Analysis filters

Analysis filters define your analysis group, the audience you want to understand better.

They're a special filter type that only affect profile tiles, unlike other dashboard filters that apply across your entire dashboard.

How analysis filters work with profile tiles

When you create profile tiles, the analysis filter defines the customers or records that you want to profile. Profile tiles then compare this analysis group against your base group, which consists of either:

  • Your entire customer universe (if no other filters are applied)

  • The population remaining after applying dashboard filters and user filters

Your analysis filter selects ‘customers who booked Portugal holidays’. If you then apply a dashboard filter for ‘reads Financial Times’, your profile compares:

  • Portugal bookers who read the Financial Times (analysis group)

  • Against all Financial Times readers (base group)

This interactive filtering helps you explore your data, asking questions like: 'What distinguishes Portugal bookers among Financial Times readers specifically?'

Note: All profile tiles on a dashboard share the same analysis filter. You cannot compare different analysis groups side-by-side on the same dashboard.

Note: Profile tiles require an analysis filter to function. If you try to create a profile tile without one set up, a message prompts you to configure one with a link to the filters side panel.

Creating an analysis filter

To create an analysis filter:

  1. Open your dashboard and click Edit.

  2. Click Filters to open the side panel.

  3. Under Analysis Filters, click + Add Filter.

  4. You can leave the Filtering dropdown as Auto, or manually select what table in your system you want the analysis group to be from.

    Once you've added variables to your profile tiles, the analysis filter automatically restricts which tables in your system you can use. Orbit only offers tables that are compatible with the variables in your profile tiles.

    For example, if your profile tiles include booking-related variables from the Bookings table, you can't set your analysis filter on the Policies table, as these are sibling tables in your data structure.

    If you need to change tables in your analysis filter, you may need to adjust or remove profile tiles first.

  5. Choose your filtering criteria using variables, audiences, files, or expressions. See Filters.

  6. Add more filters, if needed.

    Tip: Keep your analysis filters focused and clear. If your analysis group becomes too specific or too broad, then your profile results may be less meaningful.

    Tip: Check the size of your analysis group:

    Very small analysis groups (fewer than 30-50 records) may produce unreliable statistical results

    Very large groups (over 90% of your base) may show minimal differentiation

  7. Toggle on Show filters in view mode if you want viewers to see the the filters in view mode.

  8. Click Close.

You’ve now set up your analysis group.

Analysis filters and interactive filtering

When you apply dashboard filters or user filters, they affect the base group in your profile calculations, not the analysis group directly. However, because profile tiles use penetration calculations, narrowing your base population naturally narrows your analysis group as well.

You can think of it as two circles, where the analysis group always sits inside the base group. When you make the base circle smaller, the analysis circle within it also becomes smaller.

Setting up your profile tile

Confidence shading

Filters