Request Topics
This page explains how to talk with Crystal.
Last updated
This page explains how to talk with Crystal.
Last updated
Remember
Before you start to talk with your data, make sure that you are familiar with the concept of Topics, as they are the foundational units of information that enable meaningful interactions with Crystal.
In particular, you must be comfortable with the following concepts:
Objectives, Visualizations, Entities, Time Range Filters, Dynamic Filters
Configured Topics, Auto-generated Topics
To refresh your memory, find all the information you need here before proceeding!
Asking a question to Crystal means asking about a Topic.
To ask a question, you just need to ask for the components of the Topic you have in mind, one after the other. That's all you need to start talking with Crystal!
In particular, your question should:
Include the Objective (or Visualization) and the Entity (or Entities) for that Topic
Optionally include other details such as Time Range and Dynamic Filters.
Make sure your questions are straightforward, clear, and concise.
Discover the step-by-step process to write a question.
Remember
The following conversation rules consider the specific logics of both Configured Topics and Auto-generated Topics.
Keep them in mind and Crystal will deliver the best type of Topic related to your needs!
Start with any natural question formula, such as a request, an order, or even a greeting!
Examples
"Hey Crystal!"
"Can I see the …"
"Show me the…"
Next, specify the Topic you want to ask about.
This means communicating the Objective and the Main Entity (or Main Entities) that constitute that Topic.
The two options to communicate an Objective are:
Naming a corresponding Visualization
Specifying the purpose of the Topic with a phrase
To specify an Entity, you can communicate:
A single Main Entity
Multiple Main Entities
Examples
" … the Comparison between Sales and Leads … "
"… the Breakdown of Users by Country …"
"Who were the top sellers in the last month?"
Remember
With the new Entity-Based Conversation capability, you should also consider the following new features:
In some specific cases, Crystal is able to infer the Objective and Visualization even though they are not explicit:
If you ask for "Sales by country", Crystal will directly return a Breakdown Visualization for the Composition Objective.
If you ask for "Total of sales", Crystal will directly return a Scaled-up Number Visualization for Highlight Objective.
When the Objective is not specified, Crystal will assume that you are asking for a Composition: therefore, it will return a default breakdown (if the underlying data makes it possible).
After specifying the Topic you're interested in, you can add a time range to capture a specific moment in time.
Examples
"… in the past six months …"
"… for the last year …"
"… in 2019 ..."
Remember
Each Topic always comes with a Time Filter, as all analyses must be restricted to a specific time frame. Time Filters are applied by default by the Admin during the Topic Configuration process.
If you do not include a specific time frame in your request, Crystal will deliver data related to a default time period set by your Admin. However, if you mention a specific time frame in your question, your request will change the default settings.
Finally, if you want to further narrow down the scope of your analysis, you can add a Dynamic Filter, i.e. an Entity used as a Filter instead of as the Main Entity.
All you'll need to do is introduce the Filter with the correct preposition (e.g."for", "in", etc) and then add the Filter, by either:
Specifying the name of the Filter and the relative Filter Value, i.e. the specific instance for that Entity
Only specifying the Filter Value directly, by implying the Filter name.
Examples
"… for Country Spain"
"… for Spain"
Remember
Dynamic Filters can be numeric (currencies, item codes, or sizes) or non-numeric (countries, towns, areas, item names, customer names)
You can only choose from the Filters your Admin has configured and made available for the selected Topic
Finally, in the case of numeric Dynamic Filters, you can also specify a condition on the Filter Values such as "greater than", "less than", and "between".
Examples
"List of codes for (number of) products sold..."
"...greater than 200"
"...lower than 200"
"...between 200 and 300"
When you request to apply a Filter in a conversation, Crystal can:
Recognize the filter by exact match
For example, when the question is: "Show me the total sales for France," and the filter is "France".
Recognize the filter by partial match
For example, when you ask: "Show me the total sales for "Italy", but the set Filter is "Northern Italy".
Here is a quick guide to help you ask your questions on Crystal.
Example
"Can I see the comparison between Sales and Leads in the past six months for Spain and for Italy?"
| N. | Step | Mandatory / Optional | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Question Formula | Optional | Can I see |
2 | Objective / Visualization | Mandatory / Highly Recommended (*) | the comparison between |
3 | Main Entity / Entities | Mandatory | Sales and Leads |
4 | Time Range Filter | Optional | in the past six months |
5 | Dynamic Filter #1 | Optional | for Spain |
6 | Dynamic Filter #2 | Optional | and for Italy? |
Note
As shown in the example above, you can ask for more than one Dynamic Filter at the same time, by concatenating them in the same question.
Simply use the formula "and for" and specify the other Filter(s).
Remember
When you specify the Time Range and Dynamic Filters, you can then manipulate the Topic as you want.
However, if you just specify the Topic by expressing the Objective and Main Entities (e.g. "the comparison between Sales and Leads"), you will see the default Time Range and the Filters set by the Admin.
Attention
(*) There are only a few cases in which Crystal can infer the Objectives and Visualizations (for Composition and Highlight Objectives), if these aren't specifically expressed.
Hence, as a general rule, it is always better to specify the Objective.
In the absence of a clear Objective that cannot be deduced, Crystal will try to return a Composition Objective, i.e. a Breakdown Visualization.
With Crystal, you can express yourself as if you were speaking to a person.
That's because Crystal can:
Recognize words and sentences, even if spelled wrong or incomplete.
Recognize words that are not in the selected language but are officially used as part of the company jargon (e.g. anglicisms)
Recognize synonyms and nuances
When requesting a Topic, check out a few tricks that can come in handy on Crystal's advanced conversational capabilities!
Keep talking to your data!
