Using AI to Build widgets on Boards - Visual Reports

The fastest way to build a Boards widget is with AI. Just describe the chart, table, or metric you want in plain English, and the Visualization Agent does the rest. Refine with follow-up prompts or fine-tune manually before adding it to your board.

This article walks through the full flow: how to invoke Build with AI, how to write a strong prompt, how to refine the result, and what to do when the agent doesn't get it right on the first try.

Who can use Build with AI

You'll need both of these permissions on your Cube account:

1. Use AI Analyst
2. Manage Personal Boards (or edit access on a shared board)

If you don't see the Build with AI button when adding a widget, ask your Cube administrator to grant the permissions above.

Step 1: Open Build with AI

1. Open the board you want to add a widget to.
2. Click Add Widget in the board editor.
3. On the New tab, click the Build with AI button at the top of the panel.

This opens the Preview modal with two tabs on the left: Build and Chat. The Chat tab is where you'll prompt the agent.

Step 2: Describe the widget you want to build

In the chat input on the left, type a description of the widget you want. The more specific you are, the better the result.

A strong prompt typically includes:

1. Widget type: bar chart, line chart, table, metric, donut, waterfall, etc.
2. Metric or account: revenue, gross margin, headcount, OPEX
3. Dimension breakdown: by product, by department, by entity
4. Time range: 2024, last 12 months, YTD, Q1
5. Filters or exclusions: Actuals only, exclude eliminations, specific entities
6. Formatting preferences: show in millions, stacked, with goal line

Example prompt:

Build a bar chart breaking down revenue by quarter in 2025 for each entity, excluding eliminations and acquisitions and format in millions

Click the send arrow to submit.

Step 3: Watch the agent build

While the agent works, you'll see a Building your widget indicator in the chat and a No Preview Yet placeholder on the right side of the modal.

Generation typically takes a few seconds. When it's done, the right side displays the generated widget, and the chat returns a summary of what was built: the widget type, metric, dimensions, filters applied, and any formatting choices the agent made.

The widget is fully interactive in the preview. The active filter chips display below the chart so you can see exactly which dimensions and members the agent applied.

Step 4: Refine the widget

Two ways to make changes before inserting:

Refine with another prompt (Chat tab)

Stay in the Chat tab and send a follow-up prompt. The agent uses the existing widget as context, so you can speak naturally:

1. "Make it stacked"
2. "Change to a line chart"
3. "Filter to North America only"
4. "Show last 12 months instead of 2025"
5. "Add a goal line at 5M"

Each refinement updates the preview on the right.

Fine-tune manually (Build tab)

Switch to the Build tab to use the standard widget editor. You'll see the same configuration options available for any Boards widget:

1. Edit Data: Adjust rows, columns, filters, and the data the widget pulls
2. Style: Change colors, chart subtype, legend position
3. Format Details: Toggle data labels, stacking, goal lines, trend lines, Y-axis formatting

Use the Build tab when you need precise control. The chat and the manual editor work on the same widget, so changes in one are reflected in the other.

Step 5: Name and insert

1. Enter a Name for the widget at the top of the modal (or check Hide name to omit it).
2. Click Insert Widget in the bottom right.

The widget is added to your board and behaves like any other Boards widget. You can resize it, drag it, duplicate it, and edit it later through the standard widget menu.

Tips for writing strong prompts

The Visualization Agent does best with explicit, structured prompts. A few patterns that consistently produce good results:

1. Name the widget type up front. "Build a bar chart" or "Show as a table" anchors the agent before it interprets the rest.
2. Use real account and dimension names from your Cube model. "Revenue" or "Gross Margin" is better than "sales" or "profit."
3. Be specific about time. "Q1 2025" is unambiguous; "this quarter" depends on when the prompt is interpreted.
4. List exclusions explicitly. "Exclude eliminations and acquisitions" is clearer than "show core entities only."
5. State formatting at the end. "Format in millions" or "show stacked" applied at the end of the prompt is reliably picked up.
6. Combine multiple specifications in one prompt. The agent handles compound requirements better than a series of small prompts.

A weak prompt:

Show me sales

A strong prompt:

Build a bar chart of revenue by product for 2024, monthly, filtered to Actuals scenario, format in thousands

Common quirks and how to fix them

The agent only includes the parent, not the children

This is the most frequent issue. When you ask for a breakdown by a hierarchical dimension (Entity, Department, Account), the agent sometimes returns only the top-level parent without expanding to its children.

Example: You prompt for "revenue by entity" and get a chart showing only "Global Co" instead of each individual entity underneath.

How to fix it: Refine with a prompt that explicitly asks for the children. For example:

1. "Break it out by each child entity, not just Global Co"
2. "Show each individual entity, expand the rollup"
3. "Use the descendants of Global Co"

You can also switch to the Build tab and adjust the row configuration manually to add the child members.

The agent picks the wrong scenario

If your default scenario isn't what you wanted, the agent may apply Actuals when you wanted Budget, or vice versa.

How to fix it: Specify the scenario explicitly in your prompt. "Filtered to Budget scenario" or "compare Actuals vs Budget."

The agent picks the wrong widget type

If you don't name the widget type, the agent makes its best guess. A request for "revenue trends" might return a bar chart when you wanted a line.

How to fix it: Name the widget type at the start of your prompt, or refine after the fact: "Change to a line chart."

A custom dimension or account isn't recognized

The agent works from the dimension members and accounts in your Cube model. Custom dimensions or non-standard naming may not be picked up on the first try.

How to fix it: Use the exact name as it appears in your Cube model. If the agent still misses it, switch to the Build tab and add the dimension manually.

Things to know

A few details to keep in mind as you work with Build with AI:

1. New widgets only. Build with AI is available when adding a new widget. To edit an existing widget with AI, delete it and rebuild, or use the manual editor.
2. AI may make mistakes. Always review the generated widget before inserting it into your board. Check the filter chips and the data values against what you expect.
3. Refinement is conversational, not undo-able. Each chat prompt updates the preview. There's no per-message undo. If you want to start over, close the modal and click Build with AI again.