Overview
A Tree List renders dataset records in a hierarchical row layout. Multiple Dimensions form nested levels — parent rows contain aggregated Measure totals; expanding a parent reveals its child rows with individual values. Tree Lists are the standard Lens visualization for drill-down summary tables, complementing the flat Table Chart (no hierarchy) and the cross-tabulated Pivot Table (two-axis summary). The chart’s two property groups, Tree List and Aggregate control how the hierarchy collapses, how aggregates display, and how viewers interact with parents.
Tree Lists are authored from Lens → Design → Chart Designer → Visualization → Tree List. The Tree List property group exposes column-to-tree mapping and four collapse toggles; the Aggregate group exposes aggregate visibility and labelling. Other Properties and Columns inherit from Table Chart and Bar Chart.
When to use it
- Drill-down summary analysis — view parent-level totals with the option to expand into child detail.
- Hierarchical datasets where Dimensions nest naturally (region → state → city, category → subcategory → product).
- Reports where viewers should control depth of exploration on the Dashboard (expand/collapse interaction).
- Cases where Table Chart’s flat row list misses the hierarchical structure of the data, but Pivot Table’s cross-tabulation is the wrong fit.
- Fixed-display hierarchies — use Disable Parent Collapse to lock the tree in a specific expanded state for Report layouts.
Properties tab — Tree List group
Controls column-to-tree mapping and how the hierarchy collapses.
| Column-to-tree selection | Which Dimensions become separate columns in the tree. |
| Collapse Column by Default | When on, all columns of the tree list render in a collapsed position. Viewers expand individually. |
| Parent Column Collapse | When on, only parent rows are shown initially; children remain hidden until expanded. |
| Hide Aggregate on Collapse | When on, hides the aggregate total displayed next to a collapsed parent. Prerequisite: Collapsed Column Aggregate (in Aggregate group) must be on. |
| Disable Parent Collapse | When on, parent rows cannot be expanded or collapsed by the viewer. The hierarchy is frozen. |
Properties tab — Aggregate group
Controls how Measure aggregates display alongside parent rows.
| Visible (toggle) | When on, aggregate totals display on parent rows. When off, aggregates are hidden. |
| Collapsed Column Aggregate (toggle) | When on, aggregates display on collapsed columns. Prerequisite for the Hide Aggregate on Collapse toggle in the Tree List group. |
| Aggregate Label | Free-form text rendered alongside the aggregate value (e.g., “Total”, “Sum”, “Subtotal”). Without a label, the aggregate displays as a bare number. |
Toggle dependencies
Three of the toggles in the Tree List and Aggregate groups have explicit dependencies. The full interaction model:
| Hide Aggregate on Collapse | Tree List | Collapsed Column Aggregate (Aggregate group) must be on. Without that, Hide Aggregate on Collapse has no effect. |
| Aggregate Label | Aggregate | Visible (Aggregate group) must be on to see the label rendered next to aggregate values. |
| Disable Parent Collapse | Tree List | Independent — applies regardless of Collapse Column by Default or Parent Column Collapse state. When on, all viewer-driven expand/collapse is blocked. |
Properties and Columns — inherited
All other Properties and Columns customization inherits from Table Chart and Bar Chart.
| Properties tab (other than Tree List and Aggregate groups) | Inherited from Table Chart and Bar Chart. Axis-related properties (X-Axis, Y-Axis, Multi-Axis) from Bar Chart have no Tree List equivalent. | Bar Chart PD → Properties tab; Table Chart PD → Properties tab |
| Columns tab | Inherited from Table Chart and Bar Chart. Per-column settings (Header, Display Name, Sorting & Filter, Type, Aggregate, Column Settings, plus Bar-specific Tool Tip, Outline, Gradient, Label Rotation) apply. | Bar Chart PD → Columns tab; Table Chart PD → Columns tab |
Key behaviors
Hierarchical row layout. Tree List fundamentally differs from Table Chart (flat rows) and Pivot Table (cross-tabulation). Multiple Dimensions form nested levels with the first as the parent, subsequent Dimensions as children. Measure values aggregate at each parent level. Viewers explore the hierarchy via expand/collapse.
Toggle interdependency. Several Tree List toggles depend on others, most importantly Hide Aggregate on Collapse depending on Collapsed Column Aggregate (in the Aggregate group). Designers configuring Hide Aggregate on Collapse who don’t realize the dependency will see no effect from the toggle.
Disable Parent Collapse freezes the tree. Disable Parent Collapse blocks all viewer interaction with parent expand/collapse. Use it when the Report’s design intent is a fixed hierarchical display rather than a drill-down. With it off (the default), parents are interactive on the Dashboard.
Aggregate Label gives summary values context. Without an Aggregate Label, aggregate values render as bare numbers and can read as regular column values rather than summaries. Setting a clear label (“Total”, “Sum”, “Subtotal”) makes the aggregate role obvious.