In AWS QuickSight, there is a variety of terminology that can be complex and unfamiliar to new users. This guide provides concise explanations of key terms commonly used in QuickSight, helping to clarify these concepts and enhance your understanding of other QuickSight resources and articles.

Numerical and date fields can be utilised to calculate totals through various aggregation functions. For instance, a numerical field can be aggregated using the "Sum" function to calculate the total of all values in that field. Similarly, a date field can be aggregated using the "Max" function to determine the most recent date in the dataset.

An editable version of a report that allows users to create and modify visualisations. Access to analyses is restricted to users with an author role, as they have the necessary permissions to make changes. Once an analysis is finalised, it can be published as a dashboard, enabling broader access and sharing of insights with other users.

A field that is derived from other fields, parameters, and functions. These fields can be created either within individual analyses or directly in the datasets, allowing for reuse across multiple analyses. Calculated fields are similar to formulas in Excel, but instead of referencing specific cells, they reference fields and parameters within the dataset.

A dataset that is derived from one or more existing datasets, referred to as parent datasets, rather than directly from a data source. It can only be as up-to-date as the data in its parent datasets. This structure allows for additional data preparation and customisation while leveraging existing datasets.

Conditional formatting allows you to customise the appearance of visuals based on the values in the report. This includes options such as font colour, cell background colour, and symbols, which can be dynamically configured to reflect specific conditions. For example, you can set a numerical column to display with a red background if the value exceeds 20.

A control is an adjustable setting, such as a dropdown, slider, text box, or similar interface element, that allows users to modify the values of filters or parameters dynamically. Controls can be configured to appear at the top of a tab or be placed as a standalone visual within a report, providing an interactive way to customise and explore data.

A read-only version of a report. Any users can have access to dashboards. Dashboard structure can only be updated by publishing the analysis they’re built from.

A collection of data prepared in QuickSight from one or more data sources. It contains multiple fields, designed for use in creating analyses. While most datasets pull their data directly from MDA databases, they can also be created from other sources, such as spreadsheets or external databases

A data source is the origin from which data is retrieved to create datasets. While most datasets are created using MDA databases as their data source, other sources, though limited, are also available. Access to MDA data sources is restricted but a request can be raised to create a dataset

A direct query dataset is a type of dataset that retrieves data directly from the data source in real-time. While it provides live, up-to-date data rather than relying on a refresh schedule, it typically loads reports slower compared to SPICE datasets. Direct query datasets are intended for use cases that require real-time data and are often created for specific analyses or dashboards. They should not be repurposed for other reports beyond their original intent.

A property of a dataset, representing an individual piece of data within it. If the dataset is considered a table, the fields correspond to its columns. Each field contains a specific type of information, such as text, numbers, or dates, used for analysis and visualisation.

A tool used to narrow down data displayed in a visualisation based on specific criteria. Filters can be static, remaining fixed, dynamic, such as a rolling date range, or adjustable through interactive controls like dropdowns.

A location used to store resources. Users with access to a folder automatically gain access to all the resources within it, as long as their role permits access to those specific resources.

A feature used in calculated fields to perform a wide variety of calculations. Similar to formulas in Excel, functions enable operations and data manipulation within fields to create customised outputs and insights.

A "Group By" field in tables defines how aggregations are grouped. The total of an aggregation will be relevant to the values of all the "group by" columns in the table.

Note: In QuickSight, tables automatically remove duplicates based on the group-by fields, ensuring that no two rows contain the same combination of "group by" field values.

The ability to create child datasets by joining two or more parent datasets allows you to access data from multiple datasets within the same report. However, joining more datasets than necessary can lead to confusion due to a large number of similarly named fields, as well as potential issues with data duplication and aggregation. It's important to carefully manage dataset joins to maintain clarity and accuracy in your analysis.

A user environment that is unique to each customer. Users in QuickSight can only see other users within the same namespace. However, resources can be shared across different namespaces, allowing for collaboration while maintaining user-specific environments.

Parameters are values that can be created in analyses. They can be static, dynamic (such as a rolling date), or adjustable using interactive controls. Parameters allow users to change filters and calculated fields.

A parent dataset is a data set used to create child datasets.

Permissions refer to the configurations that define what resources a user can access and what actions they can perform on those resources. Different resources have varying levels of permissions, which are assigned based on the user's role. For example, a reader user can be granted viewer permissions for a dashboard, allowing them to view the dashboard, change filters, and export data to CSV/Excel. In contrast, an author user can be granted owner permissions, enabling them to share the dashboard, save it as a new analysis, and make other modifications.

The act of sharing an analysis by converting it into a dashboard that can be accessed by others.

A refresh schedule is set on a SPICE dataset to define when the data should be refreshed. Only author users with owner permissions for the dataset can configure or modify the refresh schedule. If you need to request a change to the refresh schedule for a dataset you do not have owner permissions for, please contact our helpdesk for assistance.

There are three types of users, each with specific access levels:

Granting permissions for resources to users.

SPICE, which stands for Super-fast, Parallel, In-Memory Calculation Engine, is a type of dataset that stores data in memory for high-performance analysis and reporting. SPICE datasets refresh on a regular schedule but do not pull live data. However, they offer significantly faster loading times for reports compared to direct query datasets, making them ideal for scenarios where real-time data is not required.

A field that contains distinct values across the entire dataset. It is particularly useful for joining datasets, as it helps prevent duplication issues by ensuring that each record can be uniquely identified.

A person’s access to Quicksight. A user’s potential access and abilities are determined by their role, and each user has a list of resources they have access to.

The value column is an aggregated field in tables. The total of an aggregation will be relevant to the values of all the "group by" columns in the table.

The visual is a window within an analysis where a report or visualisation is created. While multiple datasets can be used in the same analysis, each visual can only utilise one dataset at a time.