---
title: "Understanding RI Visuals: Reports and Charts"
slug: "understanding-ri-visuals"
description: "Learn about RI Visuals, the reports and charts used in RI Boards. Find current reporting guidance when searching for dashboard widgets or panels."
updated: 2026-10-30T19:18:59Z
published: 2026-10-30T19:18:59Z
canonical: "docs.interprose.com/understanding-ri-visuals"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.interprose.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Understanding RI Visuals: Reports and Charts

Rainmaker Insights (RI) Visuals are custom reports that present data in a variety of formats, including tables, charts, pivot tables, heat maps, and KPI cards. Each Visual represents a single report that can be created, saved, edited, and reused throughout Rainmaker Insights.

If you previously searched for reports, dashboard widgets, or panels, start with **RI Visuals** for individual reports and charts. Use **RI Boards** to organize Visuals, text, and images into dashboards or report layouts. See [Understanding RI Boards: Dashboards and Report Layouts](https://docs.interprose.com/docs/understanding-ri-boards).

Unlike Core Reports, which are prebuilt and standardized, RI Visuals allow you to create custom reports using either AI-assisted natural language prompts or direct SQL.

## How RI Visuals Work

An RI Visual is designed to answer a specific business question by presenting data in a meaningful way.

You can create a Visual by:

- Describing the report using RI Chat.
- Writing or modifying SQL directly in the Refine section.
- Using a combination of both approaches.

Once created, the Visual can be previewed, updated, saved, and reused throughout Rainmaker Insights.

Visuals can also be added to one or more RI Boards to create interactive dashboards.

## RI Visual Workflow

1. Create a new Visual.
2. Build the report using RI Chat, SQL, or both.
3. Preview and validate the results.
4. Save the Visual.
5. Reuse the Visual by editing it later or adding it to one or more RI Boards.

## Supported Visualization Types

Rainmaker Insights supports multiple visualization types, including:

- Tables
- Pivot Tables
- Line Charts
- Bar Charts
- Area Charts
- Pie Charts
- Heat Maps
- KPI Cards
- Scatter Charts
- Timeline Charts

> [!NOTE]
> Tip
> 
> Not sure which visualization to use? Ask **RI Chat** to recommend the most appropriate visualization for your data. You can also request a specific visualization or continue the conversation until the report meets your reporting requirements.
> 
> Example prompts:
> 
> - What visualization would best represent this data?
> - Recommend the best chart for this report.
> - Show this as a line chart instead.
> - Would a KPI card better summarize these results?

![](https://cdn.document360.io/6c7303ca-5ffc-4149-8868-8ea498eee635/Images/Documentation/Screenshot 2026-07-21 084003.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-31T13%3A36%3A57Z&se=2026-10-31T14%3A36%3A57Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=DwhE4NFB8WnjrHk4sifJLRxgbjlzVX5bbiDj0my6%2F8c%3D)

Image displays RI Chat recommending the most appropriate visualization for the report and suggesting alternative visualization options.

## Understanding Scope and Roles

Each RI Visual includes Scope and Role settings that determine how the Visual runs and who can access it.

Although these settings work together, they serve different purposes.

| Setting | Description |
| --- | --- |
| **Scope** | Controls whether the Visual runs at the **Customer**, **Client**, or **User** level. Select the scope that matches the intended audience and data context for the report. |
| **Role** | Specifies which ACE permission roles can view and run the Visual. Leave the field blank (or select **All roles**) to make the Visual available to all roles. |

## Best Practices

To create meaningful Visuals:

- Start with a clear business question or reporting objective.
- Be specific when describing the data you want to analyze. Include filters, date ranges, grouping, sorting, and calculations whenever possible.
- Begin with RI Chat to quickly create the report, then make additional adjustments using SQL if needed.
- Preview and review the results after each significant change to confirm the report behaves as expected.
- Validate calculations, filters, and totals against trusted data sources before using the report for operational or business decisions.
- Clone shared Visuals before making significant changes to preserve the original report.

## Related Articles

- [About Rainmaker Insights](/v1/docs/about-rainmaker-insights)
- [Understanding RI Core Visuals](/v1/docs/understanding-ri-core-visuals)
- [Creating an RI Visual](/v1/docs/creating-an-ri-visual)
- [Editing an RI Visual](/v1/docs/editing-an-ri-visual)
- [Understanding RI Boards](/v1/docs/understanding-ri-boards)