Change the period

You use the Period menu to change the timeframe that applies to the data in the grid.

Apply a defined period

Click the Period menu to view the list of defined periods, then select the one you want to apply.

The selected period displays in the Period menu and the grid updates with data for that date range.

Apply a custom period

1. Click the Period menu > Select dates option.

2. Select the period type (time unit): Year, Month or Day.

3. Choose whether to apply fixed or dynamic date range.

   • Use fixed when you need precision, repeatability, or historical consistency.

   • Use dynamic when you need automation, recency, or ongoing monitoring.

   • See below for more details and examples of each option.

4. Select the Start and End of the date range.

5. Click Apply.

Your custom period displays in the Period menu and the grid updates with data for that date range.

Apply a fixed date range

A fixed date range has a set start and end date. The data is always the same, even if you redo the analysis or open a favorite later.

Use cases include:

• An annual sales report for the 2025 financial year.

• Analysis of a marketing campaign that ran from March 15 to April 30, 2025.

• A comparison of sales in January 2024 and January 2025.

For example, suppose you're analyzing your Sales database and want to identify customers who purchased products during the summer season (in the northern hemisphere).

1. Select the Month period type.

2. Select June 2025 as the Start month and August 2025 as the End month.

3. Click Apply.

Apply a dynamic date range

A dynamic date range updates automatically based on when you run the analysis. Common options include Last 30 days, Month to date (MTD), and Year to date (YTD).

Dynamic ranges are useful for ongoing monitoring because you always see the latest data without having to reset the period manually.

Use cases include:

• A Sales dashboard showing the last 7 days revenue.

• An Inventory report tracking stock levels in the month to date (MTD) or quarter to date (QTD).

• A weekly performance review always looking at the previous week.

The following examples are common set-and-forget dynamic periods you can add to your analysis:

Last month

Suppose today is in the month of September and you want to view the Sales performance of the previous month. Next month (October), you'll want to see September's sales values, and so on.

1. Select the Month period type.

2. Click Use dynamic dates at the bottom of both the Start and End calendars.

1. Use the settings to select 1 month ago for both the Start and End time frame.

2. Click Apply.

Rolling 12 months

Suppose today is in the month of September and you want to view sales data for the last 12 months up to today. Going forward, you want to see the past 12 months' sales data on any given day.

1. Select the Month period type.

2. Click Use dynamic dates at the bottom of both the Start and End calendars.

1. Use the settings to select 11 months ago for the Start and 0 months ago for the End.

2. Click Apply.

Last 3 years

Suppose today is in the month of September and you want to view the sales data for the last 3 years. Going forward, you want to see the past 3 years' sales data on any given day.

1. Select the Year period type.

2. Click Use dynamic dates at the bottom of both the Start and End calendars.

1. Use the settings to select 2 years ago for the Start and 0 years ago for the End.

2. Click Apply.

Last 7 days

Suppose today is September 15 and you want to view the sales data for the last week (7 days). Going forward, you want to see the past weeks' sales data on any given day.

1. Click the Day period type.

2. Click Use dynamic dates at the bottom of both the Start and End calendars.

1. Use the settings to select 7 days ago for the Start and 0 days ago for the End.

2. Click Apply.