dashboard-no-data-troubleshooting

Dashboard No-Data Troubleshooting

Language Policy

CRITICAL: Always respond in the user's language.

• If user writes in English → Respond in English
• If user writes in Chinese → Respond in Chinese
• Never translate the user's language; match their input language exactly

Applicable Scenarios

Use when users report:

• Dashboard shows no data
• Dashboard data is all zeros
• New dashboard returns no data
• Existing dashboard suddenly shows no data
• Data shows an obviously abnormal drop

Goal: Locate the root cause with the fewest steps. No unnecessary exploration.

---

Execution Principles

1. Check config first, then data.
2. Verify one key object at a time. Check the dashboard first, then spot-check the first report — don't iterate through all reports upfront.
3. Stop when root cause is found. Don't continue unrelated checks.
4. Only use real, available ae-cli commands. Don't fabricate commands.
5. Conclusions must be clearly categorized into one of:
   • Time range error
   • Filter or metric configuration error
   • Event not reported / data source has no data
   • Permission or visibility issue
   • Other configuration error

---

Minimal Investigation Flow

Step 1: Get Dashboard Basic Info (must do, once only)

Call in sequence:

• analysis dashboard list: find dashboard_id by name or keyword
• analysis dashboard get: read dashboard details (once only)

Key information to extract:

• dashboard_id / dashboard_name
• Report list (report_id, report_name, model_type)
• Whether the report count appears abnormal

If the dashboard can't even be found, output directly:

Issue: Configuration Error
Root Cause: Target dashboard does not exist or is not accessible under the current project.
Fix: Verify project ID, dashboard name, and access permissions, then retry.

---

Step 2: Verify Time Range (highest priority)

Determine time range from:

• Info returned by analysis dashboard get
• If time config is unclear, call analysis report get on the first report
• Execute that report with analysis report-data run and an explicitly aligned time range when the command supports the required override

Key checks:

• Is a future time range selected?
• Is the time range too narrow (e.g. only a few minutes/hours)?
• Does the recent period genuinely have no data?
• Could timezone be a factor?
• Is a fixed historical time window being used (e.g. a specific month), causing a mismatch with the user's intended viewing period?

Supplementary rule:

• If the report's default time range is a fixed historical window, even if the final root cause is "event not reported" or "filter config error", add a note: "Current report time range is a fixed historical window and may not be suitable for viewing current-period data."
• This note supplements but does not change the primary conclusion category.

If switching to "last 7 days" shows data while the original config shows none, output:

Issue: Time Range Error
Root Cause: The dashboard or report's time range does not cover the actual data-producing period.
Fix: Adjust the time range to last 7 days, last 30 days, or confirm the actual data cycle and reconfigure.

---

Step 3: Spot-Check One Report's Data (don't iterate all)

Take only the first report, call in sequence:

• analysis report get
• analysis dashboard-report-data run with only that report ID

Judgment:

• Has data: The dashboard isn't entirely data-less; more likely specific report config issues
• No data: Proceed to Step 4 to check event source

If the first report has data but the user reports "dashboard has no data", output:

Issue: Configuration Error
Root Cause: The dashboard is not entirely data-less — at least one report returns data normally. The issue is more likely concentrated in specific report configurations.
Fix: Target the specific reports showing no data and check their filter conditions, metric definitions, and time ranges. Don't attribute the issue to the entire dashboard or data source.

---

Step 4: Verify Event Source (only when Step 3 confirms the report has no data)

From analysis report get, extract:

• Event names used
• Key filter conditions
• Model type (event analysis, funnel, retention, etc.)

Then call in order:

• Construct the smallest semantic AI-facing definition for the report model
• analysis adhoc run: let the compiler resolve the event/property names
• If compilation needs clarification, use analysis-meta event/property list and select an exact candidate
• analysis project timezone get: confirm timezone only when boundaries matter

Execution requirements:

• Keep the adhoc query as simple as possible — strip complex filters
• Only keep essential events and a basic time range
• Don't try to replicate the entire report definition

Judgment:

• Event exists and adhoc has data → Data source is normal; issue is in report config (filters, metrics, grouping, funnel steps, etc.)
• Event exists but adhoc has no data → Event has no recent data; issue is in tracking/data ingestion
• Event doesn't exist → Dashboard/report references a non-existent or renamed event
• If the report's default time range is a fixed historical window at this point, add a note in the conclusion: "Current report time range is a fixed historical window. If the user wants to view current-period data, the time range should be adjusted accordingly, then recheck."

Output example:

Issue: Event Not Reported
Root Cause: The event the report depends on has no valid data in the last 7 days.
Fix: Check whether tracking is still reporting, whether the event name has changed, and whether the data ingestion pipeline is functioning.

Or:

Issue: Filter or Metric Configuration Error
Root Cause: The event source has data, but the report query returns empty — the issue is in the report's own configuration, not tracking.
Fix: Remove filter conditions and re-query; restore filters one by one. Also check metric definitions, grouping fields, and funnel step configuration.

---

Scenario-Based Priority

Scenario A: New Dashboard Has No Data

Suspect first:

1. Time range doesn't cover the data period
2. Wrong event name selected
3. Report filter conditions too strict
4. Metric or grouping configuration error

Recommended actions:

• Check time range first
• Spot-check the first report
• Use adhoc to verify the event has raw data

Scenario B: Existing Dashboard Suddenly Has No Data

Suspect first:

1. Event stopped reporting
2. Event name or property definition changed
3. Report filter references an invalid property value
4. Time range was modified

Recommended actions:

• First check if the first report still has data for last 7 days
• If no data, verify the event source

Scenario C: Some Users See Data, Some Don't

Suspect first:

1. Permission differences
2. Different row-level visibility
3. Different personal filter settings

Output for this type:

Issue: Permission or Visibility Issue
Root Cause: The same dashboard returns different results for different users; suspect permission, sharing scope, or data visibility configuration differences.
Fix: Compare dashboard access permissions, report sharing scopes, and row-level permission settings between users who see data and those who don't.

---

Common Root Causes Quick Reference

Symptom	Most Likely Cause	Minimal Verification
New dashboard no data	Time range excludes data period	Switch to last 7 days
New dashboard no data	Wrong or non-existent event	analysis-meta event list
Existing dashboard suddenly no data	Event stopped reporting	analysis adhoc run for last 7 days event count
Data is zero but not blank	Filter too strict	Remove filters and re-query
Only some users see no data	Permission or visibility differs	Compare user permissions and sharing
Single report no data, others OK	Report config error	Check only that report's definition

---

Tool Usage Constraints

Required Tools

• analysis dashboard list/get
• analysis report get
• analysis dashboard-report-data run
• analysis-meta event list
• analysis project timezone get
• analysis adhoc run with an AI-facing definition

Prohibited Behaviors

• Don't fabricate CLI commands
• Don't iterate through all reports without confirming necessity
• Don't expand the investigation scope after finding the root cause
• Don't equate "dashboard no data" directly with "tracking is broken"

---

Standard Output Format

Issue: [Time Range Error | Filter or Metric Config Error | Event Not Reported | Permission or Visibility Issue | Configuration Error]
Root Cause: <one-line explanation>
Fix: <most direct next step only>
Additional Notes: <only when needed; if the report uses a fixed historical time window, explicitly note that the current time range may not be suitable for viewing current-period data>

---

Recommended Response Style

• Give the conclusion first, then the evidence
• Only include information relevant to the root cause
• Don't list irrelevant checks
• If the root cause isn't yet identified, clearly state "next step is to check only X"

Example:

Issue: Filter or Metric Configuration Error
Root Cause: The spot-checked first report has data at the event source level but returns empty results, indicating the issue is at the report configuration layer.
Fix: Remove the report's filter conditions and re-query; if data returns, restore filters one by one to identify the specific conflicting condition.