Change the period

Change the time and date ranges for the data that is displayed.

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, Week, 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 if you used in favorites, 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. By default, the Relative dynamic option is selected for both.

  1. Leave Last month selected for the Start, but change the End from This month (default) to Last month.

  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. By default, the Relative dynamic option is selected for both.

  1. Change the Start to 11 months ago and the End to This month.

  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. Change the Start to 2 years ago and the End to This year.

  2. Click Apply.

Last 7 days

Suppose today is September 29 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. Select the Day period type.

  2. Click Use dynamic dates at the bottom of both the Start and End calendars. By default, the Relative dynamic option is selected for both.

  3. Change the Start to 7 days ago and leave the End as Today (default).

  4. Click Apply.

Financial year-to-date (most recent)

Suppose your financial year runs from April to March and you want to see this year's financial performance so far (September). Going forward, you want to see data for the financial year-to-date 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. By default, the Relative dynamic option is selected for both.

  3. Select Recent > Most recent > April for the Start.

  4. Leave Relative > This month (default) selected for the End.

  5. Click Apply.

Yesterday (one of special dynamic dates for days)

In addition to the relative options, the Day period type has special rules you can use to set dynamic start and/or end dates:

  • First day: Always the first day of the month.

  • Last day: Always the last day of the month.

  • Match today: The same day number as today. For example, the 29th of each month.

  • Match yesterday: The same day number as yesterday. For example, the 28th of each month.

Suppose you want to quickly review the previous day's data on any given day.

  1. Select the Day period type.

  2. Click Use dynamic dates at the bottom of both the Start and End calendars. By default, the Relative dynamic option is selected for both.

  3. Select Special > Match yesterday for both the Start and End.

  4. Click Apply.

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