---
title: "How do I configure a Mesa source factory?"
slug: "how-do-i-configure-a-source-factory"
updated: 2026-10-07T11:28:26Z
published: 2026-10-07T11:28:26Z
canonical: "support.lusid.com/how-do-i-configure-a-source-factory"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://support.lusid.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How do I configure a Mesa source factory?

> [!CAUTION]
> Important
> 
> This feature is in [Early Access](/v1/docs/what-is-the-lusid-feature-release-lifecycle#early-access) and is subject to change.

A source factory gives you and your organisation a ready-made data source in [Mesa](/v1/docs/using-mesa-dashboards-to-monitor-live-data) that you can pull into any widget.

You choose a source type and specify which parameters everyone should share, and which ones each user can set. Other users can then pick your configured source factory from a list and get the right data set, without needing to configure it themselves.

> [!WARNING]
> Prerequisites
> 
> Before getting started, ensure you have:
> 
> - [x] Familiarised yourself with source types, sources, workspaces, and dashboards; see [Understanding Mesa architecture](/v1/docs/understanding-mesa-architecture).
> - [x] A [workspace](/v1/docs/workspaces-and-dashboard-sets#creating-a-shared-workspace) to save your source factory in; this can be a different workspace from the one your dashboards are in.
> - [x] [Access](/v1/docs/identity-management-and-access-control-iam) to the LUSID data your source factory retrieves. Note that users of your source factory only need access to the workspace you save it in.

## Step 1: Choose a source type

1. Navigate to the Mesa UI.
2. Select **Source factories** from the left-hand menu. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/d575ad81-c0ed-4980-bbd1-d59ac5c3de82/Images/Documentation/image-68HTXOBB.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-29T11%3A12%3A19Z&se=2026-10-29T12%3A12%3A19Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=6%2BebUo3julPdtLswQZPzWwVCfGZv5%2F4LftFOlUvnMT8%3D)
3. Click **Add factory** and select the source type for your source factory, for example orders, portfolios, or transactions. By default, your source factory includes all the base columns for your selected source type. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/d575ad81-c0ed-4980-bbd1-d59ac5c3de82/Images/Documentation/image-C84727QT.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-29T11%3A12%3A19Z&se=2026-10-29T12%3A12%3A19Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=6%2BebUo3julPdtLswQZPzWwVCfGZv5%2F4LftFOlUvnMT8%3D)

## Step 2: Specify a save location

Choose where Mesa saves your source factory using the following fields:

- **Workspace**: Users need access to this workspace to use your source factory; [read more on workspaces](/v1/docs/workspaces-and-dashboard-sets).
- **Group**: Combines with **Name** to uniquely identify the source factory within the workspace.
- **Name**: A friendly name for users to identify when they choose a source for their widgets.
- **Description**: An optional description for the source factory.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/d575ad81-c0ed-4980-bbd1-d59ac5c3de82/Images/Documentation/image-DKIYLDOB.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-29T11%3A12%3A19Z&se=2026-10-29T12%3A12%3A19Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=6%2BebUo3julPdtLswQZPzWwVCfGZv5%2F4LftFOlUvnMT8%3D)

## Step 3: Configure execution settings

Specify whether your source factory should be available to users, and how Mesa retrieves its data.

- **Enabled**: Toggle on to make the source factory available to users on creation.
- **Preload**: Toggle on to fetch data in advance, so Mesa displays the data as soon as a user opens a dashboard, without waiting for it to load.

> [!NOTE]
> Note
> 
> We recommend you enable **Preload** for source factories whose data takes 10 seconds or longer to load. Preloaded data can be several minutes stale, so preloading primarily benefits large datasets which can be ready when you first open the dashboard.
> 
> 
> 
> When you open a dashboard, it follows a refresh cycle; once a data refresh finishes, Mesa waits 60 seconds then begins the next refresh.
- **Run as**: Choose whether to fetch the data as the current user or as a service user; this is required when **Preload** is toggled on. [Read more on running as a service user](/v1/docs/setting-up-a-schedule-subscription-or-other-activity-on-behalf-of-a-service-user).

![](https://cdn.document360.io/d575ad81-c0ed-4980-bbd1-d59ac5c3de82/Images/Documentation/image-M3EMQ2I2.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-29T11%3A12%3A19Z&se=2026-10-29T12%3A12%3A19Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=6%2BebUo3julPdtLswQZPzWwVCfGZv5%2F4LftFOlUvnMT8%3D)

## Step 4: Specify your parameters

1. Specify values for your source factory’s required parameters. You can select **Preview** to inspect the data available in the source factory.
2. If the source type supports it, you can add additional parameters, such as [properties](/v1/docs/properties) and [address keys](/v1/docs/which-metrics-can-i-include-in-my-valuation-report). For each additional parameter, you must specify the following:

> [!NOTE]
> Note
> 
> You can click **Edit parameters JSON** to supply parameters as a JSON block instead of entering each parameter manually.
> 
> ![](https://cdn.document360.io/d575ad81-c0ed-4980-bbd1-d59ac5c3de82/Images/Documentation/image-DO2L6TCF.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-29T11%3A12%3A19Z&se=2026-10-29T12%3A12%3A19Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=6%2BebUo3julPdtLswQZPzWwVCfGZv5%2F4LftFOlUvnMT8%3D)
  - **Property key**: The [3-stage property key](/v1/docs/properties) or [queryable key](/v1/docs/what-is-a-metric#specifying-metrics-in-valuation-reports)
  - **Id**: A unique identifier for the parameter within the source factory
  - **Name** and **Description**: An optional friendly display name and description for the parameter; note that by default Mesa uses a property’s existing display name/description
3. If you have **not** enabled preloading, click the padlock ![](https://cdn.document360.io/d575ad81-c0ed-4980-bbd1-d59ac5c3de82/Images/Documentation/image-L2PF62BF.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-29T11%3A12%3A19Z&se=2026-10-29T12%3A12%3A19Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=6%2BebUo3julPdtLswQZPzWwVCfGZv5%2F4LftFOlUvnMT8%3D) icon and set each parameter as either:

The source factory locks all parameters if you enable preloading.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/d575ad81-c0ed-4980-bbd1-d59ac5c3de82/Images/Documentation/image-GV48DGYO.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-29T11%3A12%3A19Z&se=2026-10-29T12%3A12%3A19Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=6%2BebUo3julPdtLswQZPzWwVCfGZv5%2F4LftFOlUvnMT8%3D)
  - **Locked**: Every widget that uses this source factory inherits the value you set now and cannot change it. We recommend locking values that every user should share, such as a scope or recipe.
  - **Editable**: Users can set the value themselves when they use this source factory. Leave values editable when they vary between dashboards, for example an [effective range](/v1/docs/what-are-the-effectiveat-and-effectivefrom-timestamps).
4. Click **Create** to save the source factory.

If you [toggled **Enabled** on](/v1/docs/how-do-i-configure-a-source-factory#step-3-configure-execution-options), Mesa makes your source factory available to anyone with access to the workspace.

## Step 5: Check your source factory works as expected

Once saved, [add your source factory as a source on a dashboard](/v1/docs/using-mesa-dashboards-to-monitor-live-data#creating-and-using-a-dashboard) to confirm it works.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/d575ad81-c0ed-4980-bbd1-d59ac5c3de82/Images/Documentation/image-IWGOX78C.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-29T11%3A12%3A19Z&se=2026-10-29T12%3A12%3A19Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=6%2BebUo3julPdtLswQZPzWwVCfGZv5%2F4LftFOlUvnMT8%3D)

Check that only your editable parameters ask for a value:

![](https://cdn.document360.io/d575ad81-c0ed-4980-bbd1-d59ac5c3de82/Images/Documentation/image-9VJF96EA.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-29T11%3A12%3A19Z&se=2026-10-29T12%3A12%3A19Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=6%2BebUo3julPdtLswQZPzWwVCfGZv5%2F4LftFOlUvnMT8%3D)

---

### Troubleshooting

#### A source built from my source factory shows an error

Go to **Manage sources** and open the source preview. You can click on the logs to see what went wrong. Some common causes include:

- An additional parameter specified in the source factory, such as a property, does not exist. This could be due to a typo, or because the property was deleted; correct the value in your source factory, or update your properties, and try again.
- A locked parameter value doesn’t exist in LUSID; correct the value in your source factory and try again.

#### I can’t see the logs for preloaded data

To find the error that's stopping your source factory from preloading, preview the source factory itself:

1. Select **Source factories** from the left-hand menu.
2. Open your source factory and click the **Preview** icon. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/d575ad81-c0ed-4980-bbd1-d59ac5c3de82/Images/Documentation/image-SKTYU84O.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-29T11%3A12%3A19Z&se=2026-10-29T12%3A12%3A19Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=6%2BebUo3julPdtLswQZPzWwVCfGZv5%2F4LftFOlUvnMT8%3D)
3. Click the logs to see what went wrong. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/d575ad81-c0ed-4980-bbd1-d59ac5c3de82/Images/Documentation/image-SSMQVVG3.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-29T11%3A12%3A19Z&se=2026-10-29T12%3A12%3A19Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=6%2BebUo3julPdtLswQZPzWwVCfGZv5%2F4LftFOlUvnMT8%3D)

Previewing the source factory runs the same parameters the preloader uses, so it's the most reliable way to find the error. If you check the logs from a dashboard instead, you only see problems with copying the preloaded data into the dashboard, not the error behind them.

A logical data partition most entities reside within in LUSID.

A recipe is a hierarchical, modular set of rules that govern numerous LUSID operations. A recipe configures conditional pricing models, aggregation, where to source market data from, fallback rules, and much more.