If you are setting up Omni in Application Mode (see Create Mode docs), you often encounter a common requirement: How do I provide a standard set of “Template” dashboards that every embedded user can see, but not modify?
You might want every customer to start with a specific set of KPIs, which they can then duplicate and customize in their own private folders without altering the originals.
Here is the recommended workflow to achieve this using Groups and Embed URL parameters.
Step 1: Create a “Global” Group
First, you need a way to group all your embedded users together inside Omni.
- Navigate to Settings > Groups.
- Create a new group. For this example, we will call it “All Embed Users”.
It’s worth noting that each Embed entity will automatically have their own group created which you can view in Settings → Groups → Embed. In this example we are building templates to share with all embed users however.
Step 2: Organize and Share Your Content
Next, set up the folder structure that holds your templates.
- Create a folder (e.g., named “Templates”) and move your standard dashboards into it.
- Open the Share settings for that folder.
- Add the “All Embed Users” group you created in Step 1.
- Crucial: Set their access level to Viewer.
This ensures that users in this group can see the dashboards and explore the data, but they cannot edit the original dashboards or save new content into this protected folder.
Step 3: Automate Group Membership via Embed Parameters
Now, you need to ensure that every time a user logs in via your application, they are automatically added to this group. You don’t need to do this manually; you can handle it dynamically during the Embed URL generation.
Side remark: Users are added to the embed entity group automatically. But to add to any other group, you have to use the groups parameter.
When generating the signed URL for the user, include the groups parameter in your payload. This parameter accepts an array of group names.
The Parameter:
groups:["All Embed Users"]
Refer to the Parameters documentation for the exact syntax.
If you are using the Omni URL embed builder (useful for testing), it looks like:
The Result: What the User Sees
Once this is configured, here is the experience for your end-users:
- Automatic Access: Upon their session start, the user is instantly added to the “All Embed Users” group.
- Read-Only Templates: They will see the “Templates” folder in their file browser.
- Safe Exploration: Because they are “Viewers,” they can open these dashboards, filter them, and explore. If they want to make changes, they can Duplicate the dashboard into their own private folder or entity folder to save their own version.
This approach keeps your official templates clean while giving users the freedom to build on top of them.