The Metabase integration in TimeTonic allows you to automatically export your data to Metabase for analysis, then display your Metabase dashboards directly in a TimeTonic workspace. Your data stays in TimeTonic while you benefit from a dedicated visualisation layer, without development.
1. What is required before connecting TimeTonic to Metabase?
Before you begin, check that your Metabase environment is set up.
1
A provisioned Metabase instance
The Metabase instance is set up by TimeTonic. Once it is ready, access to this instance is automatically displayed in the export window.
2
The required permissions
Access requires an administrator role for the workspace and a business account. The available instance depends on the workspace owner.
Access to activate depending on your plan. The Metabase integration is not available by default: access depends on your licence plan. If no instance is displayed when choosing the destination, your account does not yet have access to it. Activation is handled with the TimeTonic sales team.
2. How do you export your TimeTonic data to Metabase?
The export to Metabase is configured in the same place as FTP/SFTP transfers, from the File transfers window. To open this window, refer to the article Set up an FTP / SFTP transfer. Then click New export.
1
Name the export and choose the source view
Give the export a name, then select a view that has already been prepared for tracking, with the columns, sorting and filters you are interested in. Rather than exporting the raw table, export a configured view: this is what will define the structure of your table on the Metabase side. To remove a column, set it to Invisible in the view → Restrict access to a column by view.
2
Choose the Metabase connection type
In the Connection section, select Metabase as the connection type instead of FTP or SFTP. Your Metabase instance is automatically displayed as the destination, with its availability status (online). A shortcut to the right of the destination opens Metabase directly in a new tab.
3
Enter the target table name
The beginning of the name is required and cannot be modified: it identifies the workspace, category and selected table. Complete the end with the name of your choice to easily identify the table on the Metabase side, for example interventions.
Allowed characters in the table name. Only letters, numbers, hyphens (-) and underscores (_) are accepted. Spaces are converted to hyphens, and accents and other special characters are removed.
2.1 Choose the fields to export
The Exported fields section determines which fields are sent to Metabase. Everything is controlled in the Fields to exclude list: a checked field is not sent, while an unchecked field is sent. If no box or field is checked, the export sends all the view's fields. The four points below are enough for a first export to Metabase. The reference guide describes each case in detail.
Check Exclude fields marked as GDPR / confidential
All fields marked in the table, or inherited, are excluded. The box is recalculated each time the export runs. A formula never inherits this setting: it is Non-sensitive by default. Mark it Sensitive manually if it copies personal data. Marking is done in the table: Mark a field as personal data (GDPR).
Check Exclude non-exportable field types by default
These field types are excluded by default: comments, history, attachments and the other field types not exported by default.
Uncheck a field to keep it
Your choice takes precedence over the boxes and cascading exclusion. The field is sent to Metabase again.
Removing a field changes the structure of the table in Metabase. Refresh the schema in the Metabase administration area, then correct the questions that used this field.
Reference guide
Exclude fields from an export: sensitive data and GDPR
This chapter covers the essentials. The guide explains the complete logic: the four combinations of boxes, cascading exclusion, the warning and practical cases. Read it before your first export of personal data.
This is the main difference from a file transfer. The synchronisation strategy determines how TimeTonic updates data already present in Metabase.
Strategy
Behaviour
Update (incremental)
All rows from TimeTonic are sent: if the ID already exists on the Metabase side, the row is updated; otherwise, it is added. Rows deleted in TimeTonic are not deleted on the Metabase side because deletion information is not transmitted.
Replace (mirror)
Metabase exactly reflects the state of TimeTonic. If you delete rows in TimeTonic, they are also deleted on the Metabase side during the next export. This is a true mirror of your view.
Choose according to your needs. Use incremental updates to accumulate and update data without ever losing it. Use Replace mode when Metabase must exactly reflect your TimeTonic view, including deletions.
2.3 Test, run and schedule
Before saving, use the Configuration test button: it checks the connection to Metabase and displays a data preview. Then run the export immediately with Run now, or schedule a recurring run as you would for a file transfer. Scheduling frequency details are described in the article Set up an FTP / SFTP transfer.
In picturesTest, run and schedule the export
3. Where can you find your data in Metabase?
Once the export has succeeded, open Metabase and go to the database receiving your data. Your exported table appears there, and clicking it displays the rows sent from TimeTonic.
Is the table not displayed immediately? Metabase synchronises its database schema at regular intervals (approximately once a day). If you have just run the export, a Metabase administrator can trigger this synchronisation manually to see the new table without waiting.
In picturesFind your table in Metabase
4. How do you create your first chart and dashboard in Metabase?
Once your data has been exported, you can use it directly in Metabase. This section covers the essentials to help you find your way around and create your first charts. For more information, the videos at the end of this section and the official Metabase documentation describe all the available options in detail.
4.1 The home panel
When it opens, Metabase displays a sidebar that organises your entire workspace: your collections, data and creation tools.
Top bar
Search, access to settings and the New button for creating a question or dashboard.
Collections
Your storage areas. Your personal collection contains your own questions and dashboards. Automatically generated dashboards bring together charts created by the X-ray feature.
Data
Databases contain your data imported from TimeTonic. Models and metrics are prepared by the administrator.
Trash
Deleted items, which you can restore if necessary.
An administrator interface. The screenshots in this section show Metabase from an administrator's perspective. Depending on your account permissions, some actions remain restricted to the Metabase administrator:Â
→ Add or remove a database.
→ Publish a dashboard to display it in TimeTonic.
→ Manually restart database synchronisation.
Data exported from TimeTonic is synchronised once a day: Metabase does not update in real time. For the actions above, contact your Metabase administrator.
4.2 Create your first chart
In Metabase, a chart is built from a question: a visual query, with no code, that queries your data. Before you begin, here are the objects you will encounter.
Object
Definition
Database
Your data, imported from TimeTonic.
Model
A selection of columns and filters prepared and made available by the administrator.
Metric
A reusable calculation, also made available by the administrator.
Question
A visual query that produces a chart.
Dashboard
A set of charts gathered on the same page.
Collection
Your personal space for organising your questions and dashboards.
To create a question, follow these steps:
1
Start a question Click New, then Question.
2
Choose the source Select your table exported from TimeTonic, or an available model or metric. You can also join another table if necessary.
3
Filter and preview Refine the data with a filter if necessary, and check the table preview.
4
Summarise to create the chart The Summarise option defines your chart: choose the measure (for example, the number of rows or a sum) and the grouping, that is, the axis (by status, category or date). Dates exported from TimeTonic are recognised automatically: you can group them directly by day, week or month.
5
Choose the visualisation Click Visualise, then choose the type: bar chart, line chart, pie chart or table.
6
Format The cogwheel provides access to display details: colours, scale, number format and value display.
7
Save Save your chart in a personal collection so you can reuse it in a dashboard.
Tip: the custom column. If a field is not recognised in the expected format (for example, a date treated as text), you can create a custom column to convert it using Metabase functions. The conversion only occurs once.
For a quick start: X-ray. Hover over a table and click the lightning-bolt icon to X-ray it. Metabase automatically creates a series of charts from your data, which you can then adjust.
4.3 Create your first dashboard
A dashboard brings together several charts on the same page, with common filters. You build it from the questions you have saved.
1
Create the dashboard In your personal collection, click New, then Dashboard, and give it a name.
2
Add your charts Add the questions saved in your collection. You can also create a question directly from the dashboard, without going through the collection.
3
Organise and enhance Move and resize the charts. You can add tabs, sections, as well as text, link or iframe cards to structure the page.
4
Add filters A filter is linked to a field in your data. It applies to all charts that contain this field: a chart without this field is not filtered. You can also apply a filter to a single chart.
5
Save Once the layout is complete, save your dashboard.
Edit a chart from the dashboard. A chart is always linked to its original question. To edit it, exit the dashboard view, open the relevant question, adjust it and save it. The dashboard updates.
Some formatting options depending on the chart type:
Pie chart
Use the cogwheel to adjust the colours and ring thickness.
Line chart
Adjust the scale and number format, for example to display amounts in thousands.
Table
Apply conditional formatting: for example, colour values below a threshold red and those above it green.
Learn more. These official Metabase resources, each with a demonstration video, provide details on creating charts and dashboards.
5. How do you display a Metabase dashboard in TimeTonic?
Once you have created your dashboard in Metabase, you can display it in a TimeTonic workspace in two steps: publish the dashboard in Metabase to obtain its URL, then add it in TimeTonic.
5.1 Publish the dashboard in Metabase
1
Open your dashboard in Metabase.
2
Click the share icon in the top right, then click Embed.
3
Publish and copy the URL Click Publish, then copy the dashboard URL from your browser's address bar.
In picturesPublish and copy the URL, without a filter
Publishing a dashboard may be restricted to the Metabase administrator. If the Embed option does not appear, contact them.
5.2 Add the dashboard in TimeTonic
1
Click Add or import at the bottom of the sidebar.
2
Choose Dashboard from the available templates.
3
Enter the name and link Enter a name in Dashboard name, paste the copied URL into Dashboard link, then confirm with Add dashboard.
In picturesAdd the dashboard in TimeTonic
Your Metabase dashboard is now displayed directly in your TimeTonic workspace.
5.3 Filter the dashboard by the logged-in user
You can display the same dashboard to several people while showing each person only the data that concerns them. TimeTonic automatically sends the logged-in user's code to Metabase, which then filters the dashboard using this code. You only need to create and maintain one dashboard, and each person sees only their own scope, for example a technician who sees only their own interventions.
Prerequisites
Your TimeTonic table must contain a column identifying the user concerned by each row (for example, the assigned technician column), exported to Metabase. On the Metabase side, your dashboard must contain a filter based on this column. This filter will receive the code sent by TimeTonic.
Step 1: prepare and lock the filter in Metabase
1
Create the filter on the ID column In dashboard edit mode, add a filter of type Text or category. For each chart, enter Column to filter on using the column that contains the user's ID.
2
Lock this filter in the integration Open Share, then Embed. In the settings, set the ID filter to Locked. Other filters, such as a time period, can remain Editable. Click Publish.
3
Copy the dashboard URL Retrieve the URL from your browser's address bar.
Why locking is essential. A locked filter is included in a secure token: the user cannot modify it to access other data. If you leave it editable, the user could change the value and view data that does not concern them.
Filter input options.
This filter is automatically filled with the ID of the logged-in person: the user never enters it themselves. In the filter configuration, use the following settings:
How people filter this column: Input box. People can choose: Single value.
In picturesCreate and connect the ID filter
In picturesLock the filter and publish
Step 2: add the filtered dashboard in TimeTonic
1
Add the dashboard From Add or import, choose Dashboard, enter a name and paste the copied URL. The connection to your Metabase instance is detected automatically.
2
Enable user code transmission Check Send TimeTonic user code to Metabase. Without this box checked, the dashboard is displayed as is, without any user filtering.
3
Designate the filter that receives the code If your dashboard contains several filters, TimeTonic cannot determine which one corresponds to the user code. Select it under Metabase filter receiving the user code, then confirm with Add dashboard.
In picturesAdd the filtered dashboard in TimeTonic
Each logged-in person then opens the same dashboard and sees only their own rows. Filters left editable, such as a time period, remain available: the user can refine the display, but always within their authorised data scope.
5.4 Hide the ID column (optional)
By default, the ID column remains visible in the dashboard. If you want to hide it, there are two methods in Metabase, but they are not equivalent.
Visual hiding only (avoid for sensitive data)
Hiding the column using the cogwheel icon hides it on screen, but the data remains present in the dashboard's technical response. Someone inspecting network traffic can still read it.
Actual removal via the question editor
Open the corresponding question, switch to editor mode and uncheck the ID field among the returned columns. The column is then no longer transmitted at all. Filtering continues to work: only the column disappears from the display and response.
In picturesHide the ID column
6. Further information
Discover other approaches for visualising and using your TimeTonic data.
Further information
Dashboard with Google Sheets
Another approach for visualising your TimeTonic data using Google Sheets.