Usage
See query activity across your workspace over a 7, 30, or 90-day window — total queries, unique users, active days, top metrics, and top users.
When to use it — When you want to see adoption, find your most-used metrics, or confirm a new domain is being explored.
Where to find it — Context Studio → Governance → Usage.
Who can use it — Luminary and Weaver.
The Usage tab answers a simple question: how is the workspace being used? It counts the data queries your team runs, rolls them up into a few headline numbers, and ranks your most-used metrics and most-active users over a window you choose.
Everything on this tab is read-only reporting. Looking at Usage never changes your semantic model, your data, or any setting.
Overview
Usage reads from your workspace's query activity and presents three things for the selected window:
- Stat cards — four headline numbers across the top: total queries, unique users, active days, and average query time.
- Top metrics by usage — the ten most-queried metrics (Reveals), each with a relative bar and a use count.
- Top users by queries — the ten people who ran the most queries, each with their name or email and a query count.
A window selector in the top-right lets you switch between the Last 7 days, Last 30 days, and Last 90 days. The default is the last 30 days. Changing the window re-loads every number on the page for that period.
If there is no recorded activity in the chosen window, the tab shows an empty state — "No query activity yet." — rather than empty cards.
When to use it
- Measure adoption. Total queries and unique users tell you whether the workspace is being used and by how many people.
- Find your workhorses. Top metrics by usage shows which Reveals your team relies on most — good candidates to certify, document, and protect.
- Spot under-used work. A new domain or metric that never appears in the top list may need promotion or better discoverability.
- Check engagement over time. Switch the window between 7, 30, and 90 days to see whether activity is trending up or down.
- Identify power users. Top users by queries surfaces the people driving the most analysis — useful for feedback, training, or champion programs.
Concepts
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Query | A single data query run against your workspace — the unit counted by every number on this tab. |
| Unique users | The number of distinct people who ran at least one query in the window. |
| Active days | The number of distinct calendar days on which at least one query was run. |
| Avg query time | The mean execution time of queries in the window, shown in milliseconds (for example 420ms), or a dash if there is nothing to average. |
| Reveal | A named metric defined in a domain. "Top metrics by usage" ranks Reveals by how often they were queried. See Metrics. |
| Window | The look-back period you select: 7, 30, or 90 days. All numbers reflect only this period. |
Getting started
Usage is available to Luminary and Weaver roles. There are no other prerequisites — once your team starts running queries, activity appears here automatically.
Open Context Studio
From the main navigation, go to Context Studio.
Go to the Usage tab
In the Context Studio sidebar, under the Governance group, click Usage.
Pick a window
Use the selector in the top-right and choose Last 7 days, Last 30 days, or Last 90 days. The page reloads its numbers for that period.
Step-by-step
Read the stat cards
The four cards across the top give you the headline picture for the window: Total queries, Unique users, Active days, and Avg query time. Avg query time shows as a millisecond value (for example 380ms) or a dash when there are no queries to average.
Scan Top metrics by usage
Below the cards, Top metrics by usage lists up to ten Reveals, ranked by how many times each was queried. The bar next to each metric is sized relative to the most-used metric, so the top row is always a full bar and the rest scale against it. The number on the right is the exact use count.
Scan Top users by queries
Change the window to compare
Switch between 7, 30, and 90 days to see how adoption, top metrics, and top users shift over different periods.
Examples
Suppose you open Usage with the window set to Last 30 days. The response that drives the tab looks like this:
{
"period_days": 30,
"stats": {
"total_queries": 1840,
"unique_users": 23,
"active_days": 28,
"avg_duration_ms": 412
},
"top_reveals": [
{ "reveal_name": "net_revenue", "uses": 312 },
{ "reveal_name": "orders_count", "uses": 205 },
{ "reveal_name": "return_rate", "uses": 88 }
],
"top_users": [
{ "name": "Priya Shah", "email": "priya@acme.com", "queries": 264 },
{ "name": null, "email": "ops@acme.com", "queries": 141 }
]
}How to read it:
- The cards show 1,840 total queries, 23 unique users, 28 active days, and 412ms average query time.
- net_revenue is the most-used metric, so its bar is full; orders_count (205 uses) draws at about two-thirds of that bar, and return_rate (88 uses) at about a quarter.
- In Top users, the second user has no name set, so the list falls back to the email ops@acme.com.
Best practices
- Certify your top metrics. The metrics at the top of "Top metrics by usage" are the ones your team trusts most — make sure they are certified and well-documented. See Metrics.
- Compare windows, don't read one in isolation. A single 30-day snapshot tells you the current state; flipping between 7, 30, and 90 days tells you the direction.
- Watch active days. If active days is far below the calendar days in the window, usage is bursty — a sign analysis happens in a few sessions rather than as a daily habit.
- Pair Usage with the model. When a metric you expect to be popular is missing from the top list, check whether it is discoverable and documented in the semantic layer.
Tips
Use the average query time card as a lightweight performance signal. A noticeable jump in average query time across windows is worth investigating in the warehouse or model, even before anyone reports a slow query.
Common mistakes
Forgetting the window. Every number on the tab reflects only the selected window. If figures look unexpectedly low or high, check whether you are on 7, 30, or 90 days before drawing conclusions.
Expecting more than the top ten. Both the metrics and users lists are capped at ten rows. They show your leaders, not a complete inventory.
Usage vs. AI Operations
Usage and AI Operations sit next to each other in the Governance group but answer different questions:
| Usage | AI Operations | |
|---|---|---|
| Counts | Data queries run against the workspace | Orion AI calls (model invocations) |
| Headline numbers | Total queries, unique users, active days, avg query time | Call volume, tokens, and AI-call telemetry |
| Who can open it | Luminary, Weaver | Luminary only |
| Use it to | Measure data adoption and find top metrics/users | Monitor AI usage, cost, and performance |
If you want to know how much data the team is querying, use Usage. If you want to know how much the AI layer is being invoked, use AI Operations.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Tab shows "No query activity yet." | No queries were recorded in the selected window. | Widen the window to 90 days, or wait for the team to run queries. |
| Stat cards show 0 / 0 / 0 / – | Same as above — nothing recorded for the period, or query stats could not be loaded. | Confirm the team is actively running queries, then switch windows. |
| "Loading usage data…" stays on screen | The usage data is still being fetched or the request failed. | Refresh the page; if it persists, re-open the Usage tab. |
| A top user shows an email instead of a name | That account has no display name set. | The email is the expected fallback — set a display name on the user if you want a name shown. |
| Usage tab is missing from the sidebar | Your role does not have access. | Usage is available to Luminary and Weaver — ask a Luminary if you need access. |
Avg query time shows a dash (–) | There were no queries to average in the window. | Pick a window with recorded activity. |