilligung zurückziehen können, finden Sie in der <a href="/de/legal/privacy-statement/" target="_self">Datenschutzerklärung von Elastic</a>.

By submitting you agree to <a href="/agreements/global/cloud-services-monthly" rel="nofollow">Elastic Cloud Terms of Service</a>. Your personal data will be processed in accordance with <a href="/legal/privacy-statement">Elastic's Privacy Statement</a>.

Cloud Trial GDPR Text

Beim Absenden akzeptieren Sie die <a href="/de/agreements/global/cloud-services-monthly" rel="nofollow">Nutzungsbedingungen von Elastic Cloud</a>. Die Verarbeitung Ihrer personenbezogenen Daten unterliegt der <a href="/de/legal/privacy-statement">Datenschutzerklärung von Elastic</a>.

By submitting you acknowledge that you've read and agree to our <a href="/legal/terms-of-use" target="_blank">Terms of Service</a>, and that Elastic may <a href="/legal/privacy-statement#how-we-use-the-information" target="_blank">contact you</a> about our related products and services, using the details you provide above. See <a href="/legal/privacy-statement/" target="_blank">Elastic’s Privacy Statement</a> for more details or to opt-out at any time.

Newsletter GDPR Text

Durch das Absenden erklären Sie, dass Sie unsere <a href="/de/legal/terms-of-use" target="_self">Nutzungsbedingungen</a> gelesen haben und mit ihnen einverstanden sind und dass Sie Elastic erlauben, bezüglich unserer zugehörigen Produkte und Dienstleistungen und unter Nutzung der von Ihnen oben bereitgestellten Kontaktangaben <a href="/de/legal/privacy-statement#how-we-use-the-information" target="_self">mit Ihnen in Kontakt zu treten</a>. Weitere Informationen, darunter auch dazu, wie Sie Ihre Einwilligung zurückziehen können, finden Sie in der <a href="/de/legal/privacy-statement/" target="_self">Datenschutzerklärung von Elastic</a>.

Explore similar demos

Overview

Speakers

Close

See more insights

The content on this page is not available in the selected language. As Elastic grows globally, we continue to support content in multiple languages.

The content on this page is not available in the selected language.

Der Inhalt dieser Seite ist in der ausgewählten Sprache nicht verfügbar. Wir bei Elastic arbeiten daran, die bereitgestellten Inhalte in verschiedenen Sprachen anzubieten. Bis dahin bitten wir Sie um etwas Geduld und hoffen auf Ihr Verständnis!

Author

Watch now (no PT)

Watch now

See all top stories

All (no PT translation)

Contact information

Press Release

Share on Reddit

Articles by

Share this story

Share by Email

Thank you for your interest!

Contact Info

Follow us on Youtube

Load More

Share on LinkedIn

Follow us on LinkedIn

Search Integrations

All Solutions

Video for

Follow us on Twitter

See when this webinar starts in my time zone

Register to Watch

Register now

See All Posts

Can't make it? Register and we'll send you the recording. You'll also receive an email with related content

Sie können nicht dabei sein? Registrieren Sie sich, damit wir Ihnen die Aufzeichnung zukommen lassen können. Außerdem erhalten Sie eine E‑Mail mit Begleitmaterial.

Small image for

On-demand webinar

Featured webinar

Register to Attend

Share on Facebook

Reset all

Upcoming webinar

View more posts

Print

Hosted by

Sign In to Attend

View next

Follow us on Facebook

Share

Highlights

Learn More

Read less

You'll also receive an email with related content

Wir schicken Ihnen zudem relevante Informationen, die von Interesse sein könnten.

Thank you for registering. We will send you a confirmation email soon.

Vielen Dank für Ihre Registrierung. Sie erhalten in Kürze eine Bestätigungs-E‑Mail von uns.

Author

Articles by Poff Poffenberger

New in Kibana: How we made it easier to manage visualizations and build dashboards

Sign up for Elastic Cloud free trial