Period-over-Period Controls
Period-over-Period Controls are dashboard-level controls that let viewers compare data across different time periods (this month vs last month, this year vs last year) across multiple visualization blocks at once. Viewers can quickly switch between different comparison periods without editing individual visualization blocks.
When you add a Period-over-Period Control to your dashboard, you can:
- Map it to multiple visualization blocks - Apply the same period comparison to several visualization blocks at once, keeping comparisons synchronized
- Control which visualization blocks respond - Selectively choose which visualization blocks should respond to the period comparison control
- Persist the view in exports - The selected comparison carries over to exported files and scheduled reports, so stakeholders see data with the right context
How to Set Up Period-over-Period Controls
Follow these steps to add a Period-over-Period Control to your dashboard:
-
On the Dashboard: Click the "Add Control" button in the dashboard toolbar, then select "Period Comparison" from the dropdown menu
-
Configure the Period Comparison:
- Select comparison type - Choose the comparison pattern (e.g., Previous Period, Same Period Last Year)
- Select period to compare - Choose the time unit for comparison (e.g., Month, Quarter, Year)
- Select visualization blocks to map - Enable the checkboxes for visualization blocks you want this control to affect
- Choose date fields - For each enabled visualization block, select which date/time field acts as the time dimension for the comparison
-
Save the control - The Period-over-Period Control now appears on your dashboard, and viewers can use it to compare data across different time periods for all mapped visualization blocks
Learn More
To understand different comparison types and how period-over-period calculations work, see Period Comparison.