Controls are interactive elements that let viewers filter and adjust what they see in a workbook. When you add a control to a page, anyone viewing that workbook can use it to focus on the data that matters to them—without needing permission to edit the workbook itself. This makes controls essential for creating reports and dashboards that serve multiple audiences.
Controls vs. filters
Both controls and filters narrow down the data shown in tables and charts, but they work differently and serve different purposes.
Filters are configured in a panel and aren't visible on the workbook page. When you add a filter to a table or chart, it affects what data appears, but viewers can't see or change the filter unless they have permission to explore or edit the workbook.
Controls appear directly on the page as interactive elements—dropdown lists, sliders, date pickers, and more. Viewers can adjust them to change what they see without touching the underlying workbook structure.
Use filters when you want to permanently limit data (for example, always excluding test records from a report). Use controls when you want to give viewers the flexibility to choose what they see (for example, selecting which regions or time periods to display).
If you've already created a filter and decide you'd like viewers to interact with it, you can convert it to a control. See 'Filter data in tables and charts' for details.
How controls work
A Control connects to one or more tables or charts on your workbook page. When a viewer changes the control's selection, the connected tables and charts update to reflect that choice.
Each control has two key components:
Value source: Where the control gets its options from. This might be a column in your data (for example, a list of product categories) or a set of values you define manually.
Targets: The tables and charts that respond when the control changes. A single control can target multiple tables and charts, so one dropdown could filter several charts at once.
For example, you might create a list control sourced from your Region column and target it at both a summary table and a trend chart. When a viewer selects "Europe" from the list, both update to show only European data.
Controls also have a unique identifier (control ID) that you can use to reference their values in formulas. This lets you create calculated columns that change based on viewer selections. See 'Create and configure controls' for details on setting up controls, and Connect controls to tables and charts for guidance on targeting.
Types of controls available
Controls fall into several categories based on the type of input they accept:
Selection controls let viewers choose from predefined options. These include dropdown lists, segmented controls (for toggling between a small set of choices), switches, checkboxes, and legend controls.
Numeric controls accept number inputs. Options include single number fields, number range fields, sliders, and range sliders.
Date controls let viewers pick dates or date ranges using calendar pickers. These support both fixed dates and relative periods (such as "last 30 days").
Other specialised controls include Top N controls for ranking-based filtering and drill down controls for guiding viewers through predefined data exploration paths.
See 'Control types reference' for a complete list with guidance on when to use each type.
Who can use controls
Anyone with access to a workbook can interact with controls in view mode. Viewers simply click, select, or adjust controls to filter what they see.
However, only users with edit permission can create and configure controls. This includes adding controls to the page, setting up their value sources, and connecting them to tables and charts.
What's next
Create and configure controls — step-by-step instructions for adding controls to your workbook
Connect controls to tables and charts — how to target controls at tables and charts
Control types reference — detailed information on each control type and when to use it