3.5Custom tooltips & drill-through
The essentials in 30 seconds
- A custom tooltip is a page whose format is "Tooltip": on hovering a visual, it displays instead of the default tooltip.
- Drill-through opens a dedicated page filtered automatically on the point's context — detail without cluttering the main view.
- Two settings not to forget: a field in the "Drill through" well on the target page, and "Keep all filters" on the button/drill-through side.
Running mini-case — Zineb equips the detail without overloading
Zineb, in Algiers, wants her colleagues to be able to dig into a city or a month without overloading the summary page. She creates a "City detail" page whose page format she sets to Tooltip, places a card and a small histogram on it, then, in the Format pane of her visuals on the main page, chooses this page as Tooltip: on hovering a bar, the detail appears. To go further, she adds the City field to the "Drill through" well of a "Detail" page: a right-click on a city → Drill through → Detail opens the page filtered on that city, with the automatic Back button. Result: the overview stays readable, the detail is just a hover or a right-click away.
Standalone case for this section: it returns in the course, the diagram, the script and the 48h challenge of section 3.5.
1. The custom tooltip
Detail without clutter. A custom tooltip is a page whose format (Page format → Page information) is set to Tooltip: on hovering a visual, it displays instead of the default tooltip. It is the way to enrich the hover (mini-chart, map, indicators) without overloading the main view.
2. Drill-through
To go further, drill-through opens a dedicated page, filtered automatically on the context of the clicked point — a city, a month, a customer. The main page stays readable; the reader who wants the detail does a right-click → Drill through. The Back button is added automatically to return to the starting context.
3. Two settings not to forget
Two settings govern everything: the field in the "Drill through" well (Visualizations pane → Drill through section) on the target page, and the "Keep all filters" behaviour — by default, only the point's selection is passed on. Without the drill-through field, the "Drill through" right-click stays silent; without thinking about the filters, the destination page may lose the intended context.
🔎 Concrete example — 🔎 Concrete example — Drill-through filtered on a city
Zineb offers the detail of a city without overloading the view:
Page « Detail » → « Drill through » well = City
Right-click on the « Oran » bar
→ Drill through → Detail
= page opened filtered on Oran + Back button
(Filters pane: Oran = passed)Reading: drill-through passes the clicked point's context to the target page, which filters itself — no manual wiring.
Lesson: without the "Drill through" well field, the "Drill through" right-click has nowhere to go.
Section vocabulary
- Custom tooltip
- A PAGE whose format is "Tooltip": on hover, it replaces the default tooltip — mini-chart, map, indicators.
Simple example: Zineb hovers a bar and sees the city's mini-chart.
What it is not: the default tooltip (plain text).
Reflex: enrich the hover → "Tooltip" page.
- Tooltip page
- The container: a normal page, resized and set to Tooltip, then chosen as tooltip in the visual's Format.
Simple example: Zineb creates "City detail" and designates it as a tooltip.
What it is not: a visual placed on the main page.
Reflex: prepare the page before designating it.
- Drill-through
- Opening a dedicated page filtered on a point's context (right-click → Drill through) — detail without cluttering the main view.
Simple example: Zineb drills through the "Detail" page filtered on Oran.
What it is not: a simple click that filters the same page.
Reflex: wanting the full detail → drill-through.
- Back button
- Added automatically on the drill-through page: it brings you back to the starting context — you always go back where you came from.
Simple example: Zineb returns to the overview in one click.
What it is not: a tab opened twice.
Reflex: drill-through → automatic Back.
- "Drill through" well
- The field placed in the target page's Drill through well: without it, the "Drill through" right-click stays silent.
Simple example: Zineb drops City there to enable drill-through.
What it is not: a field left in the Axis well.
Reflex: silent drill-through → check the "Drill through" well.
In practice — In practice — Enriched hover and drill-through
- Create a "City detail" page, set its format to Tooltip, and place a card + a small histogram (like Zineb).
- Select a visual on the main page → Format pane → Tooltips → "City detail" page. Hover: the detail appears.
- Drill through well: create a "Detail" page, place City in the "Drill through" section of the Visualizations pane.
- Right-click a bar → Drill through → Detail: the page opens filtered; check the Back button and, if needed, "Keep all filters".
Step-by-step script — Zineb's enriched hover and drill-through (10 min)
1) Create a "City detail" page, Page format → Tooltip, place a card and a small histogram. 2) On a main visual, Format pane → Tooltips → select "City detail"; hover a bar. 3) Create a "Detail" page and drop City into the "Drill through" well. 4) Right-click a bar → Drill through → Detail: the page opens filtered on the city, with the Back button. 5) Depending on the need, enable "Keep all filters".
Silent drill-through? Check the "Drill through" well field on the target page.
Copy-paste template — tooltip & drill-through
Tooltip: « City detail » page (Format = Tooltip)
→ main visual → Format → Tooltips → « City detail »
Drill-through: « Detail » page + « Drill through » well = City
→ right-click a bar → Drill through → Detail
Settings: automatic Back button + « Keep all filters »
Reflex: without the « Drill through » field, the right-click stays silent.Enriched hover
Zineb hovers a bar and a tooltip page shows the city's card and mini-chart.
Detail by city
Zineb drills through the "Detail" page filtered on Oran: the detail opens, the context passes on its own.
Detail by month
Zineb drills through a month to see its products and customers without overloading the summary page.
Multi-axis target page
Zineb places City and Month in the "Drill through" well: you can drill through by either one.
✓ Best practices
- Check the "Tooltip" page format before designating it on a visual.
- Place the right field in the "Drill through" well of the target page.
- Think about "Keep all filters" for the starting context.
✗ Common pitfalls
- Forgetting the "Drill through" well field: the right-click stays silent.
- Stacking the detail on the main page instead of a dedicated page.
- Ignoring the "Keep all filters" setting.
Key takeaways
- Custom tooltip = a page in "Tooltip" format, displayed on hover.
- Drill-through = a dedicated page filtered on the clicked point's context.
- Without the "Drill through" well field, drill-through does not work.
- The Back button is automatic: drill-through keeps the starting context.
48h challenge — apply it tomorrow
Create a "City detail" page in Tooltip format and designate it on a visual: the hover shows the detail as with Zineb. Then open a drill-through page with the City field in the "Drill through" well: right-click → Drill through → Detail must filter the page on the clicked city.
- I can create a custom tooltip on hover.
- I can configure a drill-through page.
- I check the "Drill through" well field before testing.
Frequently asked questions
Custom tooltip or drill-through: which to choose?
According to the depth of detail and the gesture. The tooltip (hover) suits a light complement: a mini-graph, two or three values, without leaving the view. Drill-through (right-click) suits a real detour: a full page filtered on the context, with its Back button. Often you combine both — hover for the preview, drill-through for the analysis.
Why does my "Drill through" right-click show no destination?
Because the "Drill through" well field is empty on the target page. Drill-through needs a destination page AND a field that declares "you can drill through by City (or Month, Customer)". So check two things: that the destination page exists and that the right field is indeed in the Drill through section of the Visualizations pane.
Which setting displays a detail page on hovering a visual?