What this means
Widgets are the building blocks of your dashboard. They answer one question at a time, such as how many jobs were created, what tax was paid, how full mechanic capacity is, or how inventory value is changing.
The chart type matters because workshop teams need fast answers. A KPI is good for one headline number. A line chart is better for trend. A table is better when someone needs the exact rows behind the metric.
Before You Start
Build on desktop so you can drag, resize, and open widget settings comfortably.
Start with the question you want answered, then choose the widget and chart type that makes that answer fastest to read.
Expect some widgets to support only one or two chart types because the underlying metric works best that way.
Add a widget
Choose Add Widget from the dashboard header.
Filter the library by category, search by title or description, or narrow by visualisation type.
Read the widget description before adding it so you understand what the metric counts.
Add the widget to the dashboard, then drag and resize it into position.
Open the widget settings menu if you want to duplicate it, change supported chart settings, or export it.
Choose the right chart type
KPI
Use for one headline number, such as total invoiced sales or total new customers for the selected period.
Line
Use for trend over time, such as jobs created, customer reviews, or tax paid across the week or month.
Bar
Use when you want category or period comparison that is easy to scan, such as work type splits or payment method breakdowns.
Pie
Use for simple composition views with a small number of categories, such as job status or payment method share.
Heatmap
Use for capacity views where the goal is to spot under-booked and over-booked mechanics quickly.
Table
Use when the team needs exact figures, exact dates, or exportable detail rather than a visual summary.
Examples from the current widget library
Capacity Grid: This is a heatmap-only widget because capacity versus booked hours is easiest to read as a mechanic by day grid.
Inventory Value: This supports KPI and line views, which suits both snapshot checks and over-time monitoring.
Job Status: This supports bar, line, and pie views, so you can switch between trend and composition depending on the meeting.
Gross Profit and Invoiced Sales by Work Type: This supports several views because the same metric can be used for headline monitoring or deeper category comparison.
Best Practices
Start with three to six widgets and add more only when the dashboard still reads clearly.
Use one headline widget plus one detailed widget for the same topic when you need both speed and context.
Duplicate a good widget before experimenting so you can compare two versions side by side.
Use tables for detail-heavy conversations and line or KPI widgets for fast stand-up meetings.
Common setup mistakes
Using pie charts for too many categories, which makes the story harder to read.
Shrinking too many widgets onto one screen instead of removing low-value ones.
Assuming every widget can be turned into every chart type.
Adding widgets before checking what the metric actually counts.
Troubleshooting
If you cannot find a widget, search by business language, not only by the exact chart title you had in mind.
If a chart type is missing from settings, that widget does not support it.
If you need something that is not in the current library, use the widget request option from the Add Widget drawer.