Apply control values with URL parameters

You can use URL parameters to update control values in native and embedded workbooks.

This document explains how to append URLs with query parameters and use URI encoding to format URLs for specific control types.

Append a URL with a control value

When a workbook URL doesn't include parameters, Sigma applies the control values selected in the workbook's published version.

A URL without parameters displays as follows:

https://app.sigmacomputing.com/embed/{workbookID}

https://app.sigmacomputing.com/{org}/{workbookID}

To apply the value "2016" to the Year control, append a question mark (?) and the key-value pair Year=2016 as a URL parameter.

The updated URL displays as follows:

https://app.sigmacomputing.com/embed/{workbookID}>?Year=2016

Since the control targets all three data elements on the page, each element updates to show data from the year 2016 only.

Append multiple parameters and control values

To include multiple URL parameters, separate each key-value pair with an ampersand (&). To apply multiple values to the same control, separate the values with a comma (,).

A URL with multiple parameters and control values displays as follows:

https://app.sigmacomputing.com/embed/{workbookID}?Year=2016&Region=West,Southwest

Directly generate a URL

There are times when you may want to generate a URL directly rather than copying from the address bar. To do that, follow the steps below.

Open settings for the control you want to update through the URL

Note the control ID and the control type. The control ID identifies which control you want to update. The control type determines what format is required for the value.

Format the value

Format the controls and values to be URL-encoded. You can't use some characters in the URL address as they are, so if Certain characters can't be present in URLs, so if your control ID or control values contain special characters, you must use their encoded form instead. For example, the code for space is %20. See the list of all Special characters for URL parameters.

Notes

You may use “:null” as a special value that denotes the null primitive value.

You may use “:empty” as a special value that denotes the empty string “”.

For date values, by default our system will parse these as being in your Sigma organization's Account Time Zone. You may override this behavior so that our system parses the date value as being in the UTC +0 time zone. To do so, append a "Z" at the end of the timestamp (representing the Zulu Time Zone). Example: 2023-06-08T00:00:00Z

Formats

Textbox

Types

Text, Number

Format

encodeURIComponent(<control_id>)=encodeURIComponent(<control_value>)

Example

Customer%20Id=merchant%201

control_id: Customer ID
control_value: merchant 1

Date picker

Types

Datetime

Format

encodeURIComponent(<control_id>)=<control_value>

Example 1

start_date=2014-05-01

control_id: start_date
control_value: 2014-05-01

Example 2

start_time=2014-05-01T02:00

control_id: start_time
control_value: 2014-05-01T02:00

Date range

Types

Datetime

Format

encodeURIComponent(<control_id>)=min:<min_date>,max:<max_date>

Example 1

Analysis%20Time%20Frame=min:2020-04-01,max:next-day-7

control_id: Analysis Time Frame
min_date: 2020-04-01
max_date: next-day-7, or the end date is 7 days in the future

Example 2

Analysis%20Time%20Frame=min:2020-04-01,max:

control_id: Analysis Time Frame
min_date: 2020-04-01
max_date: null, so there is no end date. This time frame is any day after 2020-04-01.

Example 3

Analysis%20Time%20Frame=min:2020-04-01,max:next-day-7

control_id: Analysis Time Frame
min_date: prior-year-0, or the start of the current year
max_date: 020-04-01T02:00

Notes

<min_date> and <max_date> are either exact ISO dates, or a relative dates (<date_type>_<date_unit>_<date_number>)

Value list

Types

Text, Number, Datetime

Format

encodeURIComponent(<control_id>)=
        encodeURIComponent(<control_value1>)[,encodeURIComponent(<control_value2>)…]

encodeURIComponent(<control_id>)=
<control_value1[,<control_value2>…]

Example 1

Employee%20Name=Greg%20Humphrey

control_id: Employee Name
control_value1: Greg Humphrey

Example 2

Employee%20Name=Greg%20Humphrey,Amber%20Cullen,James%20Smith

control_id: Employee Name
control_value1: Greg Humphrey
control_value2: Amber Cullen
control_value3: James Smith

Example 3

birthday=1970-05-01,1991-01-24

birthday=1991-01-24

Notes

For Text and Number examples, <values> is a list of comma-separated URL encoded values.

For Datetime examples, <values> is a list of comma-separated ISO Dates; Datetime does not support URL encoded values.

Number range

Types

Number

Format

encodeURIComponent(<control_id>)=min:<min_value>,
        max:<max_value>

Example 1

User%20Revenue=min:4000.5,max:

Any value greater than 4000.5

Example 2

User%20Revenue=min:4000.5,max:5000

Any value between 4000.5 to 5000

Checkbox and switch

Types

Logical

Format

encodeURIComponent(<control_id>)=true,false

Example 1

is_weekend=true,false

Example 2

is_weekend=true

Example 3

is_weekend=false

Simple text box example

A text box the most basic control in Sigma, where the control is just a single value. For example, you can update the control to have the value merchant 1.

Looking from the control format above, you know that the URL encoding is.

encodeURIComponent(\<control\_id>)=encodeURIComponent(\<control\_value>)

control_id is the ID. control_value is the value you want.

After encoding it into the URL, it should look like this

Customer%20Id=merchant%201

Because the ID and the value had spaces in between, you need to encode the space to be URL safe using %20.

Date range details

The format is:

encodeURIComponent(\<control\_id>)=min:\<min\_date>,max:\<max\_date>

Where min_date / max_date is an exact date (ISO Date), or are blank/:null to clear out a pre-selected date, or a relative dates (in the format <date_type>_<date_unit>_<date_number>),

date_type is prior for the past or next for future
date_unit can be minute, hour, day, week, month, quarter, or year
date_number is a numeric value

Analysis%20Time%20Frame=min:2020-04-01,max:next-day-7

means that the min date on 2020-04-01 to 7 days in the future. If the <min_date> or <max_date> is empty it means there isn’t a date set.

Analysis%20Time%20Frame=min:2020-04-01,max:

would mean any time after 2020-04-01.

Analysis%20Time%20Frame=min:,max:

would mean no min or max dates are set. This can clear out a pre-selected date in the control.

Any relative format for min_date would always be the start of.. i.e prior-year-1 means the start of the previous year or next-year-0 would mean the start of the current year.

Any relative format for max_date would always be the end of… i.e next-year-1 would mean the end of the next year. or next-year-0 would mean the end of the current year.

Application embedding and the URL

If you implemented legacy application embedding, you can inject the values into the URL during the server-side url generation process using <control_id> and <control_value>.