Getting started with Basedash

Ready to turn raw SQL data into beautiful, interactive dashboards-without writing code? In this step-by-step tutorial, Chris shows you how to connect a data source, create a high-level KPI dashboard, and build a dynamic product-level view in Basedash. Follow along with the free demo database or hook up your own-either way you’ll master the basics in under 8 minutes.

What You’ll Learn

• Hook up a PostgreSQL/MySQL (or demo) database in seconds
• Generate KPIs, charts & tables with plain-language prompts
• Use variables for interactive, entity-level analysis
• Edit AI-assisted SQL queries for granular control
• Chat with your schema for ad-hoc answers-no dashboards required

Transcript

Introduction

Chris:

Hi, I’m Chris, and in this video, I’ll show you how to build your first dashboard in Basedash.

Follow along as we build two dashboards for an e-commerce company:

1. A high-level metrics dashboard
2. An individual entity view for a product

We’ll be using a Basedash demo database, so you can follow along if you’d like.

Connect Your Data Source

To get started, we need to add a data source.

• Go to the top left corner, select Data source, then click Add data source.
• You can connect to various databases, but we’re using the clothing store demo database.
• Once selected, you’ll see the schema sync and a list of tables.
• Rename the data source to Acme Clothing Store Demo, then save it.

Now we’re ready to create our first dashboard.

Create a High-Level Dashboard

• Go to the top right corner, click Dashboard.
• We’re creating a high-level dashboard for our e-commerce business.
• Name it Acme Limited, then click New Chart.

KPI Card: Total Sales

• The data source is preselected as Acme Clothing Store.
• In plain language, enter: Total Sales.
• Basedash generates the SQL query automatically.
• You can adjust the chart type and data format.

Trend Line: Sales Over Time

• Add a time-based chart to visualize sales over time.
• Basedash automatically adds a date range variable at the top (daily, weekly, last 90 days, etc.).

Pie Chart: Orders by Category

• Add a pie chart to display orders segmented by product category.

Quick KPIs

Add more indicators:

• Total number of customers
• Total number of products
• Most recent orders

Now we have a high-level dashboard showing:

• Number of sales
• Sales trends
• Order categories
• Customer and product counts
• Recent orders

Style and Organize the Dashboard

• Click Done Editing.
• Add a color and icon to your dashboard.
• Favorite it to pin it to the top of your dashboards list.

Build the “Product View” Dashboard

• Create a new dashboard named Product View.
• Add a variable so you can select a specific product.

Add a Product Selector Variable

• Name the variable: product.
• Link it to the products table in the demo database.
• This shows all products and their IDs for selection.

Detailed Row View

• Choose a specific product to view detailed values for that row (e.g., baby onesie).
• Display this using the detail chart type.

Sales History for the Selected Product

• Add a chart showing sales over the last few months.
• If the volume is low, try using a table instead of a time bar.

Show Related Products in the Same Category

• Add a chart that pulls other products in the same category.

Category Name Indicator

• Add a simple indicator to show the name of the category.
• Example: Pocket square belongs to the Accessories category.

Now you can:

• Dive into any product
• See its category and recent sales
• View related products
• Access row-level product details

Go Deeper with Natural-Language SQL

• Click on a product and use the Edit SQL Query button.
• A chat interface appears with SQL on the right.
• Example prompt: “Only show products in the category where the price is higher than the selected product.”

Basedash rewrites the query to match.

• You can view results (e.g., all products more expensive than the $16 baby onesie).
• You can revert changes and rerun previous queries if needed.

Final Touches

• Give the Product View dashboard an icon and mark it as a favorite.

Now you have:

• A high-level overview dashboard
• A detailed product view dashboard with filtering and product insights

Bonus: Chat With Your Data

You don’t always need a dashboard!

Try chatting directly with Basedash:

• “What tables do I have in this database?”

-> Basedash shows tables like products, categories, customers, orders, and order items.

• “How are customers related to orders?”

-> It explains that customer_id in orders maps to the customers table.

• “How many orders did we get last month?”

-> It runs the query and returns: 16 orders in February.

This is a powerful way to interact with your data without building a dashboard.

Invite Teammates & Next Steps

Now you’re ready to:

• Invite a teammate to Basedash
• Let them explore or build their own dashboards

Thanks for watching-and have fun exploring your data!