What this feature does and when to use it?
The Query Builder in Advanced Analytics is a graphical interface that allows you to explore your data without writing SQL. In Advanced Analytics, queries and their visualizations are called "questions."
Use the Query Builder whenever you need a custom view that an existing dashboard doesn't already cover, for example, checking deal values by owner, tracking candidates through pipeline stages, or spotting trends in placements over a chosen date range. Because you build the question step by step, you can start with a simple table and keep refining it until it answers the exact question you have.
You can build your question using the following components:
Filters – Narrow down your data based on specific conditions.
Summaries – Aggregate data, such as calculating totals or averages.
Custom Columns – Create new columns, like adding a Total column that sums Subtotal + Tax.
Joins – Combine data from multiple tables.
Sorts – Arrange data in ascending or descending order for better analysis.
With these building blocks, you can filter, group, and visualize your data effectively within the Advanced Analytics interface.
You can combine the query builder blocks in different order, and have multiple blocks of the same type — for example, filter, summarize, then filter the summarized results, join them with a different table, and add another summary. The next step of your query will use the result from the previous one.
Step-by-step instructions on how to create and visualize a basic question in Advanced Analytics
For example, we’ll work with the Deals table in the database.
1. Select the data source
Start a new query builder question using table Deals from the Database as the source:
Click on the “+ New” button
Select “Question”
In the data picker, switch to “Tables” tab, select the Deals table.
Once selected, Advanced Analytics will open the Query Builder, displaying Data, Filter, and Summary options.
2. Preview the data
Click the Play button next to the Data section to preview the table.
At every stage of your question, you can preview results as a table or create a visualization, and you can switch between the query builder, the query’s result as a chart, and the results as a table at any time.
In our case, the Deals table looks like this:
3. Filter results
Deals in the table seem to have different Deal Stages. Let’s filter the data to show just the Deals in “Won” Deal Stage .
In the Filter block, click "Add filter." (If no Filter block exists, click the green Filter icon below the Data block.)
Select the Deal Stage column.
Set the filter type to "Is" and choose "Won."
Click the Play button to preview the filtered results.
4. Summarize the filtered results
To see if there are any patterns in these deals, let’s see how the Deal Values are distributed by Owner Names.
1.In the gray “Summarize” block, add a “Sum” metric of Deal Value grouped by the Owner Name column.
Advanced Analytics might have already added a blank Summarize block for you, but if not, you can click on the gray “Σ” icon below the Filter block to add it.
2.Click the Play button to preview the summarized data.
5. Visualize
To view the results as a chart, click on the “Visualize” button at the bottom of the query builder.
That’s it! Advanced Analytics will automatically create a bar chart for you:
6. Sort your results
To reorder the bars, we can sort the result of our query.
Go back to the query builder by clicking on the “Show editor” button in the top right corner;
Add a Sort block and sort by Sum of Deal Value.
Click on the ↑ icon to change the sort order from descending to ascending.
Visualize.
7. Save
To save your question for future reference or sharing click on the “Save” button at the top right corner.
Advanced Analytics will ask you which collection you want to save your question in. Collections in Advanced Analytics are like folders – you can use them to organize your work. This allows you to easily access, manage, and share your visualizations later.
How to add your question to a dashboard?
After saving your question, you can add it to a dashboard for easier access and reporting.
Open the saved question.
Click the Add to Dashboard option in the top-right corner.
3. Choose an existing dashboard or create a new dashboard.
4. Select the desired dashboard and click Save.
5. Open the dashboard to verify that the chart has been added successfully.
Tip: Adding questions to dashboards allows you to combine multiple charts and metrics in a single view, making it easier to monitor key recruitment performance indicators.
Alternative way to add a question to a dashboard
Open any existing dashboard.
Click on the edit button on the top right.
3. Then click on Add question (+).
4. Select the chart (question) that is to be added to the dashboard.
5. Place it where you want and click on Save.
How to change the visualization type in Advanced Analytics?
Advanced Analytics automatically selects a suitable chart type based on your data. For example, a time series will default to a line chart, while categorical summaries typically appear as bar charts.
Let’s change the bar chart to a pie chart:
If you are in the query builder, enter the visualization view by clicking on the “Visualize” button;
Open visualization options by clicking on the “Visualization” in the bottom left corner;
Select a pie chart (or another preferred chart type).
💡 Tip: Advanced Analytics has a ton of chart options, but not all chart types work with every dataset. At the top of the visualization sidebar, Advanced Analytics highlights the best options based on your data. Charts in the “Other charts” section may not be compatible.
Refine results at each step
If you want to analyze seasonal trends in deal value while focusing only on existing business deals, follow these steps:
Try the following:
Filter: Add a filter for Deal Type = Existing Business.
Summarize: Group the data by Close Date: Month.
Sort: Add a secondary sort by Close Date (ascending).
Visualize: The grouped data will automatically switch to a line chart with a date axis, showing a separate time series for each Owner.
It’ll look something like this:
This approach helps you refine and customize your analysis for deeper insights.
Visualization options
To view values on data points in the chart, follow these steps:
Click the settings button next to the visualization.
Navigate to the "Display" section.
Enable the "Show values on data points" option.
This will make the values visible on the chart.
Similarly, you can add currency values to the data points by following these steps:
Click the settings button next to the visualization.
Click on the three dots (more options).
Select "Currency" to apply the currency format.
Add more steps
Add more steps
You can continue refining your query by adding more filters, summaries, or even joining another table.
For example, we see on our line chart that there are times where the Sum of deal value has huge spikes. Let’s count these spikes per plan.
Go back to the query builder by clicking on “Show editor” button in the top right corner.
Add another Filter block after the Summarize block and filter for Sum of deal value over 2,000,000.
Add another Summarize block after the second Filter block, and Count the rows by Owner Name.
Visualize.
Switch views between the chart and raw table by clicking the table button at the bottom center.
By layering filters and summaries, we created a complex query that counts, by Owner Name, the months where the total Deal Value exceeded 2,000,000—all without writing SQL!
Troubleshooting
Problem: If you’re unable to select a particular chart type.
Problem: If you’re unable to select a particular chart type.
Likely cause: The selected visualization is not compatible with the current dataset. Some chart types require specific data structures (for example, a pie chart requires one dimension and one metric).
What to check: Verify that your chart includes the required dimensions and metrics.
Check whether the data has been grouped or summarized appropriately.
Resolution path: Use one of the recommended chart types, or modify the Summarize step so the query returns data compatible with the desired visualization.
Problem: If you’re experiencing a “Something went wrong" error message.
Problem: If you’re experiencing a “Something went wrong" error message.
Likely cause: The query contains an invalid filter combination, depends on a modified or deleted saved question/model, or has timed out due to processing a large dataset.
What to check: Review any recently added filters.
Verify that the underlying data source or saved question is still available.
Resolution path: Remove or simplify filters one at a time to identify the issue. If the problem persists, reduce the query complexity or contact your administrator to verify the underlying data source or model.
Conclusion:
The Query Builder lets you filter, summarize, sort, and visualize data without writing SQL, turning raw tables into charts you can save and share on dashboards. Once you're comfortable combining these blocks, you can build increasingly refined questions to answer specific business needs.
If you need help at any stage, feel free to reach out to Recruit CRM support for further assistance.
Hope this helps!