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A CSV file holding Meta Ads data exported from a BI tool shows up by default with the CSV File icon and label. That makes it harder to read on dashboards alongside a native Meta Ads connection. The Alternative channel name feature overrides the display label and icon on file and database data sources, so the source is labeled as what it actually represents. This is display-only. It does not change the data source type, the breakdown structure, or which fields are available — just the label and icon shown to viewers.

Supported data sources

The alternative channel name and icon fields appear during creation on the following data sources. Both fields stay editable from data source settings after creation.
  • CSV File
  • CSV with URL
  • File from Email
  • File from SFTP
  • File from OneDrive
  • File from SharePoint
  • Amazon S3
  • Google Sheets
  • Custom URL Import
  • BigQuery
  • Redshift
  • Snowflake
  • MySQL
  • PostgreSQL
  • MongoDB
Native ad-platform and analytics data sources do not expose this field — their default name already reflects the platform.

Set the alternative name and icon

1

Open the source's settings

Navigate to Data sources, find the source, and click the settings icon. The General tab opens by default.
2

Fill in Alternative channel name

Enter the name that should appear on widgets, source labels, and the source picker. Any string is accepted. For example, set a CSV file holding Meta Ads exports to Meta Ads.
3

Upload an Alternative channel icon

The icon field accepts .svg files only. Upload an SVG and it replaces the default file or database icon everywhere the source appears.
4

Save

The new name and icon apply immediately. Dashboards rendering the source pick up the change on the next refresh.

Where the alternative name appears

Once set, the alternative name shows up in:
  • The source label next to widget data points.
  • The source picker when adding the source to a widget.
  • The Data sources page row label.
  • Widget legends and tooltips.
  • Source filters and breakdowns where the source name is referenced.
The underlying data source type doesn’t change. A CSV file relabeled as Meta Ads is still a CSV source — its available fields, refresh schedule, and Data Integration tab behavior are determined by the CSV File data source, not by the alternative name.

When to use it

Going further: Data conversion

An alternative channel name changes how the data source is displayed. Data conversion goes further — it lets a non-ad data source actually behave like an ad channel inside Adriel, showing up in channel filters, contributing to channel-level totals, and accepting other sources blended onto it.
If the goal is just to relabel a CSV or database source so it reads as its underlying platform on dashboards, the alternative channel name is enough. If the goal is to also have that source participate in channel-level reporting (filters, totals, blending targets), set up Data conversion as well.

Troubleshooting

The change applies on the next dashboard render. Reload the dashboard. If the default still shows after a reload, confirm the field was saved (check the source’s General tab) and that the dashboard is reading from the correct source.
Only .svg files are accepted. Other image formats (PNG, JPG) are rejected silently or fail validation. Re-export the icon as SVG and upload.
Clear the Alternative channel name field in source settings and save. The default data source name returns. To remove a custom icon, the icon field needs to be cleared the same way.
The alternative channel name doesn’t have to be unique across sources, but identical labels become confusing on dashboards. Suffix with the account name or campaign focus (for example Meta Ads — Brand, Meta Ads — Performance) to keep them distinguishable.
Custom per-value logos require Adriel to know what values are inside the mapped column. If channel is mapped to a generic column (for example, Paid_Media_Channel from Google Sheets or BigQuery), Adriel cannot enumerate the values and cannot resolve custom logos for that mapping.Custom logos only work for mappings where the possible values are known.
Related: Naming conventions for data sources · Data conversion · Connector catalog overview