
Getting started with Basedash
7:28
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:
A high-level metrics dashboard
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
inorders
maps to thecustomers
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!