Create actions that modify or refresh elements

Workbooks support actions that 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

📘

The following requirements apply to members 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.

Configure an action to show columns

Create an action that shows (unhides) specific columns in an element.

📘

When the target element is a visualization, the modification applies to the underlying data table and may affect the chart display.

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.

4. In the On select, On click, or On change modal (title depends on the type of trigger element), configure the required fields to define the response:

   When selecting cells in	Select a column from the trigger element to initiate the action when clicked. This field only applies when the trigger element is a table, pivot table, or input table.
   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. When you choose to show All columns, the action shows all columns that exist at the time you configure it. To show columns added post-configuration, you must update the action.
   Hide unselected columns	Select the checkbox to hide the remaining columns, or keep the checkbox clear to continue showing all columns already displayed in the target element.

Configure an action to hide columns

Create an action that hides specific columns in an element.

📘

When the target element is a visualization, the modification applies to the underlying data table and may affect the chart display.

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.

4. In the On select, On click, or On change modal (title depends on the type of trigger element), configure the required fields to define the response:

   When selecting cells in	Select a column from the trigger element to initiate the action when clicked. This field only applies when the trigger element is a table, pivot table, or input table.
   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. When you choose to hide All columns, the action hides all columns that exist at the time you configure it. To hide columns added post-configuration, you must update the action.
   Hide unselected columns	Select the checkbox to hide the remaining columns, or keep the checkbox clear to continue showing all columns already displayed in the target element.

Configure an action to 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). This action doesn’t remove the existing columns in the target property unless that property can only contain one column.

📘

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.

4. In the On select, On click, or On change modal (title depends on the type of trigger element), configure the required fields to define the response:

   When selecting cells in	Select a column from the trigger element to initiate the action when clicked. This field only applies when the trigger element is a table, pivot table, or input table.
   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.

Configure an action to 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.

4. In the On select, On click, or On change modal (title depends on the type of trigger element), configure the required fields to define the response:

   When selecting cells in	Select a column from the trigger element to initiate the action when clicked. This field only applies when the trigger element is a table, pivot table, or input table.
   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.

Configure an action to set the axis scale

Configure an action to set the scale of the dependent variable (or value) axis.

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.

4. In the On select, On click, or On change modal (title depends on the type of trigger element), configure the required fields to define the response:

   When selecting cells in	Select a column from the trigger element to initiate the action when clicked. This field only applies when the trigger element is a table, pivot table, or input table.
   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.

Configure an action to refresh an element

Configure an action to refresh the data of a specific element in the current workbook.

🚧

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.

4. In the On select, On click, or On change modal (title depends on the type of trigger element), configure the required fields to define the response:

   When selecting cells in	Select a column from the trigger element to initiate the action when clicked. This field only applies when the trigger element is a table, pivot table, or input table.
   Action	Select Refresh element.
   Element	Select an element to refresh.