> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://documentation.connexica.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://documentation.connexica.com/pages-reports/drilling-data-in-a-pages-report.md).

# 06. Drilling Data in a Pages Report

Learn more about using Pages’ drill functionality to control the information users can access, and to add intuitive navigation controls to your report.

Drilling through from a reporting component to the underlying data is an integral feature of any online reporting tool. It provides important context to the data displayed by a crosstab, chart or gauge – allowing report users to better understand the information in front of them.

But this functionality can raise some issues – especially around data privacy. So, it’s important to understand what information you do and don’t want users to be able to view, and how you can prevent them from accessing it.

Using the Drill To drop-down list in conjunction with this option enables the creation of a report where the different components can be used to navigate to separate layers of the report or present users with a pop-up window.

## Accessing a component’s drill controls

Drill is enabled by default on all components, allowing report users to drill through to the data behind each of the reporting components – a crosstab, chart, gauge, query and venn.

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

## Select the component

Click the component on the Workspace. This displays the Drill icon on the Dynamic Toolbar.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

## Open the Drill controls

Click the Drill icon on the Dynamic Toolbar. This displays the Drill pop-up dialog.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## Prevent users from accessing the underlying data

You can turn off drill-through functionality if you want to prevent report users accessing the data behind a reporting component, for example, they’re from outside your organisation, or there’s a data privacy issue.

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

## Open the Drill controls

Open the component’s Drill controls.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

## Disable Drill Through

Uncheck the Drill Through checkbox.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

## Apply the changes

Click the Apply button.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

{% hint style="info" %}
**Note:** You can also prevent users drilling through on components at a User Group level \[see user management section].
{% endhint %}

## Passing drill context from one page or layer to another

Allowing users to interrogate data by passing a “context” from one reporting component to another is the integral role of drill through functionality but Pages gives you greater control over where the context is passed.

Pages allows you to specify which previously built page or layer, containing another reporting component, you want to pass drill context.

For example, if you have a chart showing aggregated regional sales data, you can specify the drill through to pass the selected context to a branch-level report on another page or layer of your Pages report.

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

## Open the Drill controls

Open the Drill controls for the component from which you want pass context.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

## Select the page or layer

Select the page or layer from the **Drill To** drop-down list.

When enabled, the **Scroll To Top** option forces the top of the page or layer that you drill through to align with the top of your display. This is on by default and we recommend that you don’t turn it off.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

## Apply the changes

Click the **Apply** button.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

### Displaying drill through data in a popup

To allow report users to more quickly interrogate data – without navigating to a separate page or layer – you can set up drill to display the data in a pop-up.

This approach involves you adding the reporting component to be displayed in a popup to a separate, hidden layer in your Pages report. While more planning and preparation is required it ensures there are no permissions issues that prevent a report user accessing data.

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

## Create a hidden popup layer

Add a new layer to your Pages report. Rename the layer as *Popups*.

Under **Layer Style**, select the **Hidden** option to hide the layer.

Uncheck the **Exported** checkbox to prevent the popups being included in an exported PDF of the report.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

## Add the popup component

Add the reporting component that you want to be displayed in the popup to the new layer, then rename it to give it a meaningful name.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Note:** You can add as many components as you need to the hidden “popups” layer. We recommend that you give each component a meaningful name to make it easier to select the right component to display in the popup.
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

## Return to the drill layer

Navigate back to the layer from which you want to drill.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

## Open the Drill controls

Click the component for which you want to set up drilling, then click the **Drill** icon on the Dynamic Toolbar.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

## Configure the popup

Select **Popup** from the **Drill To** drop-down box.

Select the reporting component, from the renamed layer, that you want to display in the popup, from the **Popup Element** drop-down list.

Set the **Popup Width** and **Popup Height** in the appropriate fields.

This will need a little trial and error to ensure the popup is the correct size to effectively display the contents.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

## Apply the changes

Click the **Apply** button.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## Using Drill to Navigate a Report

When a user drills through into underlying data contained on another layer or page of your report, it can result in them not being able to easily get to previous layer in the report.

Using the drill functionality to add navigational elements to a report gives users the ability to return to previous pages or layers, and allows you to control whether and what context is passed back.

To do this, we use Pages Text component to build links (or buttons if we add a bit of styling).

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

## Add a Text component

Drag a Text component onto your report’s Workspace.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

## Add link text

Double-click that text element then add some text. Make this text help users understand its functionality – for example, the word “BACK”.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

## Apply the text

Click the Apply button.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

## Open the Drill controls

Click the text element on the Workspace, then click the Drill icon on the Dynamic Toolbar.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

## Select the navigation destination

Select the page or layer that you want to navigate to, from the Drill To drop-down list.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

## Choose how to pass context

Select whether you want to pass the drill context.

* **Reset Context** – remove all the previously passed drill context
* **Reset Last Context** – if your report has multiple layers, just returning to the previous layer, and remove the last context. For example, from region to branch to employee. Returning from employee to branch you only want to remove the employee context but retain the branch context.
* **Reset Filters** – reset any filters that have been set.
  {% endstep %}
  {% endstepper %}