The Simple Query Builder
The simple builder is a list of filter rows. Each row narrows the result, and the rows combine, so adding rows returns less. That is the whole model.
Start here for any question. Most never need more.
Building a query
Choose New Simple Query, then add filters:
- Pick a field.
- Pick a comparison — equals, contains, greater than, and so on, depending on the field.
- Enter or choose a value.
Where a field has a known set of values, the value box offers them rather than asking you to type — so you pick a real revenue centre or detector from a list rather than guessing at spelling.
Add another row with the same field to allow several values: "register 3 or register 7" is one field with two values, not two separate filters.
Filters narrow, they do not widen
Adding a row always returns the same or fewer records. If a query returns nothing, the answer is almost always one filter too many — remove the most recently added and work back.
That behaviour is why building up from broad to narrow is more reliable than starting specific: you can see what each filter removed.
The date range comes first
Almost every question has a period, and the range picker is separate from the filter rows. Set it before filtering — it usually removes more than any filter will, and it makes the effect of each filter easier to judge. See Date and Time Ranges.
Trying it before saving
Run the query and read the result before committing. The row count tells you most of what you need: zero means over-filtered, a very large number means under-filtered, and something you can scan means you are in useful territory.
When to move to the advanced builder
Move up when you need something the simple builder cannot express:
| You need | Use |
|---|---|
| this and that | Simple builder — rows already combine |
| this or that on different fields | Advanced |
| Nested grouping | Advanced |
| records that have no related record | Existence tests |
There is no penalty for starting simple and rebuilding. Most questions genuinely are a few rows and a range.
Saving
Save from the Query Manager with a name you would recognise in a month. A saved query is what dashboards and the assistant can use; an unsaved one exists only until you navigate away.
Reusing it elsewhere
The same question in another module does not need rebuilding — see Copying a Query to Another Module.