Create a new dataset
To create a new dataset, click the "Designer" button at the top-left of the main page, or use the navigational menu on the left.
Open the "Designer" using the navigational menu, and build tailor-made analyses.
(1) Area for selecting dimensions, metrics and segments. Use the search tool to find a specific element. To select and add an element, double-click it, or drag and drop it to the right.
(2) Area for selecting the site (Level 1 or Level 2) and analysis period. Click on "Calendar" to add up to 2 additional calendars in order to compare between different periods.
(3) Area for viewing your dataset. Click on the eye icon at the top right of the screen. The "Settings" cog icon lets you display all customisation options available to you (filters, ratios, totals, etc.).
(4) Area for exporting. Once you've set up your analysis, there are several export options available: You can retrieve a REST URL to call our API from any browser, or you can export data (in CSV or XLS format) in order to use it directly in a table.
Use standard analyses suggested by Piano Analytics
More than 40 prebuilt datasets are available to help you extract the data you need. After choosing the dataset you wish to use, click on the pencil icon to the right of the table in order to edit the element.
Once you've opened the template, you have access to all dimensions and metrics that are contained by default.
Tip: The "pageviews" metric contains an automatic filter to only take into account visits or events with page loads.
Use analyses that were previously saved, or analyses shared by your colleagues
You can create as many analyses as you need, then save them as templates. You'll find them in the "Custom templates" section, so you can edit them and develop them further.
In this section, you'll find both templates that you've created, as well as templates that your colleagues have shared with you using the "Public template" option.
Main menu
You can navigate through Data Query using the menu featured on the left of the screen. Two different work environments are available: an environment for site-by-site analyses, and an environment for multi-site analyses.
Site-by-site environment
The site-by-site environment offers a drop-down list from which you may select the Level 1 or Level 2 site you would like to examine.
- Create analyses on the fly, and save them as templates if you wish.
- Suggested templates, based on the most popular analyses.
- List of all templates you've created, or that have been shared with you.
- Interface for in-progress requests -- for tracking the status of your pre-calculation requests for analyses that are complex, or involve very long periods.
Multi-site environment
A work environment is available for your analyses of several different sites at once. Piano Analytics has created standard templates, making it easy for you to access the most commonly used analyses in web analytics, and use them across several sites.
If you have customised a standard template (with filters, periods or sites), you can save it. It will then be available under the "Custom multi-site templates" category for future use.
- List of standard analyses available to be used on several sites at once.
- List of standard analyses available to be used on several sites at once, which you have customised (sites, periods, metrics, etc.).
Save bar
"New" button
Click the "New" button to create a new template.
"Import" button
The "Import" button is useful if you have an Piano Analytics API URL that a colleague has sent you. By copying the URL into the designated pop-up, the Designer will dynamically rebuild the analysis contained in the URL.
"Save" button
The "Save" button lets you save any edits made to a template. You'll find all saved templates in the "My custom templates" section.
Tip: When you create and save a template, data for that template is pre-calculated every day, offering you greater speed and optimal performance for data retrieval. We therefore strongly suggest you create templates for any regular requests.
"Save as" button
The "Save as" button lets you save your template under a new name.
Tip: Use this method to duplicate your template across several sites to avoid having to recreate the template for each site.
Private and public templates
If you've created a template and wish to share it with other users in your organisation, set it to public mode. By doing so, your template will be available to all users who have access to the site on which your template is based.
Tips:
- When you open a template that was created by another user, this user's name will be displayed in parentheses in the "save" bar.
- To access all templates created by all users, select the "All templates" radio button from the Data Query homepage. If you select the "My templates" radio button, you can access your own templates. You can also access the Data Query homepage by clicking the "Custom templates" tab in the navigational menu.
Find a template by searching for its name using the search tool.
Tip: Public templates may only be modified by their creator. However, you can "Save as" in order to make copies that you can then modify as you wish.