General Functions > The Dashboard > Creating and Using User-Managed Links

The MIE supports the capability to create and use links to addresses within the MIE as well as address outside of the MIE for convenience and ease of navigation. These links can be found on the Links dashboard area and can be modified by users through the Manage Links screen which can be found by clicking on the white cog found in the top-right of the Links dashboard area label.

Using Existing Links:

To use a User-Managed link within the MIE, navigate to your dashboard and find the Links Dashboard Area. Here you will find all links that you have chosen to view on your dashboard. Clicking on a link will either run a report on your dashboard or will open the destination URL in another tab or window of your current browser.

Creating/Modifying/Previewing/Adding/Removing a Link:

In order to create a new Link, you navigate to the Links dashboard area of your dashboard. Find the white cog in the top right of the dashboard area label and click on it to view the Manage Links screen. Once within the manage area, you may choose to add, remove, create, or edit a link. To add a link (or multiple links) to your dashboard, select the links from the left-hand list and then click on the [>>] button. To remove a link (or multiple links) from your dashboard, select the links from the right-hand list and then click on the [<<] button. To create a link, click on the – Create New Link – option at the top of the right-hand list to open up the new record form beneath. Fill out the input fields and choose Save Changes to create the new link or choose abandon changes to close the new record form. Once you have created a new link, the link will automatically be added to your dashboard. To preview a link, select the link from either the Available Links or the links Currently on Dashboard lists and the screen will refresh with a Link Preview, shown to the left of the Available Links, which shows how the link will display on your dashboard. If the link you are previewing is currently on your dashboard, you will also see a preview form beneath the link lists. This will show you the data fields behind the link record. In order to edit a link once it is on your dashboard, preview the link and then click on the Edit button found at the top-right corner of the form below. You may change the inputs and then choose to either save your changes or abandon the changes.

A brief description of each field may be found below:

Input Fields	Description
Description	Description used for record reference only
Link Reference (URL) Link to Standard Interactive Report	URL / Address the link points to Name of Standard Interactive Report the link will render to the dashboard
Display Image For Link	Select an existing Image to use or upload and select your own to display for the link
Link Text Caption	Display Text for the Link if no Image is present Text that displays when a user hovers over the link

In order to create a Link with an Image, you must either select an existing Image for your link from the “Display Image” Box or upload a new image to use for your Link. If you choose to upload a new image, keep in mind the following guidelines:

•The only supported image file type extensions are JPG, GIF, and PNG.

•Images will be displayed between 30x30 and 95x95 resolutions, best matched to your chosen image.

•Using images with transparent background may lead to a better look and feel in your dashboard.

If you do not select an image to display for your Link, the default logic will use your Link Text for its display text. If this is not populated, the link may not appear when you would expect it. Make sure to either choose a Display Image or populate the Link Text field.

NOTE: When setting the Link Reference, make sure you include www. In front of your URL if the address you are linking to has www in it. Use an Absolute Link (Include http:// or https://) if possible.