Sharing Dashboards Through Public Links

Version

Application Scenario

After creating a dashboard, you may want to share it with those who do not have a FineBI account for viewing.

Function Description

After you have shared the public link of a dashboard, anyone can view the dashboard by clicking the link without login or being assigned any data permissions.

Besides providing convenient access, this function allows you to set a password for the link to avoid data leakage and ensure data security.

You can set a validity period for the current public link, beyond which the public link is inaccessible.

Notes

If you have installed the local version of FineBI, you are advised to use the online version of FineBI to experience the function.

For a local BI, sharing a public link is subject to environmental restrictions and requires modifying the link. For details, see section "Notes."

Admin Configuring the Permission of Public Link of Dashboard

The admin needs to assign permission for users to share the public link of dashboards, as shown in the following figure.

Note:

The Public Link function allows all users to share self-created dashboards, which may result in internal data leakage. Hence ordinary users can share dashboards through public links on FineBI only after the admin assigns them the sharing permission for public links.

Public Link Creation

1. Create a public link.

You can create a public link for a dashboard at the following three entry points.

A: On the preview page

B: Above the editing page

C: Below the editing page

You can create a public link for an analysis document at the entry point on the editing page only.

2. Enable the Share Link function. By default, the Share Link function is disabled. If you enable it, it automatically creates a link for sharing. If concerned about data leakage, you can tick Password Protection to set a password and set the access validity period for the public link. Then, click Copy Link and Password, as shown in the following figure.

Public Link Accessing

On PC

Paste the copied link to the URL address bar of a browser and remove the password part to go to the password-entering page. After entering the correct password, you can view the dashboard.

Note:

1. Resending the link is not required after you modify a dashboard that has been shared with users through a public link.

2. If you enter the password incorrectly five times (excluding blank input), you cannot enter the password for one minute. Enter the correct password one minute later to access the dashboard preview page. If you have not operated the dashboard within ten minutes, you need to re-enter the password for access.

Mobile Access Settings

1. HTML5 is typically used to access the dashboard on mobile devices through a public link. You need to complete a series of configurations before viewing the link on a mobile device. The procedures are as follows:

a. Install the HTML5 Mobile Display plugin in the FineBI project. You can obtain the plugin at https://community.finereport.com/market/?keyword=html.

b. Modify localhost in the generated link to the IP address. For details about the steps, see section "IP Replacement Methods."

2. Effect

When accessing a public link, if you have not entered a password before, you will be directed to the password-entering page first, as shown in the following figure.

Enter the correct password to access the dashboard preview page and view the dashboard. After entering the dashboard page, you cannot go back to the password-entering page.

Note:

Within 10 minutes after entering the correct password, you can access the dashboard in this browser without entering the password.

If you enter the incorrect password, an error message will be displayed, as shown in the following figure 

If you enter the incorrect password, an error message will be displayed, as shown in the following figure.

If the number of incorrect inputs exceeds the limit, it will lead to lockout (Password lockout is only controlled on the front end.).

Note:

If the password for a public link is modified, refreshing the page requires you to enter the correct password.

Share Link Disabling

If you do not want others to access the previously created public link, you can click Public Link and disable Share Link on the Share Link page.

On PC

After you disable the Share Link function, the previously created public link becomes invalid, as shown in the following figure.

On Mobile Terminals

After you disable the Share Link function, the mobile public link becomes invalid. You cannot view the dashboard after refreshing the page.

You can view all dashboards shared through public links. Click My Analysis, click the icon , and select Enabled Public Link from the drop-down list, as shown in the following figure.

Local Area Network

If the local area network is used, the recipient needs to be in the same local area network as the sharer to access the dashboard.

Server Registration

Problem: When you share a link, it indicates that the system is unregistered or the number of visitors exceeds the limit.

Cause: The server is not registered.

Solution: Register the server.

Server Error

Problem: The server is reporting an error "ERROR error get user name from req ERROR reportId: 00748d435956496f8a6582f601a8edbf".

Solution: This error message exists in the version of 2020-01-15, but it does not affect normal usage. It no longer exists in the version of 2020-04-03.

Clearing Linkages in Public Links

Open a shared public link, and you may find the icon  in the upper right corner if the linkage exists in the dashboard. You can click the icon to reset the dashboard and clear all linkages.

Login Required When Accessing Sub-templates of Templates Shared Through Public Links

Problem: Accessing a sub-template of the template shared through a public link requires login.

Cause: To prevent data leakage, the viewing and data permissions of the sub-template accessed through the public link are the same as those of the logged-in user.

Solution: Add the public link of the target dashboard when setting the dashboard jumping. This requires no login if you are redirected to another dashboard from a dashboard opened through a public link. For details, see Jumping to Another Dashboard (Analysis Template).

IP Replacement Methods

If you install the BI project locally instead of deploying it on a server accessible from the external network, for example, the access address is http://localhost:37799/webroot/decision, the generated dashboard public link will start with localhost, as shown in the following figure.

The dashboard shared through this link cannot be accessed by users who are not on the same machine. You need to change "localhost" to the IP address of the current server before sharing it.

Viewing IP Address

To obtain the IP address of a Windows server, you can refer to Finding the Host Name, IP Address or Physical Address of your machine.

To obtain the IP address of a Linux server, you can refer to How to get your Linux IP address in different ways.

Changing localhost to IP Address

For example, the IP address of the machine where FineBI is installed is 120.20.29.224.

The initial public link is:

http://localhost:37799/webroot/decision/link/brQ7

The link after replacement should be:

http://120.20.29.224:37799/webroot/decision/link/brQ7

Creation of an Inbound Firewall Rule

If your FineBI port is not 37799, change the specific local port to the port number you use in Inbound Rules.

To create an inbound rule for a firewall port on Windows, you can refer to Create an inbound port rule.

Troubleshooting

1. First, the BI project needs to be kept running to access the link.
2. For BI installed locally or in an intranet environment, the links cannot be accessed by computers or mobile devices from external networks or other environments.

To access the link, connect the BI project environment and the computer or mobile devices to the same WIFI network.

For example, open a network hotspot using a device and connect other devices to that network.

Then, you can refer to section "IP Replacement Methods" to modify the IP of the BI link.

3. Only two IP addresses are available for the free version (including the IP of users who access the dashboard through public links).

4. Restricted by the firewall.

Solution One: Disable the firewall in the environment where the BI project is located. Solution Two: Refer to the section "Creation of an Inbound Firewall Rule" for instructions.

Other Solutions

If a dashboard is not required to be dynamic, you can use the export dashboard function and share a static report.