Period

Overview

The period parameter defines the time context for analysis. It supports both absolute dates and relative periods, with multiple period comparisons possible (p1, p2, etc.).

Parameters

Parameter	Description	Values	Required
type	Period type	D (Day), M (Month), Q (Quarter), Y (Year), H (Hour), R (Relative), AP (Adaptive Period)	Yes
start	Start date (absolute periods only)	Date format: yyyy-mm-dd	Yes for absolute
end	End date (absolute periods only)	Date format: yyyy-mm-dd	Yes for absolute
granularity	Time granularity (relative periods only)	D, M, Q, Y, H	Yes for relative
startOffset	Start offset (relative periods only)	Integer (negative for past)	Yes for relative
endOffset	End offset (relative periods only)	Integer (negative for past)	Yes for relative

Time Zone Behavior

• Single site: Relative periods use the site's time zone
• Multiple sites: Relative periods use the most easterly time zone of requested sites

Example: Site A (UTC-1) + Site B (UTC+2) → Uses UTC+2 time zone

Period Types

• Absolute periods: Fixed date ranges using start/end dates
• Relative periods (R): Dynamic periods relative to current date
• Adaptive periods (AP): Used in segments, adapt to the analysis date

Examples

Example 1: Absolute periods comparison

Compare two specific date ranges.

{
  "period": {
    "p1": [
      {
        "type": "D",
        "start": "2019-10-20",
        "end": "2019-10-24"
      }
    ],
    "p2": [
      {
        "type": "D",
        "start": "2019-10-15",
        "end": "2019-10-19"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Example 2: Relative period with segment

Monthly analysis with adaptive segment period.

{
  "period": {
    "p1": [
      {
        "type": "R",
        "granularity": "M",
        "startOffset": -1,
        "endOffset": -1
      }
    ]
  },
  "space": {
    "s": [123456789]
  },
  "columns": ["visit_src", "m_visits"],
  "segment": {
    "section": {
      "mode": "include",
      "scope": "visitor_id",
      "period": {
        "p1": [
          {
            "type": "AP",
            "granularity": "M",
            "startOffset": -1,
            "endOffset": -1
          }
        ]
      },
      "content": {
        "condition": {
          "filter": {
            "visit_geo_country": {
              "$eq": "France"
            }
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}