Organize with collections

Organize Explore tables, models, answers, and liveboards into collections so that you can find them more easily and curate sharing and collaboration. Collections are containers that logically group Explore objects. An object can belong to more than one collection without duplication. You can nest collections to create hierarchies.

Collections structure

Use collections to organize and share Explore objects with other Explore users. Collections are structured similar to folders on a computer. They can contain:
  • Tables
  • Models
  • Answers
  • Liveboards
  • Other nested collections

These objects are just referenced by the collection, rather than being physically located there. This means that an object can be in multiple collections without duplicating the object. And, you can remove an object from a collection without deleting the object itself.

How collection permissions interact with object permissions

Collections make it easier to manage permissions and share many objects at once. When you share a collection, you select the access level (view or edit) for all of the objects within it. However, users can also get permissions at the individual object level. In that case, the most permissive permission (edit) overrides the others. For example:
  • Someone gives a user edit access to Claims Report.
  • Collection A gives a user view access to all of its objects, including Claims Report.
Result: The user can edit Claims Report.
Or, the object might belong to multiple collections. For example:
  • Collection A gives a user view access to all of its objects, including Claims Report.
  • Collection B gives the same user edit access to all of its objects, including Claims Report.

Result: The user can edit Claims Report.

Create a collection

Procedure

  1. Select Collections in the Insights Bar chart icon workspace.
  2. Select Create collection.
  3. Give the collection a Name and Description.
  4. Select Create.

What to do next

Add objects to the collection.

Add objects to an existing collection

About this task

You can add objects to an Explore collection from the collections page or from the library pages for liveboards, answers, and data objects. If you're working with many objects that you don't remember the name of, the library pages are easier because there are more filters.

From the collection page

Procedure

  1. Select Collections in the Insights Bar chart icon workspace.
  2. Select the name of a collection to open it.
  3. Select Add to collection.
  4. Search for objects by name or the user's name, then select them.
  5. Select Add.

From library pages

Procedure

  1. Choose the library page for a specific object type:
    • Select Liveboards or Answers in the Insights Bar chart icon workspace.
    • For models and tables, select Data objects in the Data Database icon workspace.
  2. Filter and search to find objects, then select the check box next to their name.
  3. Select Add to collection.
  4. Select a collection, then select Add.

What to do next

Share the collection

Share a collection

About this task

Collections make it easier to manage permissions and share many objects at once. When you share a collection, you select the access level (view or edit) for all of the objects within it. However, users can also get permissions at the individual object level. In that case, the most permissive permission (edit) overrides the others.

Procedure

  1. Select Collections in the Insights Bar chart icon workspace.
  2. Select the check box next to the collection name.
  3. Select Share.
  4. Select specific users or groups.
  5. Select access levels for each user or group.
    Some of these options might not appear. If you have view access for some objects in the collection, you can't give other users edit access to any of the objects.
    • View-only: Collection & nested objects
    • Full Edit: Collection & nested objects
    • Collection editable, nested objects view-only
    • Collection view-only, nested objects editable
  6. Select Share.

Move, remove, or delete objects from a collection

Before you begin

To do any of the following actions, you must have edit access to a collection. To delete an object, you must have edit access to that object.

About this task

In Explore collections, moving, removing, and deleting objects are distinct actions:
  • Move takes the object out of this collection and adds it to another. Remember that objects can belong to more than one collection; You don't have to move the object in order to add it to another collection.
  • Remove takes the object out of the collection. It doesn't delete the object itself or remove it from any other collections.
  • Delete permanently deletes the object from Explore.

Procedure

  1. Select Collections in the Insights Bar chart icon workspace.
  2. Select the check box next to one or more objects.
  3. Select Move, Remove, or Delete.

Delete a collection

Before you begin

To delete a collection, you must have edit access to the collection.

About this task

When you delete a collection, you can choose whether or not to delete its objects as well. This is a useful way to bulk-delete objects. If you choose to delete the objects:
  • Only the objects that you have edit access to are deleted.
  • Objects that you have view access to are not deleted.

Procedure

  1. Select Collections in the Insights Bar chart icon workspace.
  2. Select the check box next to the collection name.
  3. Select Delete.
  4. Choose Keep all or Permanently delete all objects.