Explore data with analysis

Use analysis when you want to investigate a question, explore a change, or work out which metrics belong in a report.

Give the question enough context

Include the data source, business metric, period, timezone, and exclusions that matter. Define ambiguous terms such as “active customer” or “net revenue.” Mention a specific connection when several sources contain similar data.

Compare completed orders this month with the same period last month. Use the store’s reporting timezone and separate new and returning customers.

Choose the analysis depth

The conversation composer includes Analysis depth. Choose a depth appropriate to the question: a direct lookup needs less investigation than explaining a change across several dimensions. More extensive analysis can take longer and use more analysis capacity.

Iterate in the conversation

Ask follow-up questions to change the grouping, inspect an outlier, or test a possible explanation. Answer clarification requests instead of letting an ambiguous definition carry forward.

Verify before sharing

• Check that the source and date range match the question.
• Inspect SQL and filters when provided, especially joins and currency conversions.
• Distinguish observed differences from possible explanations.
• Check whether the underlying data has finished syncing.

For direct SQL exploration, use the SQL workbench. For recurring views, use Reports.