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Users need the Admin role to create and edit tiles. Analysts have read-only access.
Tiles are the building blocks of a Doc. Each tile displays a specific piece of data: a single metric, a chart, a table, or formatted text. You combine tiles to build dashboards that tell a complete story.
KPI tiles

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Tile principles

  1. Every tile has two parts: The data (SQL, Python, or markdown) and the visualization (YAML configuration). You define what to show, then how to show it.
  2. Fi handles most of the work: Describe what you want in plain English, and Fi generates both the query and visualization. You don’t need to write SQL or configure YAML unless you want to.
  3. Tiles are composable: Start simple with a few KPIs, then layer in charts and tables. Each tile is independent, so you can mix and match freely.

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Tile types

Definite supports four tile types:
TypePurposeBest for
KPIDisplay single metric values prominentlyRevenue totals, counts, percentages
ChartVisualize data graphicallyTrends, comparisons, distributions
TableShow data in rows and columnsDetailed data, drill-downs
MarkdownAdd formatted textHeaders, descriptions, documentation
HTML (Data App)Custom interactive applicationsClient-side filtering, pivot tables, AI Q&A

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When should I use each tile type?

If you want to…Use
Highlight a single number executives check dailyKPI
Show how a metric changes over timeChart (line or area)
Compare values across categoriesChart (bar)
Show proportions of a wholeChart (pie)
Let users explore raw data or drill into detailsTable
Add context, headers, or documentationMarkdown
Build a fully custom interactive experienceHTML (Data App)
For detailed configuration options and examples, see Tile types reference.
KPI tiles

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Creating tiles

The fastest way to create tiles is with Fi. Just describe what you want:
  • “Show me total revenue collected in the last 90 days as a KPI”
  • “Create a line chart of monthly signups for the past year”
  • “Add a table of our top 10 customers by lifetime value”
Fi generates the SQL query, picks the right visualization, and configures the tile. You can refine it with follow-up prompts like “change the color to green” or “add a comparison to last period.”
Even technical users find Fi faster than writing queries from scratch. Start with Fi, then customize the generated code if needed.
Learn more about using Fi

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Creating tiles manually

If you prefer to write your own queries:
  1. Click the + button in the Tiles panel on the left sidebar
  2. Choose how you’ll define the data:
    • SQL: Query your connected data sources
    • Python: Run Python code for complex transformations
    • Markdown: Add formatted text for headers and documentation
  3. Write your query or content
  4. Configure the visualization using the settings panel or YAML
KPI tiles

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Tile configuration with YAML

Every tile’s visualization is controlled by YAML. Here’s an example of a KPI tile showing payment success rate: 
# Define the data source
engine: "sql"
sql: |
  SELECT
    ROUND(
      (COUNT(CASE WHEN status = 'succeeded' THEN 1 END)::DECIMAL / COUNT(*)::DECIMAL),
      4
    ) as success_rate_percent
  FROM LAKE.STRIPE.charges
  WHERE to_timestamp(created) >= CURRENT_DATE - INTERVAL '30 days'

# Configure the visualization
viz:
  type: "kpi"                    # Tile type: kpi, chart, table, or markdown
  series:
    - field: "success_rate_percent"
      format: "percent"          # Display as percentage
  colors:
    color: "#10b981"             # Green color for the metric
  style:
    showLongNumber: false        # Use compact number formatting
The engine specifies SQL or Python. The sql (or python) block contains your query. The viz block controls how it displays: type, formatting, colors, and styling.

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Common tile properties

All tiles share these properties:
PropertyDescription
idUnique identifier for the tile
typeThe tile type (kpi, chart, table, markdown)
titleOptional title displayed above the tile
x, yGrid position (column, row)
w, hSize (width and height in grid units)
sourceReference to a dataset (for kpi, chart, table)

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Layout and organization

Tiles are arranged on a grid system. Click the Edit button in the top toolbar to enter edit mode, then:
  • Drag tiles to reposition them
  • Resize tiles by dragging their edges
  • Group related tiles together for better readability
Start with KPIs at the top for high-level metrics, add charts in the middle for trends, and include tables at the bottom for detailed data.

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Next steps

Tile Types Reference

Configuration options and examples for each tile type

Data Apps

Build interactive HTML applications with custom visualizations

Uploading Files

Learn how to upload CSV files for analysis