A dashboard in Salesforce is a graphical representation of what you might find in a report. It  makes it easy to track progress toward a goal or metric.

Dashboards are built with source reports, filters, and components.

Source reports are reports that provide data for components. Each component has one source report. Different components can have different source reports. The fields available for dashboard filters are the fields available in the objects that source reports are based on. Create source reports in the Report Builder.

Filters let dashboard readers scope the data they see in the dashboard to a particular view.

Components are the visual “blocks” of a dashboard. Each component is either a chart, gauge, metric, or table.

1. Create the source reports containing the data you want to display.

2. From the Dashboards tab, click New Dashboard.

3. Name the dashboard.
    Optionally, provide a short description. Then, place the dashboard in a folder. Private Dashboards is the default folder.

4. To add a component to the dashboard, click + Component.

   1. Choose a source report for the component, then click Select.

   2. Customize how the component displays data, then click Add.

   3. Arrange and resize the component as necessary.

   4. To edit an existing component, click the pencil icon (). To remove a component, click the X icon ().

5. To add a filter to the dashboard, click + Filter.

   1. From the Field drop-down, select a field to filter on. The drop-down shows fields that can be used to filter all the dashboard’s components. If there are equivalent fields for your selection, hover over the info icon () to see them.

   2. Give the filter a Display Name to identify it. If the filter has many equivalent fields, we consider using a name that works for all components.

   3. Assign values to the filter by clicking Add Filter Value.
      

6. To specify who people view the dashboard as, click the gear icon () to open the Properties menu.

   1. Under Name, optionally rename the dashboard.

   2. Under Description, optionally describe the dashboard.

   3. Under Folder, optionally move the dashboard into another folder. To switch folders, first click the X icon (), then select another folder.

   4. Under View Dashboard As, choose who people view the dashboard (and all source reports) as. People could see more or less data than they normally see elsewhere in Salesforce. Be careful not to reveal sensitive information to too broad an audience.
      
      

      1. Me — People view the dashboard as you.

      2. Another person — People view the dashboard as whomever you choose. You are the default person. To choose someone else, click the X icon ().

      3. The dashboard viewer — People see data as themselves, according to their own access to data. These types of dashboards are often called dynamic dashboards.
         Your organization can have up to 5 dynamic dashboards for Enterprise Edition, 10 for Unlimited and Performance Edition, and 3 for Developer Edition. Dynamic dashboards aren’t available in other editions. Additional dynamic dashboards may be available for purchase.
         Take note of these dynamic dashboard limitations:

         1. Dynamic dashboards don’t support following components.

         2. You can't save dynamic dashboards in private folders.

         3. You can't schedule refreshes for dynamic dashboards. They must be refreshed manually.

      4. Let dashboard viewers choose whom they view the dashboard as — Optionally, select Let dashboard viewers choose whom they view the dashboard as to enable a reader with appropriate user permissions to choose who they view the dashboard as. With the “View My Team’s Dashboards” user permission, the reader can view the dashboard as themself or as anyone beneath them in the role hierarchy. With the “View All Data” user permission, the reader can view the dashboard as anyone.

   5. Click Save.

7. To customize dashboard theme or color palette, open the Properties menu by clicking the gear icon ().
    Customize colors in your dashboard by choosing a light or dark theme and one of 14 color palettes. Themes and color palettes help you organize and curate data in your dashboard. For example, highlight a set of summary metrics by giving them a dark theme and setting them against a light-themed dashboard. This feature is new in Lightning Experience.
   
   

   1. From Dashboard Theme, choose Light or Dark to set the theme for the entire dashboard. To set a single component’s theme, edit the component by clicking .

   2. From Dashboard Palette, choose one of 14 color palettes. Wildflowers is the default color palette. If you need an accessible color palette, choose Mineral.

   3. Click Save.

8. To switch between a 12-column and 9-column layout, open the Properties menu by clicking the gear icon ().

   1. Under Dashboard Grid Size, choose 12 columns or 9 columns.

   2. Click Save.

9. Click Save, then click Done.

Your dashboard is done. Review and admire your handiwork!