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This page covers common issues you might encounter when using the AI Analyst and answers frequently asked questions.

Results Don’t Match Expectations

The numbers seem wrong

1

Check the date range in the SQL

Review the generated SQL query. The AI Analyst may have interpreted your time range differently than you intended. “Last week” could mean the previous 7 days or the previous calendar week.
2

Verify the metric definition

Confirm the AI used the metric you expected. “Revenue” might be gross or net depending on context. Check the SQL to see exactly what was summed.
3

Check Data Health

Ask “How is my data health?” — if the relevant tables are stale, recent data may be missing from results.

High (direct) / (none) in results

This indicates an attribution issue, not a query issue. The AI Analyst is correctly reflecting what’s in your data.

Attribution Health

Learn how to diagnose and improve attribution coverage.

The AI Misunderstood My Question

It answered a different question

Rephrase with more specificity:
Instead ofTry
”How are we doing?""What was our revenue last 30 days vs. the previous 30 days?"
"Show me sales""Show me daily order count for the past 2 weeks"
"Best products""Top 10 products by revenue this month”

It used the wrong table

If the AI queried the wrong data source, clarify the domain:
Instead ofTry
”Show me performance""Show me ad performance by platform"
"Customer data""Show me new customer acquisition by week”

No Results Returned

”No data found” or empty results

  1. Check the date range — You may be querying a period with no activity
  2. Check filters — The AI may have applied filters that excluded all rows
  3. Check Data Health — The table may be empty or not yet populated for your account

Query timed out

Complex queries against large date ranges may time out. Try:
  • Narrowing the date range
  • Asking for aggregated data instead of row-level details
  • Breaking the question into smaller parts

Chart Not Generated

The AI Analyst generates charts when visualization adds value. Charts may not appear when:
  • The result is a single number (e.g., “total revenue was $142,350”)
  • The data structure doesn’t lend itself to visualization
  • There was an error generating the chart
In these cases, the data is still returned as text or a table.

Slow Responses

Response time depends on:
  • Query complexity — Aggregations across large date ranges take longer
  • Table size — Some tables have more data than others
  • Current load — Occasional delays during peak usage
Most queries complete within 1–2 minutes. If responses consistently take significantly longer, try simplifying your question or narrowing the scope.

The AI Said It Can’t Help

The AI Analyst is designed for e-commerce analytics questions. It will decline requests that:
  • Ask about data outside your BigQuery warehouse
  • Request actions (modifying data, sending emails, etc.)
  • Are unrelated to analytics (general knowledge questions)
For questions about SourceMedium concepts or definitions, the AI can still help — try rephrasing as a definition or schema question.

Common Questions

Not yet. Each message starts a fresh session — the AI doesn’t remember previous questions in the thread. If you want to drill down, include full context in your follow-up: “Show me revenue by channel for the last 30 days” rather than “Break that down by channel.”Conversation follow-ups are on our roadmap.
Most tables refresh daily. Our SLA guarantees fresh data through yesterday based on your reporting timezone. Today’s data is not guaranteed. See Data Health for details.
Yes. Each response includes downloadable files: query.sql (the SQL used), results.csv (full data), and the chart image if one was generated.
Yes. Anyone in your Slack workspace with access to the bot can ask questions simultaneously. There’s no queue or limit on concurrent users.
You shouldn’t — everyone queries the same underlying data. If results differ, check:
  • Are you asking about the same time range?
  • Are you using the same metric definition?
  • Did the data refresh between queries?

Getting More Help

If you’re stuck:
  1. Check the SQL — The generated query often reveals how the AI interpreted your question
  2. Try a simpler question — Start basic, then add complexity
  3. Ask about schema — “Which table has order data?” can help you understand the data structure
  4. Contact support — Reach out to your SourceMedium team for persistent issues