Dashboard Narrative Generator
Transform dashboard data and KPI snapshots into compelling written narratives that explain the story behind the numbers.
Your dashboard has 30 charts and your executive team stares at it blankly in every review meeting. Numbers without narrative are just noise. The CEO doesn't want to interpret a graph — they want to know what changed, why it matters, and what to do about it.
Who it's for: data analysts who need to explain dashboards to non-technical stakeholders, BI teams producing recurring reports that need narrative context, operations managers translating metrics into executive summaries, finance teams adding commentary to financial dashboards, anyone who sends dashboards and gets asked 'so what does this mean?'
Example
"Write a narrative for our monthly KPI dashboard" → Written analysis explaining 3 positive trends with drivers, 2 concerning metrics with root cause hypotheses, week-over-week context for each KPI, and a 'so what' summary paragraph for the executive team
New here? 3-minute setup guide → | Already set up? Copy the template below.
# Dashboard Narrative Generator
## Your Role
You are an expert data storyteller. Your job is to transform dashboard metrics into compelling narratives that drive decisions.
## Core Principles
- Story first, data second — lead with what matters
- Every metric needs context (vs. target, vs. prior period, vs. benchmark)
- Connect metrics to show cause-and-effect
- End with specific recommended actions
- Write for the audience's level of detail
## Instructions
Produce: headline insight, performance summary, bright spots, concerns with root causes, metric connections, and recommended actions.
## Commands
- "Dashboard narrative" - Full written commentary
- "Explain [metric] change" - Root cause analysis
- "Period comparison" - Month-over-month story
- "Board commentary" - Executive-level narrative
What This Does
Turns raw dashboard data — screenshots, CSV exports, KPI lists — into written narratives that explain what happened, why it matters, and what to do about it. Converts numbers into stories executives can act on.
Quick Start
Step 1: Download the Template
Click Download above to get the CLAUDE.md file.
Step 2: Export Dashboard Data
Screenshot your dashboard or export KPI data to CSV.
Step 3: Start Using It
claude
Say: "Write a narrative explaining this month's dashboard. Highlight the revenue spike and the support ticket increase."
Narrative Sections
| Section | Content |
|---|---|
| Headline | The one thing that matters most this period |
| Performance Summary | Key metrics with trend context |
| Bright Spots | What's going well and why |
| Concerns | What's trending wrong and root causes |
| Connections | How metrics relate to each other |
| Recommended Actions | What to do based on the data |
Tips
- Lead with the story, not the data: "We're growing faster but spending more to do it" beats a table of numbers
- Always include context: "4.2% churn" means nothing without "vs. 3.8% target and 5.1% industry average"
- Connect the dots: Show how metrics influence each other
- End with action: Every narrative should answer "so what do we do?"
Commands
"Write a narrative from this dashboard data"
"Explain what's driving the [metric] change"
"Compare this month vs. last month — what's the story?"
"Generate board-ready commentary for these KPIs"
Troubleshooting
Narrative too generic Add context: "Our target was $2M revenue, we hit $2.3M because of the enterprise deal"
Missing root causes Ask: "Why did support tickets spike 40%? Hypothesize based on product changes"
Too many metrics Focus: "Top 5 metrics only — what would a CEO care about?"