When you open a workbook in Analyse Data, you'll see an interface designed for building and exploring your sustainability data. This guide walks you through each part of the interface so you can find what you need quickly.
The interface layout changes depending on what you're doing. When viewing a published workbook, you see a streamlined layout focused on exploring the content. When editing, additional panels and tools become available for building and modifying your analysis.
Workbook header
The top of every workbook displays the title and description.
Workbook title The workbook name appears prominently at the top. When editing, you can click the title to rename your workbook.
Description Below the title, you can add a description to help colleagues understand the workbook's purpose.
More options menu Click the three dots icon (⋮) in the top right corner to access additional options, including Add to Favourites to bookmark workbooks you access frequently.
Toolbar
When you're in Edit mode, a toolbar appears below the workbook title. This contains formatting options for working with your data.
The toolbar includes:
Undo and redo buttons to reverse or repeat your recent changes
Number formatting options including currency (£), percentage (%), and decimal controls
Additional formatting options via the more menu (⋯)
Formula bar (fx) where you write calculations for your columns
The formula bar works similarly to Excel. When you select a column in a table and want to create a calculation, click in the formula bar and start typing. As you type, autocomplete suggestions appear to help you find functions and column names. See Formula basics for detailed guidance on writing formulas.
Add element toolbar
When you're in Edit mode, a floating toolbar appears at the bottom of your canvas. This is where you find everything you can add to your workbook pages.
The toolbar organises elements into five categories:
Icon | Category | What you can add |
Table icon | Data | Tables and pivot tables for displaying and analysing your data |
Chart icon | Charts | Visualisations including bar charts, line charts, pie charts, and more |
Sliders icon | Controls | Interactive filters, dropdowns, sliders, and other controls that let viewers adjust what they see |
Squares icon | UI | Text boxes, images, and buttons for adding context and interactivity |
Grid icon | Layout | Containers and other structural elements for organising your page |
To add an element, click the category you want, then select the specific element type. It appears on your page, ready for configuration. You can then drag it to reposition or resize it by dragging the corners.
Editor panel
The right sidebar contains the Editor panel, which displays different configuration options depending on what you've selected on the page.
When you select a table or chart:
Properties tab: Configure which columns appear, set up groupings, add calculations, and adjust how your data is organised. You'll see sections for Data Source, Groupings, and available columns.
Format tab: Style your element's appearance, including colours, fonts, borders, and spacing.
Actions tab: Set up interactive behaviours that trigger when someone clicks or interacts with the element.
When you select the workbook background:
Settings tab: Configure workbook-wide settings.
Actions tab: Set up page-level actions.
Lineage panel
The Lineage panel helps you understand where your data comes from and how it flows through your workbook. This is particularly useful when working with complex analyses or troubleshooting unexpected results.
To open the Lineage panel, click the Lineage button in the bottom right of the screen when in Edit mode.
The Lineage panel shows:
Data sources: Which data models feed into your workbook elements
Element connections: How tables, charts, and controls relate to each other
Transformations: What filters and controls affect each element
You can search for specific elements using the search bar, filter by page using the All pages dropdown, and toggle Show controls to include or hide control elements in the view.
Select any element in the lineage diagram to see its summary information on the right, including the connection source, when data was last refreshed, and options to Focus on that element or View element directly.
Mode and publishing controls
The bottom right corner of the screen contains controls for switching between modes and publishing your work.
Viewing a published workbook: You'll see Explore and Edit buttons. Click Explore to create a personal view of the workbook without affecting what others see. Click Edit to make changes. Explore mode requires the Full Explore permission on your role. Edit mode requires the Can create and edit workbooks permission on your role.
When editing: The bottom right shows an Editing indicator and a Publish button. Click Publish when you're ready to make your changes visible to everyone.
Draft states menu: Click the Editing indicator to open the draft states menu, which includes:
Edit: Your current editing state (changes are autosaved)
Preview as explorer: See how the workbook appears to users with explore permission
Preview as viewer: See how the workbook appears to users with view-only permission
Go to published version: View the currently published version of the workbook
Restore draft to published version: Discard your draft changes and revert to the published version
For more detail on modes, see Workbook modes explained.
Page tabs
Along the bottom left of the workbook, you'll find tabs for each page—similar to worksheet tabs in Excel. Click a tab to switch to that page.
Navigating between pages Click any page tab to view that page. Click the dropdown arrow on a tab to access options for that page.
Adding new pages In Edit mode, click the + button next to the page tabs to create a new page.
Page overview Click the page overview icon (the three horizontal lines) to see all pages and elements at a glance, making it easy to jump directly to specific elements within your workbook.
Quick reference
Interface component | Location | Purpose |
Workbook title | Top of workbook | Displays and allows editing of the workbook name |
Description | Below title | Explains the workbook's purpose |
More options menu (⋮) | Top right | Access favourites and additional options |
Toolbar | Below title (Edit mode) | Number formatting, undo/redo, formula bar |
Formula bar | In toolbar (Edit mode) | Write and edit column calculations |
Add element toolbar | Floating bar at bottom of canvas (Edit mode) | Add tables, charts, controls, and other elements |
Editor panel | Right sidebar | Configure properties, formatting, and actions for selected elements |
Lineage button | Bottom left (Edit mode) | View data sources and element connections |
Explore button | Bottom right | Create a personal view without affecting the published version |
Edit button | Bottom right | Switch to Edit mode to make changes |
Editing indicator | Bottom right (Edit mode) | Access draft states, previews, and version options |
Publish button | Bottom right (Edit mode) | Make your changes visible to all viewers |
Page tabs | Bottom left | Navigate between pages |
+ button | Bottom left, next to page tabs | Add a new page |
Page overview icon | Bottom left | View all pages and elements |