Deep Dive: Mastering Filters & Use Cases

The true power of Citadel Analytics lies in the Filter menu. This tool allows you to isolate specific data points to answer critical business questions.

To access this menu, click the Filter button on the Analytics dashboard.

Understanding Filter Logic (Important!)

Before running reports, it is crucial to understand how the Citadel filter logic works. The system is designed to be "Inclusive by Default."

• Empty = All: If you leave a field blank, the system assumes you want to include everything in that category.

  • Example: If you leave Date Range blank, the report will calculate data from the beginning of time (all history).

  • Example: If you do not select specific Assets, the report will include data for every asset in your library.

• Specific Selections: As soon as you select an item (e.g., a specific Screen or Playlist), the report excludes everything else and focuses only on your selection.

Note: Remember you can type in any field to search! No need to scroll and scroll!

Step-by-Step Filtering

1. Date Range: Define the specific window of time you want to analyze (Start Date to End Date).

   • Note: Leave these fields empty to export/view data for all time.

2. Content Filters: Narrow down by content type:

   • Assets: Select specific files (videos/images) to track individual asset performance.

   • Channels/Playlists: Select entire groups of content to see high-level performance.

3. Hardware Filters:

   • Screens: Drill down to a single device or a specific list of screens.

4. Tag Filters: Use tags to analyze groups without selecting items one by one (e.g., select the "New York" screen tag to see data for all screens in that city).

5. Run: Click the blue Run button at the bottom. The dashboard charts and graphs will immediately refresh to reflect your new data parameters.

Common Use Cases

Here are four common scenarios to help you get the most out of the Filter menu:

Use Case 1: The "Big Picture" Audit

Goal: You want to see the total number of plays for your entire network since you started using Citadel.

• Date Range: [Leave Empty]

• Selections: [Leave All Empty]

• Action: Click Run.

• Result: The graph will update to show every single playback event from the beginning of time. This is useful for high-level ROI discussions or total lifetime value reports.

Use Case 2: The "Campaign Specific" Report

Goal: You ran a "Winter Promo" video last week and need to prove to the marketing team how many times it played.

• Date Range: Select last week's dates (e.g., 02/01/2026 to 02/08/2026).

• Assets: Search for and select the specific video file (e.g., Winter_Promo_1080p.mp4).

• Other Fields: [Leave Empty]

• Action: Click Run.

• Result: The dashboard isolates just that video during that specific week, filtering out all other noise.

Use Case 3: The "Location Performance" Check

Goal: You want to verify that screens in the "West Coast" region are active and playing content.

• Date Range: Select "Today" or the current month.

• Screen Tags: Select the tag #WestCoast (assuming you have tagged your screens).

• Action: Click Run.

• Result: The data will ignore all screens except those tagged "West Coast," allowing you to compare performance by region without manually selecting 50 different screens.

Use Case 4: The "Playlist Efficiency" Review

Goal: You want to see if your "Lobby Loop" playlist is getting enough screen time compared to other playlists.

• Date Range: Select the current month.

• Playlists: Select "Lobby Loop."

• Action: Click Run.

• Result: The report displays playback stats strictly for that playlist, helping you determine if it needs to be scheduled more frequently.

Based on your screenshot and the specific workflow details you provided (especially about the "Exports" page for large files), here is the "Exporting Your Data" tutorial section.

You can add this to your documentation after the "Deep Dive: Filtering" section.