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Offset dates

Owned by Helen Gosper
Last updated: Jun 09, 2024 by Denise McGettigan
8 min read

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. Rather than enter a fixed date range, such as Start: January 2023 and End: March 2023, you define a dynamic date range, such as Year-to-date or Last month, so the data continues to update.

The offset settings for the Days period type are different from those of the Months and Years, as outlined below.

Use offsets month and year-based date ranges

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

  1. Select the Year or Month period type, as required.

  2. Select the Offset checkbox to activate the offset date setting. You can set both the Start and End dates as offsets or just one of them. 

  3. Enter the offset date as a number. The timeframe is displayed in words next to the offset box.

The following examples (set in June 2024) are common set-and-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, 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 (most recent)

image-20240606-020500.png

  1. Select the Month period type.

  2. In the Current Period > Start date, clear the Offset checkbox, then select January and Most recent.

  3. In the Current Period > End date, select the Offset checkbox and enter 0 as the offset number.

  4. In the Previous Period > Start date, clear the Offset checkbox, then select January and Second most recent.

  5. In the Previous Period > End date, select the Offset checkbox and enter -12 as the offset number.

Financial year-to-date (most recent)

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.

  1. Select the Month period type.

  2. In the Current Period > Start date, clear the Offset checkbox, then select the Start month of the financial year (for example, April) and Most recent.

  3. In the Current Period > End date, select the Offset checkbox and enter 0 as the offset number.

  4. In the Previous Period > Start date, clear the Offset checkbox, then select the Start month of the financial year (for example, April) and Second most recent.

  5. In the Previous Period > End date, select the Offset checkbox and enter -12 as the offset number.

Last month (offset)

For example, suppose you want to view data for the last month and compare it with data for the same month in the previous year.

  1. Select the Month period type.

  2. In the Current Period > Start date, select the Offset checkbox and enter -1 as the offset number.

  3. In the Current Period > End date, select the Offset checkbox and enter -1 as the offset number.

  4. In the Previous Period > Start date, select the Offset checkbox and enter -13 as the offset number.

  5. In the Previous Period > End date, select the Offset checkbox and enter -13 as the offset number.

This month (offset)

For example, suppose you want to view data for this month and compare it with data from last month.

  1. Select the Month period type.

  2. In the Current Period > Start date, select the Offset checkbox and enter 0 as the offset number.

  3. In the Current Period > End date, select the Offset checkbox and enter 0 as the offset number.

  4. In the Previous Period > Start date, select the Offset checkbox and enter -1 as the offset number.

  5. In the Previous Period > End date, select the Offset checkbox and enter -1 as the offset number.

Rolling 12 months (offset)

For example, suppose you want to view data for the last 12 months up to today and compare it with data from the same months in the previous year.

  1. Select the Month period type.

  2. In the Current Period > Start date, select the Offset checkbox and enter -11 as the offset number.

  3. In the Current Period > End date, select the Offset checkbox and enter 0 as the offset number.

  4. In the Previous Period > Start date, select the Offset checkbox and enter -23 as the offset number.

  5. In the Previous Period > End date, select the Offset checkbox and enter -12 as the offset number.

Last three years (offset)

For example, suppose you want to view data for the last three years.

  1. Select the Year period type.

  2. In the Current Period > Start date, select the Offset checkbox and enter -2 as the offset number.

  3. In the Current Period > End date, select the Offset checkbox and enter 0 as the offset number.

Use offsets for day-based date ranges

The general steps for using the Offset option with the Day period types are:

  1. Select the Day period type.

  2. Click the date box to display the options window, then select the tab of the option you want to use:

Actual

This option does not use an offset. Therefore, the date is fixed.

Select a specific date.

Offset

This option is essentially a day offset, either forward or backward from today. This option is useful, for example, to set a rolling 7-day period. See other examples below.

Enter or select a specific number of days. Alternatively, for a quicker way of getting the correct offset value here, select the date on the Actual tab first, then select the Offset tab. The offset value will match the selected date.

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).

Select one of the four Match… options and offset that match against a chosen month.

  • First Day: The first day of the offset month. For example, to view the first day of three months ago, enter an offset of -3.

  • Last Day: The last day of the offset month. 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’ll get the 13th of the offset month. But if today is the 29th, 30th, or 31st, and a direct match is unavailable, you'll get the closest match.
    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'll get the 12th of the offset month. If today is the 1st, you'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'll get the closest match.

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 (special)

  1. Select the Day period type.

  2. In the Current Period > Start date, select the Special tab, then select the First Day of the month and enter 0 as the month.

  3. In the Current Period > End date, select the Offset tab, then enter 0 as the offset.

  4. 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.

  5. In the Previous Period > End date, select the Special tab, then select Match Today and enter -1 (or -12) as the month.

Today (offset)

  1. Select the Day period type.

  2. Click the Current Period > Start box, select the Offset tab, then enter 0 as the offset.

  3. Click the Current Period > End box, select the Offset tab, then enter 0 as the offset.

Yesterday (offset)

  1. Select the Day period type.

  2. Click the Current Period > Start box, select the Offset tab, then enter -1 as the offset.

  3. Click the Current Period > End box, select the Offset tab, then enter -1 as the offset.

Last 7 days (offset)

  1. Select the Day period type.

  2. Click the Current Period > Start box, select the Offset tab, then enter -6 as the offset.

  3. Click the Current Period > End box, select the Offset tab, then enter 0 as the offset.