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Language Foundation

drill down

to open a more detailed view of a selected item, category, or set of data from a higher-level or summary view.

In plain English

It means moving from a broad summary to the underlying details. You choose a particular item, category, or group of data, and a fuller view of that selection opens.

In context

Here, it means opening a more detailed view for the selected summary item.

Situation
Using dashboards, tables, filters, sorting, views, and bulk controls
What it communicates
offers opening a more detailed view from a summary item

Meaning limits

By itself, the term does not say how the more detailed view is opened or how much detail it will show.

Examples

“From the yearly expense summary, Mia drilled down into the receipts behind June's travel total.”

Core meaning

“When the summary showed a spike, the managers drilled down to the orders behind that number.”

In context

  • navigate Broader Term

    Opening a more detailed view is one kind of movement through information.

  • roll up Opposite

    This goes from a summary level to more detail, while roll up goes to a higher-level summary.