# Dashboards: components, running user and refresh

*Platform Foundations Study Guide · Reports & Dashboards · Last updated October 16, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-foundations/reports-dashboards/dashboards-components-running-user-and-refresh*

How a Lightning dashboard turns source reports into charts, gauges, metrics and tables, whose access decides the data viewers see, and how folders, filters and Refresh keep it useful.

- Certification: Salesforce Platform Foundations
- Exam section: Reports & Dashboards
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-foundations

**Official exam objective:**

> Describe dashboards on Salesforce.

## What the exam expects

- Explain how a dashboard gets its data: each widget reads one source report, and different widgets can read different reports.
- Choose a chart, gauge, metric or table widget from what the viewer needs to see, and know that list views and page layouts are not widgets.
- Make a tabular report usable as a widget source by adding a row limit.
- Predict what viewers see when View Dashboard As is a specific user or the dashboard viewer (a dynamic dashboard).
- Use folders, dashboard filters and the Refresh button correctly.

Key terms: **source report** (the report that feeds a widget), **widget** (one visual block of a dashboard, also called a component), **running user** (the person whose access decides the data shown), **dynamic dashboard** (the running user is whoever is viewing), **dashboard filter** (lets readers narrow the data they see).

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Source reports per widget | One; different widgets can use different reports | [Build a Dashboard](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=analytics.dashboards_create_lex.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Widget types | Chart, gauge, metric, table, text or image | [Build a Dashboard](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=analytics.dashboards_create_lex.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Tabular source report | Needs a row limit (rows, sort field, sort order) | [Filter Your Report](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/lex_implementation_reports_dashboards/lex_implementation_reports_dashboards_filter_your_report) |
| Joined report on a dashboard | Its chart can be a widget, not the full report; no filtering | [Build a Dashboard](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=analytics.dashboards_create_lex.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Default dashboard folder | Private Dashboards | [Build a Dashboard](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=analytics.dashboards_create_lex.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Specific running user | All viewers see data per that user's security settings | [Reports Overview](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/lex_implementation_reports_dashboards/lex_implementation_reports_dashboards_overview) |
| Dynamic dashboard limits | Edition-dependent; no private folder, no scheduled refresh, no subscription | [Dynamic Dashboards](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=analytics.dashboards_dynamic_overview.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Dashboard filters | Readers refine the view; not applied in subscription emails | [Filter a Dashboard](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=analytics.dashboard_filters_overview.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Refresh | Updates results for every user with access | [Refresh Dashboard Data](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=analytics.dashboards_refresh.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |

## Check yourself

- Why does a tabular report need a row limit before it can feed a dashboard widget?
- When should you set View Dashboard As to the dashboard viewer?
- Why should source reports be stored in folders the dashboard's viewers can access?
- What happens when you click Refresh on a dashboard?

## Sources

- [Build a Lightning Experience Dashboard](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=analytics.dashboards_create_lex.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Visualize Your Data with the Lightning Dashboard Builder](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/lex_implementation_reports_dashboards/lex_implementation_reports_dashboards_visualizing_data)
- [Get to Know Lightning Reports and Dashboards](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/lex_implementation_reports_dashboards/lex_implementation_reports_dashboards_overview)
- [Dynamic Dashboards](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=analytics.dashboards_dynamic_overview.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Refresh Dashboard Data](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=analytics.dashboards_refresh.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Filter a Dashboard](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=analytics.dashboard_filters_overview.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Filter Your Report](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/lex_implementation_reports_dashboards/lex_implementation_reports_dashboards_filter_your_report)
- [Combine Different Types of Information in a Joined Report](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=analytics.reports_working_with_joined.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Learn About Reports and Dashboards](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/reports-dashboards-quick-look/learn-about-reports-and-dashboards)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 9 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Platform Foundations pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams