How to Set Relative Date Ranges as Default Values in Bold BI Date Picker Filter Widget

Overview

In many dashboarding scenarios, users want date filters to automatically display a dynamic date range when the dashboard loads, instead of requiring manual date selection each time. Common examples include displaying data for the last 7 days, current month, last 3 months, or a custom range such as Today ± 3 months.

While the Date Picker Filter Widget in Bold BI provides a Select Today as Default option for single-date selection, users often need similar behavior for date range selections. This article explains the available options for configuring relative date ranges as default values and the approaches that can be used to achieve dynamic default date range behavior based on the current date.

By following this article, you will learn how to configure date filters that automatically select a relative date range when the dashboard is first loaded. This approach helps present users with a relevant default view—such as the last 7 days, current month, or a custom rolling date range—without requiring manual date selection, while still enabling users to modify the filter based on their analysis needs.

Configuring Dynamic Date Ranges

To configure a dynamic date range:

1. Open the Bold BI Dashboard Designer and Add a Date Picker widget in the dashboard.
2. Bind the required date column to the widget.
3. Configure the Date Picker to use the required date range/filter configuration.
4. Enable the Range option and configure the Relative Date filter.
5. Select the required relative period, such as:
   • Last N Days
   • Last N Weeks
   • Last N Months
   • Current Week
   • Current Month
   • Current Year

6. Select the “Calendar” icon within the date picker widget, then choose the default range.
   
   
7. Save the dashboard.
8. While loading the dashboard in view mode, the selected default relative date picker will be applied by default.

The resulting date range is calculated dynamically based on the current date.

Example

If Last 2 Months is configured, the Date Picker dynamically determines the applicable date range relative to the current date. As time progresses, the filter range automatically updates without requiring the dashboard designer to manually modify the dates.

Select Today as Default vs. Relative Date

The Select Today as Default option can be used when a single date needs to default to the current date.

For dynamic date-range scenarios, such as the last 7 days, last 3 months, or current year, use the Relative Date filter configuration instead.

Reference

• User Guide Documentation: How to configure relative dates to DatePicker
• Knowledge Base Article: Configuring Relative Date Filters by Including the Current Period’s Data in a Date Picker
• Knowledge Base Article: How to configure Current and Last month in the Relative Date Filter