How to create 'apply button' for control

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Hi all,

Wanted to add steps that worked for me when trying to implement this solution. Hopefully this helps anyone running into a similar challenge.

Setting up filter controls with “Apply” Button

Description: The purpose of these instructions is to prevent dashboards/visuals from automatically filtering when a user makes a filter selection. This approach uses parameters to queue up a selection of filter values, and using the navigation action in the form of a table visual to then fire all these filters at once.

Step 1: Create Parameters

  1. Open the Parameters pane (left panel)

  2. Create the selection parameter:

    • Click Create parameter

    • Name: p

      • Replace FieldName with your field name

    • Data type: String

    • Values: Multiple values

    • Default: leave blank

  3. Close out of the parameter modal box

  4. Create the applied parameter:

    • Click Create parameter

    • Name: pApplied

      • Replace FieldName with your field name

    • Data type: String

    • Values: Multiple values

    • Default: same as above

  5. Close out of the parameter modal box

Note: This is just for string fields.

Step 2: Create the Control

  1. Click the three dots on the parameter p → Add control

  2. Enter name

  3. Set display as Dropdown (multi-select)

  4. Link to a dataset field and select the appropriate field from your dataset

  5. Leave everything else as default and select Add

  6. Position the control where you want users to make selections

Note: This control does NOT filter anything on its own — it only updates the p parameter.

Step 3: Create the “Apply” Button (Table Visual)

  1. Add a calculated field:

    • Name: Apply Button Label

    • Formula: “Apply filters”

      • Name it whatever you’d like. This will be what your end-users see on the button.

  2. Create a new Table visual on the sheet

  3. Add only the Apply Button Label field to the table

  4. Style it to look like a button:

    • Hide column headers

    • Remove gridlines/borders

    • Resize to be small and compact

    • Position it in an easy to locate area of the dashboard

Step 4: Add Navigation Action to the Apply Button

  1. Select the Apply button table visual

  2. Go to Interactions → Add action

  3. Configure:

    • Activation: Select

    • Action type: Navigation action

    • Target sheet: Same sheet (navigates to itself)

    • Under Parameters, add mapping:

      • Parameter: pApplied

      • Set Parameter value: p

o Click Add

o Click Save

Step 5: Create Filters on Your Data Visuals

  1. Create a filter on the field

  2. Set filter type: Custom filter

  3. Condition: equals

  4. Value: parameter ${pApplied}

  5. Apply this filter to a single visual, sheet, or multi-sheet (your choice on what this filters)

Repeat Steps 1-5 (except step 3) for any additional filter controls you’d like to expose to your end-users.