If you have been working in the Salesforce ecosystem for some time, you have probably received the same request from different users many times. Someone asks for a dashboard to track leads, another user wants to see opportunity data, and someone else wants to review performance numbers. Even when these requests sound different, they usually involve the same data viewed from different perspectives.
Creating separate dashboards for every user may work for a short period, but it quickly becomes difficult to maintain. As the number of users increases, administrators may end up managing multiple dashboards and reports that essentially show the same information.
Instead of building a different dashboard for each person, Salesforce provides a better option. By using Salesforce Dynamic Dashboards, organizations can create a single dashboard that automatically adjusts based on the viewer’s permissions and data access.
This approach allows teams to standardize reporting while still giving users the ability to see the information that matters most to them. In this guide, we will explore what Salesforce Dynamic Dashboards are, how they work, how you can create one, and why they are useful for improving analytics and reporting inside Salesforce.
Organizations that want to improve their reporting structure often implement dashboards as part of their overall Salesforce Implementation strategy. Businesses also work with experts providing Salesforce Consulting Services or Salesforce Development Services to design reporting systems that are easier to manage and more useful for teams.
What Makes a Salesforce Dashboard Dynamic?
Most Salesforce administrators have already created many dashboards while working on reports and analytics. However, not everyone uses the dynamic dashboard capability that Salesforce provides.
When you create a dashboard in Salesforce, it normally runs as a specific user. This user is known as the running user. Because the dashboard runs with that user’s permissions, every person who views the dashboard will see the same data that the running user is allowed to see.
In some situations this setup works well, especially when managers want to view a standard report with consistent information. However, in many real-world scenarios this approach is not ideal. Users usually want to see only the records that belong to them or the data they are responsible for managing.
This is where dynamic dashboards become useful.
A Salesforce dashboard can be made dynamic by adjusting the dashboard property called “View Dashboard As.” When the option “The dashboard viewer” is selected, the dashboard starts running with the permissions of whoever is viewing it.
As a result, every user sees data based on their own access level. The reports displayed inside the dashboard also adjust automatically, which means the dashboard can serve many users without requiring multiple versions.
This simple setting can significantly improve the way teams interact with Salesforce dashboards.
Creating a Dynamic Dashboard
At first glance, converting a normal dashboard into a dynamic dashboard may seem as simple as selecting a different option in the settings. While the change itself only takes a few seconds, the reports that power the dashboard also need to be configured correctly.
To understand this better, consider a common example.
Imagine a small organization where sales managers handle both leads and opportunities. These managers want a simple way to see the records they own and focus on the tasks that require attention.
At the same time, the organization uses Team Selling, and the opportunity sharing model is private. Because of this setup, some sales managers may have access not only to their own opportunities but also to opportunities they collaborate on with other team members.
From a lead management perspective, sales managers are allowed to view all leads so that duplicate work can be avoided.In a scenario like this, creating the right dashboard requires a combination of report filters and dynamic dashboard settings.
A leads report can be created with filters such as “My Leads” while ensuring the field Converted is False. Depending on the organization’s configuration, administrators may also choose to exclude lead statuses such as Closed – Not Converted or other statuses that are no longer relevant.
Similarly, an opportunities report can be created using the filter “My Opportunities.” The report can also filter opportunities where the Opportunity Status is Open. Some organizations prefer using Opportunity Stage instead, depending on how their sales process is structured.
Once these reports are created and saved, they can be added as components inside the dashboard. Even in a simple dashboard with only a few reports, administrators can arrange the widgets to make the data easier to understand.
Salesforce also allows administrators to add Image widgets or Rich Text widgets. These elements can provide helpful guidance, explanations, or instructions that help users understand how to use the dashboard effectively.After adding the reports and widgets, the final step is confirming that the dashboard is set to run as The Dashboard Viewer. This ensures that the dashboard functions as a dynamic dashboard before users begin accessing it from their home page or navigation bar.
Although this example is simple, it demonstrates how powerful a single dynamic dashboard can be. Instead of creating multiple dashboards for different users, administrators can rely on one dashboard that adjusts automatically.
Considerations
While Salesforce Dynamic Dashboards provide many benefits, there are also a few important considerations administrators should keep in mind.
| Salesforce Edition | Dynamic Dashboards Allocation |
| Developer Edition | 3 |
| Enterprise Edition | 5 |
| Unlimited Edition | 10 |
One of the most important factors is the limit on the number of dynamic dashboards allowed in each Salesforce edition. Salesforce places restrictions on how many dynamic dashboards can exist within an organization.
Developer Edition allows up to three dynamic dashboards. Enterprise Edition allows five dynamic dashboards, while Unlimited Edition allows ten.
Because of these limits, administrators should regularly review how many dynamic dashboards are currently in use. It can be frustrating to discover that the limit has already been reached when a new dashboard needs to be created.
One way to monitor dynamic dashboards is by creating a custom report type that includes dashboard records. This allows administrators to track dashboards the same way they track other Salesforce objects. The field called Dashboards Running User can help identify dashboards that are dynamic, and filters can be applied to narrow the results.
In some situations, running an SOQL query can provide faster results. For example, administrators can run the following query to identify dashboards that are not running as a specified user:
SELECT Id,Title, Type FROM Dashboard
WHERE Type != ‘SpecifiedUser’
Tools such as Salesforce Inspector Reloaded make it easier to run queries like this and quickly identify dashboards across the organization.
Another important consideration involves where the dashboard is stored. Dynamic dashboards must be saved in a shared folder rather than a personal folder. If a dashboard is saved in a private folder, Salesforce will generate an error message.
In earlier versions of Salesforce, it was possible for dynamic dashboards stored in private folders to still count toward the dynamic dashboard limit. Even dashboards placed in the recycle bin could count toward the limit.
Administrators can identify these dashboards by running a query such as:
SELECT Id,Title FROM Dashboard USING SCOPE allPrivate
WHERE Type != ‘SpecifiedUser’
This query reveals dynamic dashboards stored in private locations, allowing administrators to manage them more effectively.
Organizations that rely heavily on analytics often implement structured dashboard strategies as part of broader Salesforce Marketing Cloud Services or advanced Salesforce Mulesoft Services, ensuring dashboards remain organized and scalable.
Final Thoughts
Salesforce Dynamic Dashboards are sometimes overlooked, but they can significantly improve the user experience and simplify dashboard management.
By allowing dashboards to run as the viewer, Salesforce enables organizations to create flexible dashboards that automatically adjust for each user. This reduces the need for multiple dashboards and eliminates unnecessary maintenance work.
Dynamic dashboards also help teams focus on the data that matters most to them. Whether the dashboard is used by sales managers, marketing teams, or executives, each user can quickly access the information relevant to their role.
For organizations looking to improve reporting, analytics, and visibility within Salesforce, dynamic dashboards can be a practical and effective solution.
FAQs
1. What is a Salesforce Dynamic Dashboard?
A Salesforce Dynamic Dashboard is a dashboard that displays data based on the permissions and access of the person viewing it. Each user sees their own relevant data.
2. How do dynamic dashboards work in Salesforce?
Dynamic dashboards run as the dashboard viewer instead of a fixed running user. This allows the dashboard to display personalized data for each user.
3. What is the limit for dynamic dashboards in Salesforce?
The limit depends on the Salesforce edition. Developer Edition allows 3, Enterprise Edition allows 5, and Unlimited Edition allows 10 dynamic dashboards.
4. Can dynamic dashboards be placed in private folders?
No, dynamic dashboards must be stored in shared folders. Saving them in private folders can cause errors and may still count toward the dashboard limit.
5. Why should organizations use dynamic dashboards?
Dynamic dashboards reduce the need for multiple dashboards, simplify reporting, and provide users with personalized data views based on their access.