Workbook Lifecycle: Exploration, Drafts & Publishing

Workbooks are a Sigma document type designed to support both ad hoc data exploration and longterm complex reporting. Their visual approach to data interaction, coupled with their collaborative interface, aims to make live data accessible for everyone in your organization. 

This article explains the workbook lifecycle and will teach you draft and publish your work. For an introduction to Workbooks, visit Workbooks: An Overview. 

Summary of Content

Workbooks for Ad hoc Data Exploration
Drafts & Version Publishing
Modes: Edit, Explore, and View
Revisit Unsaved Workbooks
Save (Publish) an Exploration
Edit a Published Workbook
Preview Drafted Changes in Explore or View Mode
Publish Drafted Changes
Return to Explore Mode from a Draft
Create a Copy of an Existing Workbook
Version History
      View a Workbook's Version History
      View and/or Restore an Old Version
Related Resources

Requirements

  • To draft and publish new workbook versions, you must have Can Edit access to the individual workbook.
  • To explore an existing workbook, you must have Can Explore access to the individual workbook.
     

Workbooks for Ad hoc Data Exploration

Workbooks are suited for both ad hoc data exploration and long term published reporting.

New workbooks are not automatically saved and only need to be saved if you wish to continue using them for repeatable analysis and reporting. Unsaved workbooks are referred to as explorations.

If you instead want to do in-the-moment ad hoc analysis, create an exploration, explore your data, and move on without saving.
 

Drafts & Version Publishing

Users with Can Edit permission on a workbook can draft and publish changes. Your drafts are not visible to others until you publish them as the newest version of the workbook.

Workbooks store a history of published versions, referred to as the workbook's version history.

If you are in the process of editing a workbook (Edit mode) you will also see your current draft listed in the version history. Only you have access to your pending drafts. Other editors may also have pending drafts only available to them. 

Modes: Edit, Explore, and View

Published workbooks can be accessed in three different modes: Edit, Explore, and View. The mode(s) you have access to on any given workbook depend on the permissions granted to you for that individual workbook. To learn more about these modes, visit Workbook Modes: Edit, Explore & View.

 

Revisit Unsaved Explorations

  1. Open your Recents page from the left navigation panel (accessible from the home page).
  2. Click to open the EXPLORATIONS tab.
  3. Click to open any exploration in the list. Screen_Shot_2021-05-25_at_12.37.28_PM.png

Save an Exploration

If your workbook has not yet been saved for the first time, click the Save As button in the workbook header. Then follow the prompts to name and select a destination for the workbook. 

This will save and publish the first draft of your workbook. 

Screen_Shot_2022-02-02_at_10.30.59_AM.png

Edit a Published Workbook

To begin editing an existing workbook, click the Edit button located in the workbook header. 

Screen_Shot_2022-03-22_at_11.33.17_AM.png

When you enter Edit mode, the Edit button will switch to an Editing menu.
The editor panel and sidebar will also appear on the left side of the page.

Screen_Shot_2022-03-22_at_11.34.18_AM.png

When you're in Edit mode, your changes will be automatically saved as a draft.

Now what?

  • If you're ready to make your changes public, click Publish.
    Screen_Shot_2022-03-22_at_11.35.09_AM.png
  • To preview your changes as if they were published, select Editing. Then select either Preview as explorer or Preview as viewer.
    Screen_Shot_2022-03-22_at_11.35.57_AM.png
  • To return to the latest published version, click Editing > Latest published version.
    Note: Return to your draft at any time by clicking the published version's Edit button.
    Screen_Shot_2022-03-22_at_11.37.56_AM.png
  • To discard your drafted changes, click Editing > Discard draft.
    Screen_Shot_2022-03-22_at_11.38.58_AM.png

Preview Drafted Changes in Explore or View Mode

All drafted changes can be previewed in both Explore and View modes prior to publishing.  This is helpful if you want to see what a workbook will look like to users with limited access to the workbook.

  1. Click Editing.
  2. Select either Preview as explorer or Preview as viewer.
    Screen_Shot_2022-03-22_at_11.35.57_AM.png
    Now what?
    To change states again, click Previewing (formerly Editing) and select your target state.
    Screen_Shot_2022-03-22_at_11.47.05_AM.png

 

Publish Drafted Changes

To publish your edits, click the Publish button located in the workbook header. Screen_Shot_2022-02-10_at_4.46.49_PM.png


Return to Explore Mode from a Draft

To return to the latest published version in Explore mode, click Editing > Latest published version.
Note: Return to your draft at any time by clicking the published version's Edit button.

Screen_Shot_2022-02-10_at_4.42.52_PM.png

Create a Copy of an Existing Workbook

  1. Click the caret (▼) button to the right of the workbook title in the header. 
  2. Select Save as.
    This will open the Save a Copy modal.
    Screen_Shot_2022-02-02_at_11.18.00_AM.png
  3. [optional] Enter a new Name.
  4. [optional] Select a Destination.
  5. Click Save.
    Screen_Shot_2022-02-02_at_11.19.43_AM.png

Version History

View a Workbook's Version History

  1. Click the caret (▼) button to the right of the workbook title in the header. 
  2. Hover over Version History.
    Screen_Shot_2022-02-02_at_11.25.34_AM.png

View and/or Restore an Old Version

  • Click the caret (▼) button to the right of the workbook title in the header. 
  • Hover over Version History.
    Screen_Shot_2022-02-02_at_11.25.34_AM.png
  • Click the version you would like to view.
  • From the workbook header, you can:
    • Restore the draft: Restore as draft
      Note:       When an older draft is restored, newer versions remain available in the version history.
    • Return to the latest version: Go back to latest version.
      Screen_Shot_2022-02-02_at_11.41.10_AM.png

Related Resources

Workbooks: An Overview
Create a Workbook
View Modes: Edit, Explore & View