LookML dashboard parameters

Dashboards can be created in one of two ways. User-defined dashboards are created via the Looker UI, and are described on the Creating user-defined dashboards documentation page. Dashboards can also be created using LookML and their overall settings modified as discussed on this page.

This page describes the LookML dashboard parameters that affect the entire dashboard.

A LookML dashboard also contains elements, which are the data visualizations, text tiles, and buttons on the dashboard. See the Dashboard element parameters page for links to the reference pages for each individual element type.

Example usage

- dashboard: dashboard_name
  preferred_viewer: dashboards | dashboards-next
  title: "desired dashboard title"
  description: "desired dashboard description"
  enable_viz_full_screen: true | false
  extends: name_of_dashboard_being_extended
  extension: required
  layout: tile | static | grid | newspaper
  rows:
    - elements: [element_name, element_name, ...]
      height: N
  tile_size: N
  width: N
  refresh: N (seconds | minutes | hours | days)
  auto_run: true | false

  # DASHBOARD FILTER PARAMETERS
  crossfilter_enabled: true | false
  filters_bar_collapsed: true | false
  filters_location_top: true | false
  filters:
  - name: filter_name
    title: "desired filter title"
    type: field_filter | number_filter | date_filter | string_filter
    model: model_name
    explore: explore_name
    field: view_name.field_name
    default_value: Looker filter expression
    allow_multiple_values: true | false
    required: true | false
    ui_config:
      type: button_group | checkboxes | range_slider | tag_list | radio_buttons |
            button_toggles | dropdown_menu | slider | day_picker | day_range_picker |
            relative_timeframes | advanced
      display: inline | popover | overflow
      options:
        min: N
        max: N
      - value options
    listens_to_filters:
    - filter_name
      field: view_name.field_name

  # EMBEDDED DASHBOARD PARAMETERS
  embed_style:
    background_color: "css_color"
    show_title: true | false
    title_color: "css_color"
    show_filters_bar: true | false
    tile_background_color: "css_color"
    tile_text_color: "css_color"

  # ELEMENTS PARAMETERS
  elements:
  # One or more element declarations

Parameter definitions

Parameter Name Description
dashboard Create a dashboard.
preferred_viewer This parameter is ignored.
title (for dashboard) Change the way a dashboard name appears to users.
description (for dashboard) Add a description that can be viewed in the Dashboard Details panel or in a folder set to list view.
enable_viz_full_screen Define whether dashboard viewers can see dashboard tiles in full-screen and expanded views.
extends Base the LookML dashboard on another LookML dashboard.
extension Require that the dashboard is extended by another dashboard.
layout Define the way that the dashboard will place elements.
rows Start a section of LookML to define the elements that should go into each row of a layout: grid dashboard.
elements (for rows) Define the elements that should go into a row of a layout: grid dashboard.
height (for rows) Define the height of a row for a layout: grid dashboard.
tile_size Define the size of a tile for a layout: tile dashboard.
width (for dashboard) Define the width of the dashboard for a layout: static dashboard.
refresh (for dashboard) Set the interval on which dashboard elements will automatically refresh.
auto_run Determine whether dashboards run automatically when initially opened or reloaded.
Filter Parameters
crossfilter_enabled Enable or disable cross-filtering for a dashboard.
filters_bar_collapsed ADDED 21.16 Set the dashboard filter bar as default collapsed or expanded for a dashboard.
filters_location_top ADDED 22.8 Set the dashboard filter bar location as top or right for a dashboard.
filters (for dashboard) Start a section of LookML to define dashboard filters.
name (for filters) Create a filter.
title (for filters) Change the way a filter name appears to users.
type (for filters) Determine the type of filter to be used.
default_value Set a default value for a filter, if desired.
allow_multiple_values Limit users to a single filter value.
required Require that users enter a filter value to run the dashboard.
ui_config Configure the filter controls that are available when users view a LookML dashboard. Has subparameters type, display, and options.
model (for filters) Specify the model that contains the underlying field of a type: field_filter filter.
explore (for filters) Specify the Explore that contains the underlying field of a type: field_filter filter.
field Specify the underlying field of a type: field_filter filter.
listens_to_filters Narrow suggestions for dashboard filters of field_filter based on what the user enters for another dashboard filters of type: field_filter.
Embedded Dashboard Parameters
embed_style Start a section of LookML to define embedded dashboard customizations.
background_color Set a background color of an embedded dashboard.
show_title Specify whether the dashboard title is visible on an embedded dashboard.
title_color Set the color of the title of an embedded dashboard.
show_filters_bar Specify whether the filters bar is visible on an embedded dashboard.
tile_background_color Set the tile background color of an embedded dashboard.
tile_text_color Set the tile text color of an embedded dashboard.
Element Parameters
elements (for dashboard) Start a section of LookML to define dashboard elements.

dashboard

The dashboard parameter declares a new dashboard and specifies a name for the dashboard. The maximum number of characters is 255; and allowed characters are letters (A-Z), numbers (0-9), dashes (-), and underscores (_). It is typically best practice to place each LookML dashboard in its own LookML file, but it is possible to declare multiple dashboards in a single file.

- dashboard: sales_overview

To display anything, a dashboard requires at least one element to be added via the elements parameter.

preferred_viewer

Before legacy dashboard deprecation in Looker 23.6, the preferred_viewer parameter let you choose the format for viewing and downloading a dashboard as either Looker's default dashboard experience or as a legacy dashboard.

title (for dashboard)

This section refers to the title parameter that is part of a dashboard.

title can also be used as part of a dashboard filter, described on the title (for filters) section on this page.

title can also be used as part of any dashboard element. A representative example of its usage is provided on the column chart elements documentation page.

The title parameter lets you change how a dashboard name will appear to users in folders and at the top of the dashboard. If not specified, the title defaults to the name of the dashboard. The title text can be localized.

Consider this example:

- dashboard: sales_overview
  title: "1) Sales Overview"

If you did this, instead of the dashboard appearing as Sales Overview, it would appear as 1) Sales Overview.

description (for dashboard)

This section refers to the description parameter that is part of a dashboard.

description can also be used as part of an Explore, as described on the description (for Explores) parameter documentation page.

description can also be used as part of a field, as described on the description (for fields) parameter documentation page.

The description parameter lets you add a description to a LookML dashboard.

The contents of the description parameter will appear in the Description text box of the Dashboard Details panel of a LookML dashboard.

The description is displayed under the dashboard title in the lists of dashboards when viewed in a folder set to list view. If a description is not specified, the list displays only the dashboard title.

The description text can be localized.

enable_viz_full_screen

This parameter only takes effect when the Full Screen Visualizations Labs feature is enabled by a Looker admin. The Full Screen Visualization Labs feature is enabled by default.

The enable_viz_full_screen parameter lets you set whether dashboard viewers can see dashboard tiles in full-screen and expanded views. It is equivalent to the Allow full-screen mode for visualizations dashboard setting.

This parameter accepts the values true (full-screen and expanded views available) and false (full-screen and expanded views not available). The default value is true.

extends

As described on the Reusing codes with extends documentation page, the extends parameter lets you base one LookML dashboard on another LookML dashboard, possibly adding or overriding some settings. The extends parameter accepts the name of another LookML dashboard.

When extending an object, be aware that localization rules apply to your extensions as well. If you are extending an object and then defining new labels or descriptions, you should provide localization definitions in your project's locale strings files. See the Localizing your LookML model documentation page for more information.

extension

As described on the Reusing code with extends documentation page, the extension parameter indicates that the dashboard must be extended by another dashboard. This dashboard is never visible to other users but can be used as a template to create other dashboards that are visible to other users. The extension parameter only accepts the value required. If the extension parameter is not included, extension is not required for the dashboard.

layout

The layout parameter sets the layout method that Looker will use when positioning dashboard elements. It accepts the following values:

rows

For layout: grid dashboards, the rows parameter starts the section of LookML where you define which elements should go into which rows, as well as the height of each row. Within each row, each element has the same width. If you don't list an element in this section it won't appear on the dashboard.

- dashboard: sales_overview
  layout: grid
  rows:
    - elements: [element_name, element_name, ...]
      height: 200
    - elements: [element_name, element_name, ...]
      height: 300

elements

The elements parameter takes a list of dashboard element names, separated by commas. Each elements declaration creates a new row in the dashboard. The elements that are placed into a row will all have the same width. So, if you place 2 elements in a row, they will each take 50% of the available space. If you place 4 elements into a row, they will each take 25% of the available space, and so on.

height

The height parameter defines the height of a row in pixels. The default value is 300.

tile_size

For layout: tile and layout: static dashboards, the unit that is used to size and position elements is tile size. You define tile_size in pixels, and the default value is 160. For example:

- dashboard: sales_overview
  layout: tile
  tile_size: 100

In this situation, a dashboard element with height: 5 and width: 3 will be 500 pixels high, and 300 pixels wide. The height and width parameters apply to all element types, and details about their usage appear on the documentation pages for each individual visualization type. For a representative example of how height and width work, see the Column chart parameters for LookML dashboards documentation page.

width

This section refers to the width parameter that is part of a dashboard.

width can also be used as part of a dashboard element. A representative example its usage is provided on the documentation page for column chart elements.

For layout: static dashboards, the width parameter defines the total dashboard width that you plan to use in pixels. The width parameter will not restrict the dashboard to a certain size if you define too large of an element, or too many elements in a row. Rather, the width setting helps to keep the dashboard centered on the screen. If you do not set a width, the default is 1200.

- dashboard: sales_overview
  layout: static
  width: 800

refresh

This section refers to the refresh parameter that is part of a dashboard.

refresh can also be used as part of a dashboard element. A representative example of its usage is provided on the documentation page for column chart elements.

The refresh parameter allows a dashboard to automatically reload on some periodic basis, thereby retrieving fresh data. This is often helpful in settings where a dashboard is constantly displayed, such as on an office TV. Note that the dashboard must be open in a browser window for this parameter to have an effect. This setting does not run in the background to "pre-warm" the dashboard cache.

The refresh rate can be any number (without decimals) of seconds, minutes, hours or days. For example:

- dashboard: sales_overview
  refresh: 2 hours

Use caution when setting short refresh intervals. Since dashboards can contain many queries, some of which may be resource intensive, certain dashboards may strain your database more than desired.

auto_run

The auto_run parameter determines whether a dashboard will run when it is initially opened or reloaded. The default value is true. When this parameter is set to false, users will need to press a Run button to load the dashboard. For example, a dashboard like this will automatically run when opened:

- dashboard: sales_overview
  auto_run: true

Regardless of the auto_run setting, users must always click a Run button after changing filter values. This helps to prevent unwanted reloads when a user pauses during a filter change or wants to change multiple filters at the same time.

crossfilter_enabled

The crossfilter_enabled parameter lets you turn cross-filters on or off for a dashboard. When this parameter is set to true, dashboard viewers can create cross-filters on the dashboard by clicking certain data points.

- dashboard: sales_data
  crossfilter_enabled: true

filters_bar_collapsed

The filters_bar_collapsed parameter lets you set the dashboard filter bar as default collapsed or expanded for a dashboard. When this parameter is set to true, the filter bar is default collapsed. Dashboard viewers can expand the filter bar by clicking the filters icon. The default for this setting is false.

- dashboard: sales_data
  filters_bar_collapsed: true

filters_location_top

The filters_location_top parameter lets you place the dashboard filter bar at the top or the right for a dashboard. When this parameter is set to true, the filter bar appears at the top of the dashboard; when it is set to false, the filter bar appears at the right of the dashboard. The default for this setting is true.

- dashboard: sales_data
  filters_location_top: false

filters

This section refers to the filters parameter that is part of a dashboard.

filters can also be used as part of a dashboard element. A representative example of its usage is provided on the documentation page for column chart elements.

filters can also be used as part of a measure, described on the filters parameter documentation page.

The filters parameter starts the section of LookML where you define dashboard filters. Filters appear at the top of the dashboard and let users change the data behind dashboard elements.

For a filter to impact an element, the element must be set up to "listen" for that filter, using the listen parameter. This parameter applies to all element types except type: text and type: button. For a representative example of how listen works, see the Column chart parameters for LookML dashboards documentation page.

When filters are applied to an element in this manner, it's important for the filter type to match the dimension or measure type that is listening for the filter (see Building LookML dashboards for more details). Filters have the following form:

filters:
- name: filter_name
  title: "desired filter title"
  type: field_filter | number_filter | date_filter | string_filter
  model: model_name
  explore: explore_name
  field: view_name.field_name
  default_value: Looker filter expression
  allow_multiple_values: true | false
  required: true | false
  listens_to_filters:
  - filter_name
    field: view_name.field_name

name

This section refers to the name parameter that is part of a dashboard filter.

name can also be used as part of a dashboard element. A representative example of its usage is provided on the documentation page for column chart elements.

Each name declaration creates a new dashboard filter, and assigns a name to it. The name will be referenced in the listen parameter of elements that should be impacted by the filter. The listen parameter applies to all element types besides type: text, and details about its usage appear on the documentation pages for each individual visualization type. For a representative example of how listen works, see the Column chart parameters for LookML dashboards documentation page.

filters:
- name: order_date

title (for filters)

This section refers to the title parameter that is part of a dashboard filter.

title can also be used as part of a dashboard, as described in the title (for dashboard) section on this page.

title can also be used as part of a dashboard element. A representative example of its usage is provided on the Column chart parameters for LookML dashboards documentation page.

The title parameter lets you change how a filter name will appear to users at the top of a dashboard. If not specified, the title defaults to the name of the filter.

Consider this example:

filters:
- name: order_date
  title: "Order Date(s)"

If you did this, instead of the filter appearing as Order Date, it would appear as Order Date(s).

type

This section refers to the type parameter that is part of a dashboard filter.

type can also be used as part of a dashboard element, described on the type (for LookML dashboards) parameter documentation page.

type can also be used as part of a join, described on the type parameter parameter documentation page.

type can also be used as part of a dimension, described on the Dimension, filter, and parameter types documentation page.

type can also be used as part of a measure, described on the Measure types documentation page.

The type parameter specifies the type of input that will be placed in the filter. While any type of input (such as a date) could be written into the type: string_filter filter, being more specific provides a more tailored filter widget to the user. The 4 types of filter are:

  • field_filter: Should generally be your default choice, when you can specify an underlying dimension or measure. Using type: field_filter and associating the filter with a type:string field causes the filter to suggest possible filter values.
  • number_filter: Lets the user input a number/integer value or expression.
  • date_filter: Lets the user input a date value or expression.
  • string_filter: Lets the user input freeform text.

field_filter

Suggests options to choose from, changes its presentation to users based on the underlying field you specify.

This should be your go-to filter type in situations where you want to make suggestions to users as they interact with the filter. The dimension from which suggestions will be pulled is defined by using the explore and field parameters, and must be a field of type: string to generate filter suggestions.

Please note that suggestions may not work if the field comes from a derived table, if sql_always_where is used on the Explore, or if the field is a measure.

filters:
- name: order_date
  type: field_filter
  explore: orders
  field: orders.order_date  # must be of the form view_name.dimension_name

number_filter

Does not make suggestions, lets the user enter an integer/number value or expression.

filters:
- name: order_value
  type: number_filter

date_filter

Does not make suggestions, lets the user enter a date value or expression.

filters:
- name: order_date
  type: date_filter

string_filter

Does not make suggestions, lets the user enter freeform text.

filters:
- name: customer_name
  type: string_filter

default_value

The default_value parameter lets you specify a default value to use for a filter. This value can be helpful to users by suggesting a reasonable starting point.

Make sure to match the default value with the type of filter being used. For example:

filters:
- name: order_value
  type: number_filter
  default_value: "50 to 100"

- name: order_date
  type: date_filter
  default_value: "last 30 days"

- name: customer_name
  type: string_filter
  default_value: "John Doe"

You can use filter expressions to create default values. The Looker filter expressions documentation page describes this in more detail.

When you use both the default_value and the ui_config parameters, filter expressions must be compatible with the value given to the type subparameter of ui_config and the data types that support the type value.

You can also use the _localization and _user_attributes Liquid variables for flexible default filter values.

allow_multiple_values

The allow_multiple_values parameter lets you control whether users can select a single filter value or multiple filter values. When this parameter is set to true (the default), users can select multiple values for the filter. When this parameter is set to false, users are able to select only a single filter value.

For example:

filters:
- name: Order ID
  title: Order ID
  type: field_filter
  allow_multiple_values: true
  required: false
  model: thelookstore
  explore: orders
  field: orders.id

required

The required parameter lets you require that users provide a value for the filter in order to run the dashboard. By default, filters do not require values. If a filter that does not require a value and is left blank, the data simply isn't restricted by the filter field. If a filter that does require a value and is left blank, the dashboard won't run.

filters:
  - name: State
    title: State
    type: field_filter
    required: true

ui_config

The ui_config subparameter of filters lets you configure filter settings for a LookML dashboard. These settings include the types of filter controls used, the placement of filter controls, and possible filter values.

For example:


  filters:
  - name: City
    title: City
    type: field_filter
    default_value: San Francisco
    allow_multiple_values: true
    required: false
    ui_config:
      type: button_group
      display: inline
      options:
      - San Francisco
      - New York
      - Tokyo
    model: thelook
    explore: order_items
    field: users.city

See the Adding and editing user-defined dashboard filters documentation page for more information about configuring filters with the UI.

type

The type subparameter of ui_config lets you specify the types of filter controls that are shown.

Depending on the value you enter for type, filter controls can be single selection or multiple selection.

The values that type supports depend on the LookML data type that is assigned to the field that you're filtering on.

STR = Compatible with the string data type DIST = Compatible with the distance data type
NUM = Compatible with the number data type and numeric measures DUR = Compatible with the duration data type
TIER = Compatible with the tier data type D&T = Compatible with most date and time data types
ZIP = Compatible with the zipcode data type LOC = Compatible with the location data type
Y/N = Compatible with the yesno data type PAR = Compatible with the parameter parameter
ValueDescriptionSupported Data Types
Multiple Selection
button_group The filter shows a group of buttons, with one button for each value specified with the options parameter. STR NUM TIER ZIP Y/N DIST DUR
checkboxes The filter shows checkboxes, with one checkbox for each value specified with the options parameter. STR NUM TIER ZIP Y/N DIST DUR
tag_list The filter shows a drop-down listing each possible value specifed using the options parameter. STR NUM TIER ZIP DIST DUR
range_slider For numeric fields, the filter shows a slider that lets users set a range of numbers as the filter's value. The min and max subparameters of options are used to specify the minimum and maximum possible values for the filter, and the default range can be specified using the default_value parameter. NUM DIST DUR
Single Selection
button_toggles The filter shows a group of buttons, with one button for each value specified with the options parameter. STR NUM TIER ZIP Y/N DIST DUR PAR
radio_buttons The filter displays radio buttons, with a button for any value and one button for each value specified with the options parameter. STR NUM TIER ZIP Y/N DIST DUR PAR
dropdown_menu The filter shows a drop-down menu listing each possible value specified using the options parameter. The drop-down also provides users with the option to select Any value. STR NUM TIER ZIP Y/N DIST DUR PAR
slider For numeric fields, the filter shows a slider that lets users choose a filter by sliding between the minimum and maximum possible values, which are specified using the options parameter. NUM DIST DUR
Dates and Times
day_picker The filter lets users choose a particular date to filter on. D&T The single day control can be used with most timeframes and time-based types, but viewers can only select single dates with this type of control.
day_range_picker The filter lets users select a start date and end date to filter on a range of dates. D&T The date range control can be used with most timeframes and time-based types, but viewers can only select date ranges with this type of control.
date_time_range_input The filter lets the user filter on a range of dates and times. D&T The date and time range control can be used with most time-based types, and viewers must select both date and time options with this type of control.
relative_timeframes The filter lets the user filter on a custom range of dates or to choose from timeframe presets like Today, Last 7 Days, Last 90 Days, and so on. D&T The timeframe control can be used with most timeframes and time-based types, but viewers cannot select time options with this type of control.
Other
advancedThe filter presents options for applying one or more filters or advanced matches filters.

See the Using advanced controls section on this page to learn more about advanced controls.
STR NUM TIER ZIP Y/N D&T DIST DUR LOC PAR

display

You can can use the display subparameter of ui_config to set the position of a dashboard filter. You can position a filter by assigning one of the following values to display:

  • inline: The filter is displayed directly in the top bar of the dashboard.
  • popover: A summary value appears in the top bar of the dashboard; click the value to see the full filter.
  • overflow: A More button appears in the top bar of the dashboard with a numeric indicator of how many overflow filters there are; users can click the button to see the overflow filters and their values.

Some filter types can only be displayed in certain ways. For example, filters of type: day_picker can only be displayed as inline or overflow. If you give a filter a display value that is not valid for that type, the filter will display as either inline or popover, whichever is valid. To learn more, see the Adding and editing user-defined dashboard filters documentation page.

For information about positioning dashboard filters using the UI, see the Adding and editing user-defined filters documentation page.

options

The optional options subparameter of ui_config lets you specify the values that a user can choose from to temporarily update dashboard filter values when users view a LookML dashboard. If you do not specify any values for options, Looker pulls the first values from the database.

For example, you can set San Francisco, New York, and Tokyo as the possible values for a filter on the users.city field as follows:


ui_config:
  type: button_group
  display: inline
  options:
  - San Francisco
  - New York
  - Tokyo

If the type subparameter of ui_config is set to range_slider or slider, you can use the min and max subparameters of options:

  • min: Set the minimum possible value for a filter.
  • max: Set the maximum possible value for a filter.

For example:


ui_config:
  type: range_slider
  display: inline
  options:
    min: 0
    max: 500

model

For dashboard filters of type: field_filter, you need to define a model from which the filter will pull suggestions. The model parameter specifies which model contains the field you want to use.

filters:
- name: State
  title: State
  type: field_filter
  default_value: California
  model: thelookstore
  explore: users
  field: users.state

explore

This section refers to the explore parameter that is part of a dashboard filter.

explore can also be used as part of a model, described on the explore parameter documentation page.

explore can also be used as part of a dashboard element. A representative example of its usage is provided on the documentation page for column chart elements.

For dashboard filters of type: field_filter, you need to define a field from which the filter will pull suggestions. The explore parameter specifies which Explore contains the field you want to use.

filters:
- name: order_date
  type: field_filter
  explore: orders
  field: orders.order_date

field

For dashboard filters of type: field_filter, you need to define a field from which the filter will pull suggestions. The field parameter specifies which field you want to use. It is important to use the fully scoped field name. In other words, use view_name.field_name, not just field_name.

filters:
- name: order_date
  type: field_filter
  explore: orders
  field: orders.order_date

listens_to_filters

For dashboard filters of type: field_filter, you can narrow suggestions for the filter based on what the user enters for another filter of type: field_filter.

In the following example, the suggestions provided for the State filter will be based on the values from the Order ID filter. Whatever values are selected for the Order ID filter will have associated users.state values, and those values will be suggested values for the State filter. See the Adding and editing user-defined dashboard filters documentation page for more information.

filters:
- name: State
  title: State
  type: field_filter
  model: thelookstore
  explore: users
  listens_to_filters:
  - Order ID
  field: users.state

embed_style

The embed_style parameter starts the section of LookML where you customize the appearance of an embedded dashboard. embed_style and its associated parameters are supported only on embedded dashboards and are ignored if the dashboard is not embedded.

After you make changes to embed_style, you must deploy your LookML to production in order to see your embed_style settings reflected in the embedded LookML dashboard.

For the following embedded dashboard attributes that specify a color, the color value can be a hex string like #2ca6cd or a CSS named color string like mediumblue.

Embedded dashboard customizations have the following form:

embed_style:
  background_color: "css_color"
  show_title: true | false
  title_color: "css_color"
  show_filters_bar: true | false
  tile_background_color: "css_color"
  tile_text_color: "css_color"

background_color

Sets the color of the background of an embedded dashboard.

embed_style:
  background_color: "#ffffff"

show_title

Specifies whether the embedded dashboard title is visible to users.

embed_style:
  show_title: false

title_color

Sets the color of the title of an embedded dashboard.

embed_style:
  title_color: "#008000"

show_filters_bar

Specifies whether the embedded dashboard filters are visible to users.

This parameter affects only the cosmetic appearance of the dashboard, not a user's ability to access data. Hiding the filters bar does NOT prevent users from changing filters by other means. For information on how to set up secure data access control policies, see the Access control and permission management documentation page.

embed_style:
  show_filters_bar: true

tile_background_color

Sets the color of the background of all tiles on an embedded dashboard.

embed_style:
  tile_background_color: "lightyellow"

tile_text_color

Sets the color of text on all tiles on an embedded dashboard.

embed_style:
  tile_text_color: "crimson"

elements

This section refers to the elements parameter that is part of a dashboard.

elements can also be used as part of a dashboard row, described on the elements for rows section on this page.

The elements parameter starts the section of LookML where you define the elements that will make up a dashboard. There are many parameters that can define the appearance of a dashboard element. They are described in more detail on the Dashboard element parameters page.

- dashboard: sales_overview
  layout: tile
  elements:
  - name: order_count
    type: single_value
    model: ecommerce
    explore: orders
    measures: [orders.count]

Think about the number and complexity of elements that you add to a LookML dashboard. More elements require more browser resources, which increases dashboard rendering time. Similarly, elements that render large amounts of data may impact dashboard performance. If rendering becomes an issue, consider reducing the complexity of dashboard element queries or creating multiple dashboards with fewer elements.