What this means
Date ranges, comparison ranges, filters, and drilldown are what turn a dashboard from a passive display into an investigation tool. They let you ask better questions without rebuilding the dashboard every time.
The fastest mental model is this: set the period for the whole dashboard first, then use widget filters to ask smaller follow-up questions, then use drilldown when you need the rows or records underneath the chart.
Before You Start
Choose the primary period first. It is much easier to compare two periods when the first period is already correct.
Remember that widget filters do not apply to every widget on the page.
Comparisons are most useful when the ranges are like for like, such as full week versus previous week.
Set the dashboard date range and comparison
Open the date range control and choose a shortcut such as Today, This week, Last 7 days, This month, or Last month, or set a custom range.
If you want context, open Compare and choose a comparison shortcut such as Previous Period, Previous week, Previous month, Previous quarter, or Previous year.
Review the chart labels after adding comparison so you know which series is current and which is being compared.
Add widget filters
Open the funnel icon on the widget you want to narrow down.
Choose the field to filter by. Available fields depend on the widget underlying data.
Choose the operator. Analytics supports string, number, boolean, and date or time operators.
Enter one value or several values where the widget supports multi-value filtering and suggestions.
Check the filter badge count on the widget so you know extra filtering is active.
Good to know: String filters can show suggestions, which is the fastest way to avoid spelling mismatches when filtering by names, statuses, or similar values.
Use drilldown to inspect underlying data
Open the drilldown action on a non-table widget when you want to inspect what sits underneath the chart.
Review the chart in the top half of the drilldown dialog, then use the table below for row-level detail.
Export or print from the drilldown table when you need to share raw detail, not just the visual summary.
Best Practices
Keep the dashboard date range broad enough for the meeting, then use widget filters for exceptions and follow-up questions.
Use comparison when you need change over time, not only today total.
Clear filters after an investigation so the next viewer is not misled by a leftover narrow view.
Use drilldown before exporting raw data, especially when a chart spike needs explanation.
Common setup mistakes
Assuming a widget filter applies to the whole dashboard.
Comparing partial periods with full periods and then drawing hard conclusions.
Stacking too many filters on a widget and then forgetting why the number became so narrow.
Expecting drilldown on widgets that are already tables.
Troubleshooting
If comparison looks odd, confirm the primary date range first. Comparison shortcuts are calculated from that range.
If a filter returns nothing, try removing the last condition first. No data available often means the conditions are simply too narrow.
If drilldown is unavailable, you may already be on a table widget or you may be using mobile view.