Introduction to Labels

Understanding how to group, filter, and control data access and display in your applications using labels

Overview

Labels in Rayven are a flexible and powerful way to group and filter data in your Primary Tables. By assigning label values to rows, you can control how data is accessed by users, how it's grouped for display in interfaces, and how workflows iterate over data subsets. Labels form the basis for controlling both user access and interface behaviour, making them a core concept in many applications.

Labels are only available in Primary Tables.

What Are Labels?

Labels are a type of structured metadata used to tag records in your Primary Table. Each label is defined as a column in the table and each row is assigned one or more label values. These label values can then be used for:

• Filtering which data a user or user group can access

• Displaying one widget per group, UID, or label value in interfaces

• Group-based calculations in workflows

• Iterating workflows over subsets of records

There are three label types:

Example Use Cases

• Site or Region Grouping: Assign a "Region" label to group customers or devices geographically.

• Role-based Access Control: Use a “Department” label to restrict records visible to user groups.

• Widget Display Logic: Configure charts to show one per "Customer Type" or per UID.

Do I Need to Use Labels?

Not all applications need to use labels. For many simple use cases, the default configuration — Primary Label = All — is sufficient. Similarly, most applications won't need to change the default “Number of Widgets to Display” setting on Frontend nodes.

You don’t need to configure additional labels or modify widget settings if:

• All users should see all rows in the Primary Table

• You’re not grouping or filtering data for display or access

• Your dashboards are designed to show aggregate or global data rather than individualised views

• You only need a single widget per data type (e.g. one chart showing all sales)

You should consider adding labels and updating display settings if:

• You want to filter data per user group (e.g. by department, site, or assigned owner)

• You want to show widgets per group (e.g. one per customer type or region)

• You need to run workflows or calculations per group of records

• You are building multi-tenant or user-specific experiences

Labels are optional, but essential for applications that require tailored access, personalised views, or grouped logic.

Filtering Data for User Groups Using Labels

Each User Group in your application can be configured to only see specific rows in the Primary Table based on label values. This is configured using the Filter User Data setting when setting up the User Group.

• You can use AND/OR logic to combine multiple label values.

• The default setting is Primary Label = All, which means access to all rows.

Using Labels to Control Widget Display

When adding a Frontend Node to an interface, Rayven allows you to control how many widgets appear based on label configuration. Every Frontend Node has a setting:

Number of Widgets to Display:

• One Widget per UID: One widget for every row in the Primary Table.

• One Widget per Label Value: One widget for every unique value in a chosen label column.

• One Widget per Label: A single widget showing all data grouped under the chosen label.

Using Labels in Workflow Calculations

Certain logic nodes (like Data Summary) allow aggregations and calculations based on label groupings rather than on each UID. This enables:

• Aggregated metrics per department, site, or product line.

• Efficient grouping without duplicating logic for every individual row.

Using Labels in Trigger and Connector Nodes

Trigger Nodes and some Connector Nodes can be configured to iterate:

• Once per workflow (default)

• Once per UID in the Primary Table

• Once per label value (e.g. per region, asset type, or user)

This lets you build logic that is executed per group, rather than per row.

Best Practices

• Use Default columns unless you require grouping or filtering.

• Use Single Labels where grouping is simple and not combined.

• Use Multi-Labels only where multi-dimensional filters are required.

• Start with the default Primary Label = All, and add additional labels as your grouping and filtering needs evolve.

Summary

Labels are an optional but powerful feature in Rayven that let you group, filter, and control how data is accessed and presented. They’re only available in Primary Tables and are typically used when you need to personalise data access for user groups, generate grouped calculations, or drive widget display logic.

Most applications will work fine with the default Primary Label = All and the default interface settings. Labels become important when your app needs to support filtered access, grouped views, or more advanced interface behaviour.

Start simple. If you don’t need filtering or grouping, you don’t need labels. But as your application evolves, you can always add label columns to enable more control and flexibility.

FAQs

Can I apply labels in Secondary Tables?
No. Labels are only available in Primary Tables.

What happens if I don't configure any labels?
The system will apply a default label: Primary Label = All. This allows all users to access all rows unless filtered explicitly.

Can I assign multiple label values to a single record?
Yes, but only if the column is set as a Multi-Label type.

How do I restrict a user group to see only their relevant records?
Use the “Filter User Data” setting in the User Group configuration to assign label-based filters.

What’s the difference between Label and Label Value?
The Label is the column (e.g. "Region"); the Label Value is the value in that column (e.g. "Sydney").

Do labels affect performance?
Yes. Default is most efficient, Single Label is moderate, and Multi-Label offers the most flexibility but has the highest performance cost.

Can I use labels to calculate group metrics in workflows?
Yes. Nodes like Data Summary and others can perform grouped calculations based on labels.

Can I change the Primary Label or remove it?
No. The Primary Label and its default value All are system-defined and always present. You can add other label columns as needed.