Create actions that modify or refresh elements

Workbooks support actions that determine column visibility, update element groupings and properties, change axis scales, and refresh data. These actions enable interacting users to quickly view and drill into different underlying data segments, tailor chart presentations, and ensure elements display the most up-to-date data.

This document explains how to configure actions to modify or refresh elements. For more information about actions in Sigma, see Intro to actions.

User requirements

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The following requirements apply to users who configure actions. Users who access and interact with a workbook can typically trigger all existing actions within it. Any restrictions are noted in this document.

The ability to configure actions requires the following:

• You must be assigned an account type with the Full explore or Create, edit, and publish workbooks permission enabled.

• You must be the workbook owner or be granted Can explore¹ or Can edit workbook permission.

1 If you’re granted Can explore workbook permission, you can configure actions but cannot save changes to the workbook’s published version.

Show specific columns

Create an action that shows a specific column or set of columns in the target element.

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This action cannot modify grouped columns.

1. Open a workbook in Explore or Edit mode.
2. Select the element you want to trigger the action, then click Actions in the side navigation.
3. In the Actions panel, click Add action in an existing sequence, or click Add action sequence to create a new one.
4. In the Action modal, configure the required fields to define the response:

• Action	Select Modify element.
  Target element	Select an element to modify.
  What to modify	Select Show columns, then choose one or more columns to show in the target element. If the trigger element is a List value or Segmented control, select the From a static selection option in the secondary field to enable column selection. When you choose All columns, user interaction triggers the target element to show all columns that existed at the time you configured the action. To show columns added post-configuration, you must update the action.
  Hide unselected columns	Select the checkbox to hide the remaining columns (not selected in the What to modify field), or keep the checkbox clear to continue showing all columns already displayed in the target element.

5. If the trigger element is a table, pivot table, or input table, configure additional settings that determine when and how user interaction triggers the action sequence:
   • To trigger the action sequence only when a user selects a cell in a specific column, click the When selecting cells in column field and select the column. To trigger the action sequence when a user selects a cell in any column, select Any column.
   • [optional] To control whether keyboard navigation within the element can trigger action sequences on the element, click More in the Actions panel, then select Allow keyboard to trigger actions. When the option displays a checkmark, keyboard navigation and pointer events (e.g., mouse clicks) can trigger the action sequences. When the option doesn't display a checkmark (default), only pointer events can trigger them.

     💡

     Keyboard navigation as a trigger interaction can disrupt the user experience. For example, if the element's action sequences include actions that open links or other workbooks, a user can be unintentionally navigated away from their current task. This can be particularly disruptive if the action sequence can be triggered by selecting a cell in any column.

     Consider allowing keyboard navigation to trigger actions only when it facilitates the configured action sequences and is unlikely to interfere with usability.

6. [optional] To execute the action sequence only when a specific condition met, click More in the action sequence, then select Add condition and configure the criteria. For more information about conditions, see Define an action condition.

Show columns with names matching control values

Create an action that shows columns in the target element when the column names match selected control values in the trigger element. This action can only be configured when the trigger element is a List value or Segmented control.

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This action cannot modify grouped columns.

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To set column names as control values, use one of the following methods:

• Enter column names in an input table column, then select that column as the control element's value source.
• Create a manual list of column names as the control element's values source.

1. Open a workbook in Explore or Edit mode.
2. Select the element you want to trigger the action, then click Actions in the side navigation.
3. In the Actions panel, click Add action in an existing sequence, or click Add action sequence to create a new one.
4. In the Action modal, configure the required fields to define the response:

• Action	Select Modify element.
  Target element	Select an element to modify.
  What to modify	Select Show columns, then select With names matching control values in the secondary field. When a user interacts with the control, the target element shows all columns with names that match selected control values (selected checkboxes in a List value control, or the selected segment in a Segmented control) and hides all columns with names that match unselected control values (cleared checkboxes in a List value control, or unselected segments in a Segmented control). Columns with names that don't correspond to control values are unaffected by the action and may be shown or hidden based on other configurations and actions.

5. If the trigger element is a table, pivot table, or input table, configure additional settings that determine when and how user interaction triggers the action sequence:
   • To trigger the action sequence only when a user selects a cell in a specific column, click the When selecting cells in column field and select the column. To trigger the action sequence when a user selects a cell in any column, select Any column.
   • [optional] To control whether keyboard navigation within the element can trigger action sequences on the element, click More in the Actions panel, then select Allow keyboard to trigger actions. When the option displays a checkmark, keyboard navigation and pointer events (e.g., mouse clicks) can trigger the action sequences. When the option doesn't display a checkmark (default), only pointer events can trigger them.

     💡

     Keyboard navigation as a trigger interaction can disrupt the user experience. For example, if the element's action sequences include actions that open links or other workbooks, a user can be unintentionally navigated away from their current task. This can be particularly disruptive if the action sequence can be triggered by selecting a cell in any column.

     Consider allowing keyboard navigation to trigger actions only when it facilitates the configured action sequences and is unlikely to interfere with usability.

6. [optional] To execute the action sequence only when a specific condition met, click More in the action sequence, then select Add condition and configure the criteria. For more information about conditions, see Define an action condition.

Hide specific columns

Create an action that hides a specific column or set of columns in the target element.

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This action cannot modify grouped columns.

1. Open a workbook in Explore or Edit mode.
2. Select the element you want to trigger the action, then click Actions in the side navigation.
3. In the Actions panel, click Add action in an existing sequence, or click Add action sequence to create a new one.
4. In the Action modal, configure the required fields to define the response:

• Action	Select Modify element.
  Target element	Select an element to modify.
  What to modify	Select Hide columns, then choose one or more columns to hide in the target element. If the trigger element is a List value or Segmented control, select the From a static selection option in the secondary field to enable column selection. When you choose All columns, user interaction triggers the target element to show all columns that existed at the time you configured the action. To show columns added post-configuration, you must update the action.
  Show unselected columns	Select the checkbox to show the remaining columns (not selected in the What to modify field), or keep the checkbox clear to continue hiding all columns already hidden in the target element.

5. If the trigger element is a table, pivot table, or input table, configure additional settings that determine when and how user interaction triggers the action sequence:
   • To trigger the action sequence only when a user selects a cell in a specific column, click the When selecting cells in column field and select the column. To trigger the action sequence when a user selects a cell in any column, select Any column.
   • [optional] To control whether keyboard navigation within the element can trigger action sequences on the element, click More in the Actions panel, then select Allow keyboard to trigger actions. When the option displays a checkmark, keyboard navigation and pointer events (e.g., mouse clicks) can trigger the action sequences. When the option doesn't display a checkmark (default), only pointer events can trigger them.

     💡

     Keyboard navigation as a trigger interaction can disrupt the user experience. For example, if the element's action sequences include actions that open links or other workbooks, a user can be unintentionally navigated away from their current task. This can be particularly disruptive if the action sequence can be triggered by selecting a cell in any column.

     Consider allowing keyboard navigation to trigger actions only when it facilitates the configured action sequences and is unlikely to interfere with usability.

6. [optional] To execute the action sequence only when a specific condition met, click More in the action sequence, then select Add condition and configure the criteria. For more information about conditions, see Define an action condition.

Hide columns with names matching control values

Create an action that hides columns in the target element when the column names match selected control values in the trigger element. This action can only be configured when the trigger element is a List value or Segmented control.

📘

This action cannot modify grouped columns.

💡

To set column names as control values, use one of the following methods:

• Enter column names in an input table column, then select that column as the control element's value source.
• Create a manual list of column names as the control element's values source.

1. Open a workbook in Explore or Edit mode.
2. Select the element you want to trigger the action, then click Actions in the side navigation.
3. In the Actions panel, click Add action in an existing sequence, or click Add action sequence to create a new one.
4. In the Action modal, configure the required fields to define the response:

• Action	Select Modify element.
  Target element	Select an element to modify.
  What to modify	Select Hide columns, then select With names matching control values in the secondary field. When a user interacts with the control, the target element hides all columns with names that match selected control values (selected checkboxes in a List value control, or the selected segment in a Segmented control) and shows all columns with names that match unselected control values (cleared checkboxes in a List value control, or unselected segments in a Segmented control). Columns with names that don't correspond to control values are unaffected by the action and may be shown or hidden based on other configurations and actions.

5. If the trigger element is a table, pivot table, or input table, configure additional settings that determine when and how user interaction triggers the action sequence:
   • To trigger the action sequence only when a user selects a cell in a specific column, click the When selecting cells in column field and select the column. To trigger the action sequence when a user selects a cell in any column, select Any column.
   • [optional] To control whether keyboard navigation within the element can trigger action sequences on the element, click More in the Actions panel, then select Allow keyboard to trigger actions. When the option displays a checkmark, keyboard navigation and pointer events (e.g., mouse clicks) can trigger the action sequences. When the option doesn't display a checkmark (default), only pointer events can trigger them.

     💡

     Keyboard navigation as a trigger interaction can disrupt the user experience. For example, if the element's action sequences include actions that open links or other workbooks, a user can be unintentionally navigated away from their current task. This can be particularly disruptive if the action sequence can be triggered by selecting a cell in any column.

     Consider allowing keyboard navigation to trigger actions only when it facilitates the configured action sequences and is unlikely to interfere with usability.

6. [optional] To execute the action sequence only when a specific condition met, click More in the action sequence, then select Add condition and configure the criteria. For more information about conditions, see Define an action condition.

Move columns

Create an action that moves a column into or out of a table grouping, visualization property (axis, color, tooltip, etc.), or pivot table property (row, column, or value) in the target element. This action doesn’t remove the existing columns in the target property unless that property can only contain one column.

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If the target element is a table, the Move columns option is only available when the table contains existing groupings.

1. Open a workbook in Explore or Edit mode.
2. Select the element you want to trigger the action, then click Actions in the side navigation.
3. In the Actions panel, click Add action in an existing sequence, or click Add action sequence to create a new one.
4. In the Action modal, configure the required fields to define the response:

• Action	Select Modify element.
  Target element	Select an element to modify.
  What to modify	Select Move columns, then select a grouping or property from the target element. The to base option removes a column from its current placement in a grouping or property.
  Column to move	Select a column to move into or out of the target grouping or property.

5. If the trigger element is a table, pivot table, or input table, configure additional settings that determine when and how user interaction triggers the action sequence:
   • To trigger the action sequence only when a user selects a cell in a specific column, click the When selecting cells in column field and select the column. To trigger the action sequence when a user selects a cell in any column, select Any column.
   • [optional] To control whether keyboard navigation within the element can trigger action sequences on the element, click More in the Actions panel, then select Allow keyboard to trigger actions. When the option displays a checkmark, keyboard navigation and pointer events (e.g., mouse clicks) can trigger the action sequences. When the option doesn't display a checkmark (default), only pointer events can trigger them.

     💡

     Keyboard navigation as a trigger interaction can disrupt the user experience. For example, if the element's action sequences include actions that open links or other workbooks, a user can be unintentionally navigated away from their current task. This can be particularly disruptive if the action sequence can be triggered by selecting a cell in any column.

     Consider allowing keyboard navigation to trigger actions only when it facilitates the configured action sequences and is unlikely to interfere with usability.

6. [optional] To execute the action sequence only when a specific condition met, click More in the action sequence, then select Add condition and configure the criteria. For more information about conditions, see Define an action condition.

Swap columns

Create an action that swaps all columns of a table grouping, visualization property (axis, color, tooltip, etc.), or pivot table property (row, column, or value). This action removes all existing columns in the target grouping or property and replaces them with the selected column.

1. Open a workbook in Explore or Edit mode.
2. Select the element you want to trigger the action, then click Actions in the side navigation.
3. In the Actions panel, click Add action in an existing sequence, or click Add action sequence to create a new one.
4. In the Action modal, configure the required fields to define the response:

• Action	Select Modify element.
  Target element	Select an element to modify.
  What to modify	Select Swap columns, then select a grouping or property from the target element.
  Swap with	Select a column to replace the existing columns in the target grouping or property.

5. If the trigger element is a table, pivot table, or input table, configure additional settings that determine when and how user interaction triggers the action sequence:
   • To trigger the action sequence only when a user selects a cell in a specific column, click the When selecting cells in column field and select the column. To trigger the action sequence when a user selects a cell in any column, select Any column.
   • [optional] To control whether keyboard navigation within the element can trigger action sequences on the element, click More in the Actions panel, then select Allow keyboard to trigger actions. When the option displays a checkmark, keyboard navigation and pointer events (e.g., mouse clicks) can trigger the action sequences. When the option doesn't display a checkmark (default), only pointer events can trigger them.

     💡

     Keyboard navigation as a trigger interaction can disrupt the user experience. For example, if the element's action sequences include actions that open links or other workbooks, a user can be unintentionally navigated away from their current task. This can be particularly disruptive if the action sequence can be triggered by selecting a cell in any column.

     Consider allowing keyboard navigation to trigger actions only when it facilitates the configured action sequences and is unlikely to interfere with usability.

6. [optional] To execute the action sequence only when a specific condition met, click More in the action sequence, then select Add condition and configure the criteria. For more information about conditions, see Define an action condition.

Set the axis scale

Create an action to set the scale of the dependent variable (or value) axis in the target element.

1. Open a workbook in Explore or Edit mode.
2. Select the element you want to trigger the action, then click Actions in the side navigation.
3. In the Actions panel, click Add action in an existing sequence, or click Add action sequence to create a new one.
4. In the Action modal, configure the required fields to define the response:

• Action	Select Modify element.
  Target element	Select an element to modify.
  What to modify	Select Set axis scale.
  Scale type	Select an option to determine the scale type applied to the target element’s dependent variable (or value) axis.

5. If the trigger element is a table, pivot table, or input table, configure additional settings that determine when and how user interaction triggers the action sequence:
   • To trigger the action sequence only when a user selects a cell in a specific column, click the When selecting cells in column field and select the column. To trigger the action sequence when a user selects a cell in any column, select Any column.
   • [optional] To control whether keyboard navigation within the element can trigger action sequences on the element, click More in the Actions panel, then select Allow keyboard to trigger actions. When the option displays a checkmark, keyboard navigation and pointer events (e.g., mouse clicks) can trigger the action sequences. When the option doesn't display a checkmark (default), only pointer events can trigger them.

     💡

     Keyboard navigation as a trigger interaction can disrupt the user experience. For example, if the element's action sequences include actions that open links or other workbooks, a user can be unintentionally navigated away from their current task. This can be particularly disruptive if the action sequence can be triggered by selecting a cell in any column.

     Consider allowing keyboard navigation to trigger actions only when it facilitates the configured action sequences and is unlikely to interfere with usability.

6. [optional] To execute the action sequence only when a specific condition met, click More in the action sequence, then select Add condition and configure the criteria. For more information about conditions, see Define an action condition.

Refresh an element

Create an action to refresh the data of a target element in the current workbook. Refreshing a parent element also refreshes all child elements in the workbook.

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This action doesn’t refresh the data if the element is materialized.

1. Open a workbook in Explore or Edit mode.
2. Select the element you want to trigger the action, then click Actions in the side navigation.
3. In the Actions panel, click Add action in an existing sequence, or click Add action sequence to create a new one.
4. In the Action modal, configure the required fields to define the response:

• Action	Select Refresh element.
  Element	Select an element to refresh.

5. If the trigger element is a table, pivot table, or input table, configure additional settings that determine when and how user interaction triggers the action sequence:
   • To trigger the action sequence only when a user selects a cell in a specific column, click the When selecting cells in column field and select the column. To trigger the action sequence when a user selects a cell in any column, select Any column.
   • [optional] To control whether keyboard navigation within the element can trigger action sequences on the element, click More in the Actions panel, then select Allow keyboard to trigger actions. When the option displays a checkmark, keyboard navigation and pointer events (e.g., mouse clicks) can trigger the action sequences. When the option doesn't display a checkmark (default), only pointer events can trigger them.

     💡

     Keyboard navigation as a trigger interaction can disrupt the user experience. For example, if the element's action sequences include actions that open links or other workbooks, a user can be unintentionally navigated away from their current task. This can be particularly disruptive if the action sequence can be triggered by selecting a cell in any column.

     Consider allowing keyboard navigation to trigger actions only when it facilitates the configured action sequences and is unlikely to interfere with usability.

6. [optional] To execute the action sequence only when a specific condition met, click More in the action sequence, then select Add condition and configure the criteria. For more information about conditions, see Define an action condition.