# Dashboard Requirements Template

A ready-to-use template for gathering dashboard requirements before you build in Power BI, Tableau, or Looker Studio. Copy this into Google Docs, Notion, or your wiki and fill it out with your stakeholder in a 30-minute kickoff.

From [datawirefra.me/blog/dashboard-requirements-gathering](https://datawirefra.me/blog/dashboard-requirements-gathering)

---

## 1. Project Overview

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| Dashboard name | _e.g., Regional Sales Pipeline Dashboard_ |
| Requestor | _Name and role_ |
| Primary audience | _Who will use this, how often_ |
| Key decision | _What decision does this dashboard support?_ |
| Platform | _Power BI / Tableau / Looker Studio_ |
| Target launch date | _Date_ |
| Data refresh | _Real-time / Daily / Weekly_ |

## 2. Audience

- **Role:** _e.g., Regional Sales Managers_
- **Technical level:** _Will they filter and drill down, or just read top-line numbers?_
- **Frequency:** _Daily check-in / weekly review / monthly_
- **Device:** _Desktop / mobile / both_

**One-sentence summary:** _"Primary audience: ___. They check this dashboard every ___ to decide ___."_

## 3. Key Decision

What will the audience **do differently** after seeing this dashboard?

- _e.g., "Decide whether to increase ad spend in the Southeast region."_

> If you can't name a specific action, the dashboard is a report, not a decision tool. Push for a decision.

## 4. Metrics

| # | Metric Name | Definition (exact calculation) | Source | Chart Type | Priority |
|---|-------------|--------------------------------|--------|------------|----------|
| 1 | _Revenue MTD_ | _Sum of closed-won amounts, current month_ | _Salesforce_ | _KPI Card_ | _Must-have_ |
| 2 | _Revenue vs Target_ | _Revenue MTD / Target MTD_ | _Salesforce + Planning_ | _Progress Bar_ | _Must-have_ |
| 3 | | | | | |
| 4 | | | | | |
| 5 | | | | | |
| 6 | | | | | |

> Don't skip the Definition column. "Revenue" means different things to different teams — gross or net? booked or recognized? ARR or MRR? Get it in writing.

## 5. Filters & Interactivity

| Filter | Type (Global / Page-level) | Default Value |
|--------|----------------------------|---------------|
| _Date range_ | _Global_ | _Current month_ |
| _Region_ | _Global_ | _All_ |
| | | |

- **Drill-through:** _Can users click a region to see the deals in it?_
- **Cross-filtering:** _Does clicking a bar filter the table?_

## 6. Constraints

- **Data refresh frequency:** _Real-time / Daily / Weekly_
- **Row-level security:** _Who can see what?_
- **Platform:** _Power BI / Tableau / Looker Studio / flexible_
- **Performance:** _Approx. data volume; any query-time concerns?_
- **Timeline:** _When does this need to ship?_
- **Mobile:** _Will anyone view this on a phone?_

## 7. Sign-off

- [ ] Audience and key decision confirmed
- [ ] Every must-have metric has a definition and source
- [ ] Filters and interactivity agreed
- [ ] Constraints surfaced
- [ ] **Wireframe created and approved before development starts**

---

**Next step:** turn this into a wireframe before you build. Sketch the KPI cards, charts, and filters, share the live URL with your stakeholder, and confirm the layout matches what they pictured — it's a 5-minute step that catches the misunderstandings a requirements doc alone can't. Start free at [app.datawirefra.me](https://app.datawirefra.me).