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Create and publish a hierarchy visualization (preview)

[This article is prerelease documentation and is subject to change.]

As an administrator, you can create and publish a hierarchy that allows your organization to visualize and work with complex hierarchical data. You can even create multiple hierarchy visualizations to show different relationships, or different views of the data such as active records only, or only records from certain countries.

Hierarchies are created using your existing tables, forms, relationships, and views. You can design and publish a hierarchy based on a N:1 self-referential relationship—one where each row in a table has an optional pointer to its parent row, 1:N many-to-one relationship—one where each row in a table has a pointer to a row in another table, or both, and N:N many-to-many relationships.

Important

  • This is a preview feature.
  • Preview features aren’t meant for production use and might have restricted functionality. These features are subject to supplemental terms of use, and are available before an official release so that customers can get early access and provide feedback.

Prerequisites

Before you create and publish a hierarchy visualization, ensure the following prerequisites are met:

  • You must have administrator privileges.
  • Define the parent-child relationship.
    • For self-referential hierarchies, specify the column that contains the parent ID. For example, Parent Account ID for the Account table.
    • For cross-table hierarchies, define the relationships between tables. For example, Account to Contact.
  • For custom tables, ensure that rows can reference a parent row in the same table. If the relationship doesn't exist, you need to create it.

Create a hierarchy visualization

To create the hierarchy visualization, follow these steps:

  1. Sign in to your sales app, and in the lower-left corner of the page, go to Change area > App Settings.
  2. Under General Settings, select Visual hierarchy.
  3. Select New hierarchy and then enter a name for the hierarchy.
  4. Configure the root node of the hierarchy.

    Note

    If you're creating a self-referential simple hierarchy, adding child nodes isn't required. After configuring the root node, proceed to step 6 to complete the process.

  5. Configure the child node.
  6. Select Save.
  7. (Optional) Select Preview to see how the hierarchy visualization would look if published with current settings. Update settings and preview changes until you’re satisfied with the results. In Preview mode, you can change the selected data being viewed by clicking the record name at the top of the preview window.
  8. Select Publish and then select OK on the confirmation message.
    The hierarchy visualization is active and available to users.

Configure the root node of the hierarchy

Configure the root node of the hierarchy by selecting the desired table. The table is the starting point for the hierarchy.

  1. In the hierarchy designer page, select Add and choose the desired table with the self-referential relationship. Here, we're adding Account table.

    Screenshot of selecting the Add table option in the hierarchy visualization designer page.

    The Settings pane opens on the right side of the page.

  2. In the General tab, define child-parent relationship, and choose view and forms:

    Setting Description
    Expand all levels Enable the option to show all child records under the parent node in the hierarchy. When users open the hierarchy, it shows all child records under the parent node. For example, if the parent account is Contoso and has four child accounts, the four child accounts under Contoso appear.
    If the option isn't enabled, one tile represents the parent account, and the hierarchy links all child records to it regardless of their actual parent-child relationship. For example, if the parent account Contoso has child accounts in different regions such as North America, Europe, and Asia, the Contoso tile shows all child accounts regardless of region.
    Select the column with the parent ID This option is available only when you enable the Expand all levels option. Select the column that contains the parent ID for the hierarchy. For example, the parent account ID column in the Account table defines the parent-child relationship. The list shows self-referential columns (columns that reference the same table) and cross-table relationships. Select one to link records for hierarchy visualization. Here, we're selecting the parentaccountid column. This column has cross-table relationships with other tables such as Lead.
    Which view should be used The hierarchy shows records from the selected table view. Accept the default or select another existing view. If needed, use the Power Platform maker portal to define your own view. Here we're selecting the Active Accounts view to show only active accounts in the hierarchy.
    Which form should be shown as a tile Select a form to display as a tile. To use a custom form, create a quick view form in Power Apps and name it table_Hierarchy_Tile for easy identification. A maximum of seven fields can be displayed. Only fields that show basic data types (strings, dates, and numbers) are supported. Show or hide field labels on the form to control the labels on the tile. Customize the form to fit your needs, such as concatenating fields to display as one row.
    For example, add the name and mobile number in the same row by using the formula: Concatenate('Account Name' & " " & 'Main Phone'). To learn more about adding formula columns, see Work with formula columns.
    Which form should be shown as details Select which form you want to show for the Details pane when a tile is selected. If none of the default forms meet your needs, you can Create a form in the Power Apps maker portal to include only the fields you want. The details pane can show any form, and go full screen, so you can use the same form here that is typically used in Dynamics 365 Sales.
    For example, for an account hierarchy, you can use the Account form, which is the same form used by application when viewing an account.

    Screenshot of the general tab in the account table settings pane in the hierarchy visualization designer page.

  3. In the Tile display option tab, customize tile appearance:

    Setting Description
    Show picture Tiles can optionally show or hide a circled image for the record. When enabled, if no image is available, the initials of the record will be shown instead. For example, if Maria Campbell doesn't have an image, her tile would be displayed as MC. If initials aren't available, the default icon for the table is shown.
    Tile size Select the width and height for the tile in pixels and then choose the color for the tile border.
    Color Select the top header color for the tile in Hex format. Here, we're using #0078D4 for the blue color.

    Note

    • These settings are applied only to this tile in this hierarchy visualization.
    • We recommend using consistent tile sizes and layouts for a cohesive look.

    Screenshot of the tile display option tab in the account settings pane in the hierarchy visualization designer page.

Now, the root node of the hierarchy is configured you can proceed to add and configure child nodes as required.
If you're creating a self-referential simple hierarchy, adding child nodes isn't required. Go to create a hierarchy visualization section to complete the process.

Configure the child node

  1. Under the root node, select the add icon below the tile and enter a name for the child node. Here, we're adding Contact table as a child node to the Account table.

  2. Select a table and then select Add. Here, we're selecting the Contact table.
    The Settings pane opens on the right side of the page.

  3. In the General tab, configure relationship settings with the root node table, define child-parent relationship, and choose view and forms

    Setting Description
    Branch display name By default, the name is added based on the table name. If you want to, enter a different name for the branch display and this is shown in the hierarchy visualization to identify the branch through the name.
    Choose parent-child relationship Choose a relationship type for the child table with the parent table depending on your business needs. The following options are available:
     • Contacts with matching {Parent_ID}
     • Contacts with matching {Parent_Account_team}
     • {Primary_Contact} for the account
     • Dataverse connections table
     • Custom connections table
    To understand more about the relationship types, see Relationship selection options for child node.
    Expand all levels Enable the option to show all child records under the parent node in the hierarchy. When users open the hierarchy, it shows all child records under the parent node. For example, if the parent account is Contoso and has four child accounts, the four child accounts under Contoso appear.
    If the option isn't enabled, one tile represents the parent account, and the hierarchy links all child records to it regardless of their actual parent-child relationship. For example, if the parent account Contoso has child accounts in different regions such as North America, Europe, and Asia, the Contoso tile shows all child accounts regardless of region.
    Select the column with the parent ID This option is available only when the Expand all levels option is enabled. Select the column that contains the parent ID for the hierarchy. For example, the parent account ID column in the Account table defines the parent-child relationship. The list shows self-referential columns (columns that reference the same table) and cross-table relationships. Select one to link records for hierarchy visualization. Here, we're selecting the parentaccountid column. This column has cross-table relationships with other tables such as Lead.
    Which view should be used The hierarchy shows records from the selected table view. Accept the default or select another existing view. If needed, use the Power Platform maker portal to define your own view. Here we're selecting the Active Accounts view to show only active accounts in the hierarchy.
    Which form should be shown as a tile Select a form to display as a tile. To use a custom form, create a quick view form in Power Apps and name it table_Hierarchy_Tile for easy identification. A maximum of seven fields can be displayed. Only fields that show basic data types (strings, dates, and numbers) are supported. Show or hide field labels on the form to control the labels on the tile. Customize the form to fit your needs, such as concatenating fields to display as one row.
    For example, add the name and mobile number in the same row by using the formula: Concatenate('Account Name' & " " & 'Main Phone'). To learn more about adding formula columns, see Work with formula columns.
    Which form should be shown as details Select which form you want to show for the Details pane when a tile is selected. If none of the default forms meet your needs, you can Create a form in the Power Apps maker portal to include only the fields you want. The details pane can show any form, and go full screen, so you can use the same form here that is typically used in Dynamics 365 Sales.
    For example, for an account hierarchy, you can use the Account form, which is the same form used by application when viewing an account.

    Screenshot of the general tab in the contact table settings pane in the hierarchy visualization designer page.

  4. In the Tile display option tab, customize tile appearance:

    Setting Description
    Show picture Tiles can optionally show or hide a circled image for the record. When enabled, if no image is available, the initials of the record will be shown instead. For example, if Maria Campbell doesn't have an image, her tile would be displayed as MC. If initials aren't available, the default icon for the table is shown.
    Tile size Select the width and height for the tile in pixels and then choose the color for the tile border.
    Color Select the top header color for the tile in Hex format. Here, we're using #0078D4 for the blue color.

    Note

    • These settings are applied only to this tile in this hierarchy visualization.
    • We recommend using consistent tile sizes and layouts for a cohesive look.

    Screenshot of the tile display option tab in the account settings pane in the hierarchy visualization designer page.

  5. Repeat steps 2 to 4 to add more child nodes as required.

    After adding the child nodes, go to create a hierarchy visualization section to complete the process.

Relationship selection options for child node

When you add a child node, you must select a relationship type to define how the child table relates to the parent table. The available relationship options depend on the tables you're working with. Here are some common relationship types you might encounter:

Relationship type Description Example
Contacts with matching Parent_ID This option uses a direct lookup field such as ParentCustomerId on the child table to link each record to its parent table. It’s the classic parent-child relationship. You want to display all contacts associated with a specific account in a hierarchical view.
The Contact table includes a field ParentCustomerId, which establishes a relationship to the Account table. When this relationship is selected, the application displays all contacts where—Contact.ParentCustomerId = Account.AccountId.
This creates a parent-child hierarchy between the account and its related contacts.
Contacts with matching Parent_Account_team This option links child records to parent based on a shared team or group field, not a direct parent-child relationship. It's useful when child records are associated with parent records through a team. You want to display all contacts who belong to the same team as the account they’re associated with.
The Contact table includes a field TeamId, which indicates the team the contact belongs to. The Account table also has a TeamId field. When this relationship is selected, the application displays all contacts where—Contact.TeamId = Account.TeamId.
This creates a team-based hierarchy between accounts and contacts.
Primary_Contact for the account This option uses a specific field on the parent table to show the main contact for each parent record. You want to identify and display the key contact associated with each account.
The Account table includes a PrimaryContactId field and the hierarchy uses this field to locate the contact whose ContactId matches the account’s PrimaryContactId.
This creates a direct link where each account points to its primary contact.
Dataverse connections table This option uses the standard Dataverse Connections table, which allows you to model flexible, many-to-many relationships with roles such as Advisor, Family member, and so on. You want to display all contacts connected to an account through various roles defined in the Connections table.
The Connections table defines relationships between records using roles such as Account as Employer and Contact as Employee. The hierarchy pulls in all contacts connected to the account through entries in the Connections table.
This creates a flexible hierarchy based on the roles defined in the Connections table.
To know more about the Connections table, see Describe a relationship between tables with connection roles.
Custom connections table This option uses a custom table that is created to define relationships between parent and child tables, allowing for advanced or organization-specific scenarios. You want to display contacts who serve as mentors for specific accounts, based on custom relationship tracking.
The custom Mentorships table includes fields such as AccountId and ContactId to define the mentorship relationship. When this relationship is selected, the application displays all contacts linked to accounts through the Mentorships table.
This creates a hierarchy based on the custom relationships defined in your table.

Manage hierarchy visualization