---
title: Dashboards in PlanGuru Analytics
description: Building Dashboards and Metrics in PlanGuru Analytics
---

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# Dashboards in PlanGuru Analytics

## How to build Dashboards with the Metrics you want to visualize

gonna be focusing on dashboards and reports, specifically dashboards to start. Right? So why are dashboards important? Dashboards are real time performance snapshots. Right? Instead of digging through Excel reports, you'd see your key numbers in one place. They make financial conversations easier. They turn rows of numbers into visualizations that decision makers can absorb in seconds. Now, when you first open your company, there will be some default dashboards, as you could see already added, that range from focusing on, you know, historical data so far in the year, to budgeted and forecasted amounts, you know, cash flow projections, detailed financial statements. However, there is also a sizable library library of dashboard templates to choose from, which is fantastic for getting a head start on building the perfect dashboard for you. And each one has, you know, a short description of its purpose and the KPIs that are included if you hover your mouse over the tool tip here. But let's open up one of these dashboards and take a look. We'll open up the three way budget toolkit here. And this one specifically looks at some actual results compared to budgeted targets. And once opened, you see a bunch of these rectangles of varying sizes and shapes. Right? These rectangles are called metrics. These metrics can be things like live text that automatically updates when your data is updated from PlanGuru. Great for things like budget versus actual comparisons. They can be charts that help visualize data. Right here. They keep tables where you can include specific accounts or assumptions lines, you know, into a custom format. Great for things like executive summaries. And you also have these dividers up at the top that basically act as headers for each section. So this one's called profitability. If I scroll down, liquidity and efficiency, those are called dividers. And these metrics are completely customizable and can be reordered, resized, or reworked. So for example, if I click on this live text edits and I wanna change, you know, this gross profits to total income. Alright? I can change it to total income and click save. And it just updated that live text. I could also adjust one of these visualizations. If I click edit on this chart, a second tab appears. It presents me with the dataset up above, which I can, you know, adjust. I can apply filters, settings. I can add rows, columns with custom calculations. And then below that, we have our chart types. How do you wanna see this information portrayed? Column charts, line charts, bar chart, pie charts, etcetera. These can be further adjusted with the additional settings on the right. So if you wanna change the headers, you know, the colors of the bars, etcetera, completely customizable. And, you know, if you made some changes to these metrics that you really like and you want to apply, you know, these metrics to other dashboards and reports, maybe for other clients if you're a business adviser, you can click this button on a, on a metric, and you can save it as a templates. There we go. Save it as a template and have your own library of templates. Now, you know, when you wanted to add a metric to the dashboard and you go to templates, you can choose from, again, the vast library of rebuilt templates that Reach and PlanGuru Analytics provides or your own sets of saved templates.

 

### 📊 Dashboards & Metrics

Dashboards in PlanGuru Analytics provide **real-time performance snapshots** of your financial data. Instead of digging through spreadsheets, dashboards bring your most important numbers into one visual, easy-to-understand view.

They transform rows of data into charts, KPIs, and summaries that decision-makers can absorb in seconds, making financial conversations clearer and faster.

![Screenshot 2026-02-23 at 10.42.13 AM](https://help.planguru.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-02-23%20at%2010.42.13%20AM.png?width=17&height=5&name=Screenshot%202026-02-23%20at%2010.42.13%20AM.png)

---

#### 1️⃣ Why Dashboards Matter

Dashboards help you:

- View **real-time financial performance**
- Compare **Actual vs Budget vs Forecast**
- Monitor **Cash Flow, Profitability, Liquidity, and Efficiency**
- Simplify executive-level reporting
- Replace static Excel reports with dynamic visuals

Think of dashboards as your **financial command center**.

---

#### 2️⃣ Default Dashboards

When you open a company, several **default dashboards** are already available. These may include:

- Historical year-to-date performance
- Budget vs Actual comparisons
- Forecast dashboards
- Cash flow projections
- Detailed financial statement summaries

![Screenshot 2026-02-23 at 10.42.13 AM](https://help.planguru.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-02-23%20at%2010.42.13%20AM.png?width=670&height=202&name=Screenshot%202026-02-23%20at%2010.42.13%20AM.png)

These provide a strong starting point for most users.

---

#### 3️⃣ Dashboard Template Library

PlanGuru Analytics also includes a **large library of dashboard templates**.

Each template:

- Includes a short description
- Lists included KPIs
- Shows purpose via hover tooltips

![Screenshot 2026-02-23 at 10.42.43 AM](https://help.planguru.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-02-23%20at%2010.42.43%20AM.png?width=670&height=276&name=Screenshot%202026-02-23%20at%2010.42.43%20AM.png)

This makes it easy to get a head start building dashboards tailored to your needs.

---

#### 4️⃣ Understanding Metrics

When you open a dashboard (for example, the **Three-Way Budget Toolkit**), you’ll see multiple rectangular elements.

These are called **Metrics**.

![Screenshot 2026-02-23 at 10.43.13 AM-1](https://help.planguru.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-02-23%20at%2010.43.13%20AM-1.png?width=670&height=518&name=Screenshot%202026-02-23%20at%2010.43.13%20AM-1.png)

### Types of Metrics:

### 🔹 Live Text

Automatically updates as PlanGuru data updates.  
Great for:

- Budget vs Actual comparisons
- Variance summaries
- Key KPI highlights

![live text](https://help.planguru.com/hs-fs/hubfs/live%20text.png?width=303&height=193&name=live%20text.png)

---

### 🔹 Charts

Visual representations of financial data.

Examples:

- Column charts
- Line charts
- Bar charts
- Pie charts

![Tables](https://help.planguru.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Tables.png?width=670&height=369&name=Tables.png)

---

### 🔹 Tables

Custom table views that display:

- Specific accounts
- Assumption lines
- Custom groupings

Perfect for:

- Executive summaries
- Detailed breakdowns

![charts-2](https://help.planguru.com/hs-fs/hubfs/charts-2.png?width=670&height=352&name=charts-2.png)

---

### 🔹 Dividers

Dividers act as **section headers** within dashboards.

Examples:

- Profitability
- Liquidity
- Efficiency

![dividers](https://help.planguru.com/hs-fs/hubfs/dividers.png?width=494&height=339&name=dividers.png)

---

#### 5️⃣ Customizing Metrics

All metrics are **fully customizable**.

You can:

- Reorder
- Resize
- Edit content
- Change formatting

---

### ✏️ Editing Live Text

1. Click **Edit** on the Live Text metric.
2. Update the wording (e.g., change “Gross Profit” to “Total Income”).
3. Click **Save**.

The metric updates instantly.

![Edit Live Text](https://help.planguru.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Edit%20Live%20Text.png?width=271&height=424&name=Edit%20Live%20Text.png)

---

### 📈 Editing Charts

1. Click **Edit** on a chart.
2. A new configuration tab opens.
3. Adjust:
   
     - Dataset
     - Filters
     - Rows/Columns
     - Custom calculations

Below the dataset, choose how to visualize the data:

- Column
- Line
- Bar
- Pie and more

On the right side, adjust:

- Headers
- Labels
- Colors
- Display settings

![charts](https://help.planguru.com/hs-fs/hubfs/charts.png?width=670&height=256&name=charts.png)

---

#### 6️⃣ Saving Metrics as Templates

If you create a metric you love:

1. Click the **Save as Template** option on the metric.
2. Store it in your personal template library.

![Save As Template](https://help.planguru.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Save%20As%20Template.png?width=611&height=337&name=Save%20As%20Template.png)

This is especially powerful for:

- Business advisors managing multiple clients
- Standardizing KPI dashboards
- Reusing executive summary formats

---

#### 7️⃣ Adding New Metrics

To add a new metric:

1. Click **Add Metric**
2. Choose from:
   
     - Built-in PlanGuru/Reach template library
     - Your saved templates

![Add Metric](https://help.planguru.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Add%20Metric.png?width=382&height=256&name=Add%20Metric.png)

You can build highly customized dashboards combining:

- Standard financial KPIs
- Custom operational metrics
- Client-specific performance measure

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