# Explores

An explore is where every question in Kontala Analytics starts.
Each one covers a single subject, such as visits, page views or carts, and lists the dimensions and metrics you can use, with their descriptions.
Kontala maintains 20 explores for your organisation, and [Explores, metrics and the semantic layer](/docs/analytics/semantic-layer) lists them all.
In Kontala Analytics itself, explores are listed under **Tables**.

Admins and members can explore.
Viewers can open dashboards and saved charts, but cannot build queries of their own.

## Open an explore

1. [Open Kontala Analytics](/docs/analytics/dashboards#open-analytics), then select **New** in the top bar, then **Chart**.
2. Find the explore you want.
   Type in **Search tables** to filter the list.
3. Select the explore to open it in the Explorer.

To read what an explore covers before you open it, hover over its name in the list.

## Find your way around the Explorer

The Explorer has a field list on the left and a set of panels on the right.

### The field list

The field list shows the explore's fields under **Dimensions** and **Metrics**, plus **Custom dimensions** and **Custom metrics** once you add some.
In larger explores, related fields are kept together in groups you can open and close.
Date and timestamp dimensions are groups too: open one to pick a time interval, such as **Day** or **Week**.

- Type in **Search metrics + dimensions** to find a field by name.
- Hover over a field to read its description.
- Fields you select move to a **Selected** section at the top, so you can see your whole query at a glance.

### The panels

| Panel | What it shows |
| --- | --- |
| **Filters** | The filters on your query. |
| **Chart** | Your results as a chart. Select **Configure** to choose the chart type and settings. |
| **Results** | Your results as a table, with dimensions in blue, metrics in orange and table calculations in green. |
| **SQL** | The SQL that Kontala generated for your query. |

The **Trends** explore also has a **Parameters** panel, above the filters, where you set its **Change date** and **Days before and after**.

## Build a query

1. Select one or more dimensions to group your results by, such as **Channel**.
   For a date, open it and select a time interval, such as **Week**.
2. Select one or more metrics to calculate, such as **Visits**.
3. Add any filters you need, as described below.
4. Select **Run query**, or press Cmd+Enter on a Mac or Ctrl+Enter on Windows.

The results table has one row for each combination of dimension values, with each metric calculated for that row.
To take a field out of your query, select it again.

The Explorer only runs your query when you ask it to.
To re-run it every time you add a field or change the sort, open the menu next to **Run query** and turn on **Auto-fetch results**.

### Filter your results

Select **Add filter** in the **Filters** panel and choose a field.
You can also open a field's menu in the field list, using the three dots that appear when you hover over it, and select **Add filter**.
You can filter on a dimension even when it is not in your query.

- A filter on a dimension removes rows before your metrics are calculated, for example visits that did not convert.
- A filter on a metric removes rows from your results after the metrics are calculated, for example channels with fewer than 100 visits.

With more than one filter, choose whether **All** or **Any** of the conditions must match.
Filters on dimensions and filters on metrics can only be combined with **All**.
The operators you can use depend on the field's type, as listed in [filter on a dimension](/docs/analytics/dimensions#filter-on-a-dimension).

### Sort your results

The first time you run a query in an explore, results are sorted by the first date dimension, newest first.
If there is no date dimension, they are sorted by the first metric, largest first.

- To sort by one column, open its menu in the results table, using the three dots in the column header, and choose an option under **Sorting**, such as **Sort A-Z** or **Sort 9-1**.
  This replaces any other sort.
- To sort by more than one column, select the **Sorted by** badge on the **Results** panel, then select **Add sort**.

### Limit the number of rows

Every query has a row limit, which you can raise to 5,000 rows.
To change it, open the menu next to **Run query** and set **Row limit**.
When your results reach the limit, a **Results may be incomplete** badge appears: raise the limit or narrow your filters to see every row.
See the other [query limits](/docs/analytics/explore-and-visualise#limits).

## Dig into a result

Select any value in the results table to see what you can do with it.

| Option | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| **View underlying data** | For a metric value, lists the rows behind that number. |
| **Drill into** | For a metric value, breaks the number down by another dimension. |
| **Show only** and **Exclude** | Adds a filter that keeps or removes that value. |
| **Copy value** | Copies the value to your clipboard. |

## What every explore leaves out

Each explore only reads your own organisation's events.
Bot traffic, and events from visitors who did not consent, are left out of every explore, so they never reach your results.
See [Security and governance](/docs/analytics/security-and-governance) for how your data is kept apart.

## Save and share your query

- Select **Save chart**, give the chart a name and choose a space or dashboard you can edit.
  A saved chart remembers its explore, fields, filters, sorting and chart settings.
- To share a query without saving it, select the share icon next to **Save chart** to copy a link.
- To start a new query from a saved chart without changing the chart, select **Explore from here**.

## Related

- [How explores, dimensions and metrics work](/docs/analytics/explores-dimensions-and-metrics): the three building blocks and how they fit together.
- [Dimensions](/docs/analytics/dimensions) and [metrics](/docs/analytics/metrics): what you can pick inside an explore.
- [Explore and visualise](/docs/analytics/explore-and-visualise): chart types, version history and limits.