This article provides strategic guidance on when to use Multiple Catalogs, what decisions must be made before configuration begins, and which roles need to be involved. For step-by-step setup instructions, refer to Configure Multiple Catalogs.
Overview
Multiple Catalogs is a feature that extends the homepage and catalog system from a single, monolithic catalog into a multi-catalog architecture. Administrators can create multiple independently configured Catalogs — each with its own name, URL, icon, content constraints, display defaults, and audience — giving different user groups tailored views of content within the same workspace.
All Catalog creation and configuration is performed exclusively by Metric Insights Administrators via Content > Apps > Catalogs. Non-admin users can only view Catalogs they have been granted access to, either via direct user assignment or group membership.
When to Use Multiple Catalogs
A single default Catalog is appropriate for most environments. Consider introducing additional Catalogs when one or more of the following conditions apply:
- Your organization has distinct user groups (departments, business units, or external partners) who should see a curated subset of content rather than the full catalog.
- You need to enforce content type separation — for example, keeping certified enterprise dashboards separate from departmental or exploratory reports, or separating content by element type.
- Users are overwhelmed by the volume of content in the default Catalog and need a more focused, filtered starting point.
- Your brand configuration supports multiple Brands, each requiring a different default Catalog or Custom App as its start page.
- You want to provide audiences with preset filter defaults (e.g., grouping by performance stoplight, or pre-filtering to a specific content type) without requiring users to configure these manually.
- You want different audiences to see different Announcements when they open their Catalog.
NOTE: If the goal is simply to organize content within one Catalog using Categories, Folders, or Tags, Multiple Catalogs is not necessary. It is designed for audience-level separation, not content taxonomy.
Architectural Principles
The Default Catalog
Every Metric Insights environment ships with a single default Catalog called "Catalog." This default Catalog behaves exactly as the Catalog did prior to the Multiple Catalogs feature, ensuring full backward compatibility — a fresh environment with no customization behaves identically to before. The default Catalog cannot be deleted.
When Multiple Catalogs is configured, the default Catalog continues to exist alongside any new Catalogs. It can be hidden from specific Groups or Users by enabling a custom Catalog as their Start Catalog.
Catalog URLs
Each Catalog has a unique URL slug configured by the Administrator (e.g., /catalog/<slug>). This slug appears in the browser address bar when a user navigates to that Catalog, and is also reflected in breadcrumb navigation when a user opens an Element from within that Catalog. The slug must be URL-friendly and cannot contain spaces.
Content Scoping: AND Logic Across All Constraints
Each Catalog's content scope is defined by up to five constraint types: certified status, element type, Category, Folder, and Tag. A critical principle to understand before designing your Catalogs:
NOTE: Only content that satisfies ALL configured constraint types simultaneously will appear in a Catalog. If a Category constraint and a Tag constraint are both set, only Elements that belong to the specified Category AND carry the specified Tag will be included.
This AND logic means that overlapping or overly narrow constraint combinations can result in an unexpectedly empty Catalog. Plan constraints carefully and validate with test content before rolling out to users.
Catalog Scope vs. User Permissions
Catalog constraints define what content is visible within the Catalog view — they are not a replacement for Metric Insights access controls. If a user does not have permission to view a specific Element, that Element will not appear even if it satisfies all Catalog constraints. Catalogs provide a curated presentation layer; permissions govern underlying access.
Relationship with Branding
Each Brand in Metric Insights can be configured with a Default Start Page. When Multiple Catalogs is enabled, an Administrator can select either a custom Catalog or a Custom App as the default start page for a Brand. This means:
- The Native Catalog/Homepage must be disabled in the Brand Editor for a custom Catalog to function as the brand's entry point.
- Catalog name and icon are managed from the Catalogs editor (Content > Apps > Catalogs), not from the Brand Editor. The Brand Editor no longer exposes Catalog naming or icon settings.
- If no start page is configured for a Brand, users under that Brand fall back to the Search Page.
- A user's Group-level Start Catalog setting takes precedence over the Brand's Default Start Page.
Announcements and Catalogs
Announcements can be scoped to All Catalogs (the default behavior) or to Selected Catalogs. This allows different Catalogs to surface different Announcements, enabling audience-specific messaging without creating separate MI instances.
Required Administrator Roles
All Catalog configuration is restricted to Metric Insights Administrators. The following table describes how different stakeholders contribute to the planning and implementation process, even though only Admins perform the actual configuration steps.
| Role | Responsibilities |
|---|---|
| MI Administrator | The only role that can create, configure, and manage Catalogs. Accesses the Catalogs list page (Content > Apps > Catalogs), configures constraints and display defaults in the Catalog Editor, manages sharing (Groups and Users), sets Start Catalog assignments, and configures Branding defaults. |
| Content Owner / Category Manager | Works with the MI Administrator to define which Categories, Folders, Tags, element types, and certification status should scope each Catalog. Ensures that content is correctly tagged and categorized before the Admin applies Catalog constraints. |
| Access & Permissions Owner | Confirms that the Groups and Users the Admin will assign to each Catalog have the underlying element-level permissions needed to see the scoped content. |
| Brand/Theme Manager | Works with the MI Administrator on Brand Editor settings — in particular the "Native Catalog/Homepage is Available" toggle and Default Start Page assignment — when Catalogs are used as brand entry points. |
Decision Gates: Stop Here Until You Decide
Before beginning Catalog configuration, answer each of the following questions. These decisions directly affect the Catalog structure, sharing model, and Branding configuration.
| Decision | Guidance |
|---|---|
| How many Catalogs do you need? | Start with the minimum. Each Catalog adds governance overhead. Define distinct audience groups first; one Catalog per audience is a reasonable starting point. |
| What content scope should each Catalog have? | Identify the certified status, element type, Category, Folder, and Tag combinations for each Catalog. Validate that the intersection of these constraints contains the intended content — empty intersections are a common mistake. |
| Should the default Catalog remain visible? | If all users will be assigned to a custom Catalog, consider hiding the default Catalog. However, any user not explicitly assigned a custom Catalog as their Start Catalog will fall back to the default Catalog. |
| Will a Catalog replace the homepage for any Brand? | If yes, the Brand Editor must have "Native Catalog/Homepage is Available" disabled for the relevant Brand, and a Catalog or Custom App must be set as the Default Start Page. If neither is configured, users fall back to the Search Page. |
| Will Start Catalog be set at the Group or User level? | Group-level is recommended for scalability. User-level overrides Group-level. Decide which layer owns the assignment before the Admin configures sharing. |
| What are the default display settings for each Catalog? | Decide on Group By, Filter, and Tag defaults for each Catalog. These define the initial view users see when they open the Catalog. Filter and Tag defaults must honor the Catalog's content constraints. |
| Should any Catalogs show different Announcements? | If different audiences need different Announcements, plan which Announcements will be scoped to which Catalogs. Announcements default to All Catalogs if not explicitly scoped. |
Recommendations Before You Start
- Audit your content taxonomy first. Catalog constraints only work well if Categories, Folders, and Tags are applied consistently to your Elements. Run a content audit before designing Catalog scopes.
- Test constraint combinations on a staging or sandbox instance before deploying to production. Validate that the resulting Catalog contains only the intended content and that the default display settings render as expected.
- Use Groups, not individual Users, for Catalog sharing wherever possible. Group-based assignments are easier to maintain as your user base grows and are less likely to produce inconsistent access.
- Avoid overlapping audiences across multiple Catalogs for the same content. If the same Element is intended to appear in multiple Catalogs, ensure both Catalogs' constraints include it, and verify user permissions are in place for each audience.
- Coordinate with your Identity (IAM) team if user Groups in Metric Insights are managed via SSO or an identity provider. Group membership changes in the IdP will propagate to Catalog access automatically, which can produce unexpected Catalog assignments.
- Plan for the Default Catalog fallback. Any user not explicitly assigned a custom Catalog as their Start Catalog will see the default Catalog. Ensure the default Catalog's scope and defaults are suitable for this fallback audience.
- When disabling the Native Catalog/Homepage in the Brand Editor, verify the behavior across all user roles — including admin users, who may see different navigation than regular users. Also confirm whether a Catalog or Custom App will serve as the start page, as leaving this unset causes users to fall back to the Search Page.