PA Widget does not follow Dashboard filter

[lsaulon]

I have a widget where i already checked follow element but it is still not following the dashboard filter. 
Upon checking the indicator source, the facts table in source segment is getting from Metric[metric_instance] table. 

Is it a servicenow limitation that when a widget has metric as its source it will not follow the dashboard filter?
Need clarification so that i can explain to client.

Thanks.

[Yogesh11bhatt]

Hi @lsaulon,

Just to clarify on this: It is not a strict ServiceNow limitation that metrics cannot be filtered, but rather an architectural quirk of the metric_instance table.

Here is why this happens and how you can resolve it so your widget follows the dashboard filters perfectly.

Why the Filter Fails

When you place an Interactive Filter or Breakdown on a dashboard (e.g., Assignment Group), it looks for that specific reference field on the target table.

The issue is that the metric_instance table does not natively contain fields like Assignment Group, Priority, or Category. Instead, it links back to the original task using the id field. Because id is a Document ID field (which can point to any table) and not a standard Reference field, dashboard filters cannot "dot-walk" through it. The filter essentially gets lost and cannot apply to the metric records.

The Best Practice Solution: Use a Database View

To fix this, you need to bridge the gap between the metric_instance table and your target table (like incident) using a Database View.

ServiceNow provides out-of-the-box Database Views for this exact purpose (for example, incident_metric). A database view joins the two tables, flattening the metric data alongside the standard task fields.

Steps to fix your widget:

1. Update Indicator Source: Change the Facts table in your Indicator Source from metric_instance to the appropriate Database View (e.g., incident_metric).

2. Update Breakdown Mappings: Check your PA Breakdowns and ensure you have mappings created for the fields on this newly selected Database View (e.g., mapping to inc_assignment_group instead of trying to map to the metric table).

3. Re-run Data Collection: Run a historical Data Collection job for this indicator so the scores are gathered from the view.

Once your Indicator is pulling from the Database View instead of the raw metric table, the "Follow Element" and dashboard filters will work perfectly because the fields are now natively accessible!

Hope this helps clarify the architecture! Please mark this as helpful if it resolves your issue.

Thanks,

Yogesh