Adobe Analytics

silvio-356 · 6/16/23

I would like to have time period segments for comparing a previous period with the current one. It would be greate if I can build time period segments like "first-half-of the-time-range" and "second-half-of the-time-range" in analytics, which depend on selected time range of the panel.

As far as I know, the "rolling-date" refers to the current date and not to the time range of the panel.
I guess it's not possible to build such segments in Analytics today. Or does anyone know how to build them?

Jennifer_Dungan · 6/16/23

I don't think there is a way to do this today in Workspaces... that would be a really cool idea.

The closest I have seen is when you have a range selected in your panel (let's say last 14 days), and in your freeform table you right click and choose "Add time period column > Prior 14 days to this date range" that will create an equivalent comparison time period...

If your panel is rolling, this comparative date will be rolling, if your panel is not rolling, then the comparative date also won't roll....

However, once created, this comparison date doesn't change if the panel range is updated (i.e. choose the last 3 weeks, or the last 3 months)...

That would be a nice feature to have: flexible comparisons....

However, the only way I know how to make a truly flexible report that you are describing would be to create it using Excel and Report Builder.

You can create an interface using specific cells to hold selectable start and end dates... then use Excel formulas to calculate the difference between the selected dates (I wouldn't use the first half/second half logic that you mentioned above, but I would suggest using "previous X days"). Then subtract that difference from each date to find the comparative start and end dates (then populate these into other cells (because these are calculated, you might want these to be on a hidden sheet)

Formulas Used:

Difference: =B3-B2+1

From: =B2-B6

To: =B3-B6

But you could also do the difference and the date math in one if you really want like so: =B2-(B3-B2+1) and =B3-(B3-B2+1)

Once you have the date fields established, you can use Report Builder's "Date from Cells" option to create pulls from the selected dates, and then again from the comparative dates:

This way, your comparative dates will always be in line with your selected ones, whether the range is a matter of days, weeks or months, etc

But of course, Report Builder has it's own set of challenges... you need to have the plugin installed to use it (and the right permissions), the Analytics version is only supported on Windows at this time (though we should be getting an updated version like CJA's that allows us to use it on Mac), you can't get proper de-duplicated UVs (well unless you make additional calls for the breakdowns and then again for aggregated totals).

So this may not really be an option.... but I had to mention it, as it does allow you to have control over those dates...

View solution in original post

Jennifer_Dungan · 6/16/23

I don't think there is a way to do this today in Workspaces... that would be a really cool idea.

The closest I have seen is when you have a range selected in your panel (let's say last 14 days), and in your freeform table you right click and choose "Add time period column > Prior 14 days to this date range" that will create an equivalent comparison time period...

If your panel is rolling, this comparative date will be rolling, if your panel is not rolling, then the comparative date also won't roll....

However, once created, this comparison date doesn't change if the panel range is updated (i.e. choose the last 3 weeks, or the last 3 months)...

That would be a nice feature to have: flexible comparisons....

However, the only way I know how to make a truly flexible report that you are describing would be to create it using Excel and Report Builder.

You can create an interface using specific cells to hold selectable start and end dates... then use Excel formulas to calculate the difference between the selected dates (I wouldn't use the first half/second half logic that you mentioned above, but I would suggest using "previous X days"). Then subtract that difference from each date to find the comparative start and end dates (then populate these into other cells (because these are calculated, you might want these to be on a hidden sheet)

Formulas Used:

Difference: =B3-B2+1

From: =B2-B6

To: =B3-B6

But you could also do the difference and the date math in one if you really want like so: =B2-(B3-B2+1) and =B3-(B3-B2+1)

Once you have the date fields established, you can use Report Builder's "Date from Cells" option to create pulls from the selected dates, and then again from the comparative dates:

This way, your comparative dates will always be in line with your selected ones, whether the range is a matter of days, weeks or months, etc

But of course, Report Builder has it's own set of challenges... you need to have the plugin installed to use it (and the right permissions), the Analytics version is only supported on Windows at this time (though we should be getting an updated version like CJA's that allows us to use it on Mac), you can't get proper de-duplicated UVs (well unless you make additional calls for the breakdowns and then again for aggregated totals).

So this may not really be an option.... but I had to mention it, as it does allow you to have control over those dates...

silvio-356 · 6/20/23

Hi Jennifer

I've found the solution => This feature has been rolled-out with the february 2023 release!

More about can be read at https://experienceleague.adobe.com/docs/analytics/analyze/analysis-workspace/components/calendar-dat...

Jennifer_Dungan · 6/20/23

Relative Dates are good... but it will still only work IF you choose the same number of days in your panel...

For instance, if you build the report for 2 weeks, and create a relative 2 week custom date range, then you change the panel to 2 days, the custom date range will still be relative 2 weeks based on your selected 2 days...

As long as you tell people to use the report based on Week or Month, etc, then your comparisons will make sense... but if you need it to be truly flexible, relative date ranges still won't fully cover it..

It's why I didn't propose that... as it sounded like you needed real flexibility, since you had proposed "trying to calculate the half way point to get first and last half" for your ranges for comparison.

If Relative Date ranges is sufficient, then great!

silvio-356 · 6/23/23

I agree with you - full flexibility would of course be desirable!

But somehow I have to "live" with the current possibilities that Analytics offers me today....

For us users, it would be desirable if I could use segments like "first-half-of-period", which then calculate the period relative to the selected period of the panel, whether "last 60 days", "last 14 days" or "last 7 days".

Do you know where to place this requirement so that Adboe implements and publishes this in a future release?