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The Offset date option is available when you:

Add a user-defined period.
Apply a custom period (in Financial Statements).
Set the period as part of defining a measure (in Analytics Custom mode or advanced search).
Set a defined period for a database (administrators).

The setup window might behave differently depending on where you start from, but the concept of the Offset date option is the same. It allows you to set a date (or date range) based on today's date, so that rather than entering . Rather than enter a fixed date range (, such as Start: January 2023 and End: March 2023, you can define a dynamic date range, such as year Year-to-date or last Last month based, so the data continues to update.

Depending on what you are doing, you will be presented with a slightly different setup window but the concept of the Offset option is the same. However, the The offset settings for the Days period type are different from those of the Months and Years, as outlined below.

Use offsets

for

month and year-based date ranges

After selecting

The general steps for using the Offset option with Month and Year period types are:

Select the Year or Month period type, select as required.
Select the Offset checkbox to activate the offset date setting. You can set both the start Start and end End dates as offsets , or just one of them.
Enter the offset date as a number. The timeframe displays is displayed in words next to the offset box.

Examples of common offsets for months and years

The settings in the following table examples are ‘setcommon set-and-forget’. They forget dynamic periods you can add to your analysis using the month and year Offset options. As they are designed to work into the future, without needing to adjust them every month or every year.

Example

Time unit

Current

Previous

Start

End

Start

End

Calendar Year to Date

Month

Not Offset. Choose January and 'most recent'

Offset: 0

Not Offset. Choose January and 'second most recent'

Offset: -12

Financial Year to Date

Month

Not Offset. Choose start month of financial year, e.g. July and 'most recent'

Offset: 0

Not Offset. Choose start month of financial year, e.g. July and 'second most recent'

Offset: -12

Month to Date

Day

Special. Choose first day of month 0.

Offset: 0

Special. Choose first day of month -1 (or -12)

Special. Choose match today of month -1 (or -12)

Last month

Month

Offset: -1

This month

Month

Offset: 0

Rolling 12 months

Month

Offset: -11

Offset: 0

Last three years

Year

Offset: -2

Offset: 0

they’re a simple way to get a date range that updates each month or year. They save you from having to manually update the date range when you roll over into a new month, calendar year, or financial year.

Calendar year-to-date

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Select the Month period type.
In the Current Period > Start date, clear the Offset checkbox, then select January and Most recent.
In the Current Period > End date, select the Offset checkbox and enter 0 as theoffset number.
In the Previous Period > Start date, clear the Offset checkbox, then select January and Second most recent.
In the Previous Period > End date, select the Offset checkbox and enter -12 as the offset number.

Financial year-to-date

For example, if your financial year runs from April to March, you can select April and the Most recent dynamic date option, along with an offset end to always view the previous financial year’s data without having to select the year each year.

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Select the Month period type.
In the Current Period > Start date, clear the Offset checkbox, then select the Start month of the financial year (for example, July) and Most recent.
In the Current Period > End date, select the Offset checkbox and enter 0 as theoffset number.
In the Previous Period > Start date, clear the Offset checkbox, then select the Start month of the financial year (for example, July) and Second most recent.
In the Previous Period > End date, select the Offset checkbox and enter -12 as the offset number.
Last month
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Select the Month period type.
In the Current Period > Start date, leave the Offset checkbox selected and enter -1 as the offset number.
In the Current Period > End date, leave the Offset checkbox selected and enter -1 as the offset number.
This month
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Select the Month period type.
In the Current Period > Start date, leave the Offset checkbox selected and enter 0 as the offset number.
In the Current Period > End date, leave the Offset checkbox selected and enter 0 as the offset number.
Rolling 12 months
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Select the Month period type.
In the Current Period > Start date, select the Offset checkbox and enter -11 as the offset number.
In the Current Period > End date, select the Offset checkbox and enter 0 as the offset number.
Last three years
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Select the Year period type.
In the Current Period > Start date, select the Offset checkbox and enter -2 as the offset number.
In the Current Period > End date, select the Offset checkbox and enter 0 as the offset number.
Use offsets for day-based date ranges
After selecting The general steps for using the Offset option with the Day period types are:
Select the Day period type
, click
.
Click the date box to display the options window, then select the tab of the option you want to use
; Actual, Offset or Special
:
Expandtitle
Actual
On the Actual tab, select
This option does not use an offset. Therefore, the date is fixed.
Select a specific date.
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Expand
Offset
This option is essentially a day offset, either
forwards
forward or
backwards
backward from today. This option is useful, for example, to set a rolling 7-day period.
On the Offset tab, enter
See other examples below.
Enter or select a specific number of days.
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Alternatively, for a quicker way of getting the correct offset value here
is to
, select the date on the Actual tab first, then select the Offset tab. The offset value will match the selected date.
expand
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title
Special
The Special
This option allows you to select a day that is based on a month offset (selecting a certain type of day in a particular month). This option is useful, for example, when analyzing the month-to-date performance (see example below).
On the Special tab, select
Select one of the four
'match' options (see table below)
Match… options and offset that match against a chosen month
:Image Removed
Option
Example
Offset
Offset date displayed
First Day -First
.
First Day: The first day of the offset month.
-3
First
For example, to view the first day of
3
three months ago, enter an offset of -3.
Last Day
- Last
: The first day of the offset month.
1
Last
For example, to view the last day of next month, enter an offset of 1.
Match Today
-
: Tries to match today's date in the offset month.
For example, if today is the 13th,
you will
you’ll get the 13th of the offset month. But if today is the 29th, 30th, or 31st and a direct match is unavailable, you
will
'll get the closest match.
0
4
-1
-3
Today
Today 4 months ahead
Today last month
Today 3 months ago
Match Yesterday -
Other examples: To match today, enter an offset of 0, to match today last month, enter an offset of -1, and so on.
Match Yesterday: Tries to match yesterday's date in the offset month.
For example, if yesterday is the 12th, you
will
'll get the 12th of the offset month. If today is the 1st, you
will
'll get the last day of the month prior to the offset month. If yesterday is the 29th or 30th and a direct match is unavailable, you
will
Examples of common offsets for days
Example
Current
Previous
Start
End
Start
End
Month to Date
Special > first day of month 0.
Offset: 0
Special > first day of month
'll get the closest match.
0
5
1
-2
Yesterday
Yesterday 5 months ahead
Yesterday next month
Yesterday 2 months ago
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The following examples are common set-and-forget dynamic periods you can add to your analysis using the Offset option with the Day period type. As they are designed to work into the future, they’re a simple way to get a date range that updates each day.
Month-to-date
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Expand
title View the steps...
Select the Day period type.
In the Current Period > Start date, select the Special tab, then select the First Day of the month and enter 0 as the month.
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In the Current Period > End date, select the Offset tab, then enter 0 as the offset.
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In the Previous Period > Start date, select the Special tab, then select the First Day of the month and enter -1 (or -12) as the month.
Special > match today of month
In the Previous Period > End date, select the Special tab, then select Match Today and enter -1 (or -12) as the month.
Today
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Last 7 days
Offset: -6
Offset: 0
Expand
title View the steps
Select the Day period type.
Offset: 0
Offset: 0
Yesterday
Offset: -1
Offset: -1
Click the Current Period > Start box, select the Offset tab, then enter 0 as the offset.
Click the Current Period > End box, select the Offset tab, then enter 0 as the offset.
Yesterday
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Expand
title View the steps...
Select the Day period type.
Click the Current Period > Start box, select the Offset tab, then enter -1 as the offset.
Click the Current Period > End box, select the Offset tab, then enter -1 as the offset.
Last 7 days
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Select the Day period type.
Click the Current Period > Start box, select the Offset tab, then enter -6 as the offset.
Click the Current Period > End box, select the Offset tab, then enter 0 as the offset.