Checkbox Prompt  
 
Modern Cognos reports often need lightweight, intuitive ways for users to interact with data directly on the canvas, without interrupting their workflow or navigating to separate prompt pages.

The Checkbox Prompt custom control solves this by offering a clean, flexible, and branded way to capture user selections right where they’re working. Whether it’s filtering, toggling visibility or creating guided user experiences, this native custom control makes report interactivity both simpler and more consistent. Simply upload the extension, drop the control onto the canvas, wire it to parameters, and you’re done. 

 
What you get 

• One or more checkboxes, each with its own parameter (checked / unchecked). 

• Actions: AutoSubmit (instant refresh), Select All, Deselect All. 

• Styling: Layout, colors, spacing, fonts and button states, so that the checkbox fits your brand. 
  
  

Typical ways to use it 

1. Multi‑select filtering on the page 

“I need to select multiple options without a separate prompt page.” 
You can bind each checkbox’s parameter into the query filter and enable AutoSubmit option if you want instant re‑runs. 

2. Show/hide columns or sections 

“I need a simple toggle for detail columns.” 
Use the parameter in render variables to control visibility. 

3. Brand‑aligned experiences 

“I want the control to look like our design system.” 
Use the built‑in styling to configure background, padding, colors, typography, and button styles. 

Checkbox Prompt sample report overview 

A sample report demonstrating the Checkbox Prompt native custom control is included as part of IBM Cognos Samples at below path:
Team content > Samples > By feature > Custom controls > Checkbox Prompt 

The report includes a Demonstration page with below filter options:

• Show Columns option - uses horizontal checkboxes with AutoSubmit = true to immediately toggle column visibility. 

• Retailer Country option - uses vertical checkboxes with AutoSubmit = false; a Reprompt (Apply) button is provided to apply the selected changes. 
  
  

How to page

The report also includes a How to page that documents all configuration options for the control, including Select All/Deselect All, AutoSubmit behavior, and styling (container, labels, buttons). 

Quick usage summary

1. Open or create a report and drag Checkbox Prompt from Toolbox > AUTHORED CONTROLS onto the canvas.
2. Configure parameters, layout (horizontal/vertical), and styling. Enable/Disable the AutoSubmit option.
3. Bind the parameters in query filters or render variables to filter data or toggle visibility. 
   
   

Final Takeaway 

At the end of the day, the Checkbox Prompt is all about making Cognos reports feel more interactive, modern, and user-friendly. It gives you a fast, flexible way to let users control what they see, whether that means filtering data, toggling sections or creating more guided page experiences. With just a simple drag‑and‑drop and a bit of parameter binding, you can transform a static report into something dynamic, polished, and far more engaging.