Read your first analytics report

Read your first analytics report after at least one post has published or been imported. This walkthrough confirms that performance data flows back for the active brand and shows you where to find reach, engagement, and post-level metrics in Slack.

Goal

By the end of this tutorial, you will open the Insights work center, view an analytics summary for your brand, and recognize when the numbers are ready to trust. You do not need prior analytics experience. You only need one post that has already gone live or been imported so platforms have something to measure.

Before you begin

Gather these basics before you open analytics:

• Published or imported content: At least one post for the active brand must be published or imported. Analytics needs real post history to display reach and engagement.
• Connected accounts: Social accounts for the brand should be connected and active. Metrics appear per platform when the network returns data.
• Correct brand selected: Multi-brand workspaces must show the brand you want to inspect. Switch brands in App Home before you open Insights.
• Plan expectations: All plans include daily briefing signals on App Home. Full advanced analytics dashboards, deeper post-level views, and decision-ready AI recommendations require the Team plan or Scale plan. Free and Starter plans still see briefing signals but not the full dashboard experience.

If you have not published or imported a post yet, finish Create your first post or Approve and publish your first post first.

Set it up

You can reach analytics from App Home or with a slash command. Pick the path that fits how you already work in Slack.

Open analytics from App Home

1. Type /social and open Slash Social App Home.
2. Switch to the Insights work center.
3. Confirm the active brand name matches the brand you want to review.
4. Open Analytics or Dashboard from the Insights cards.
5. Choose a timeframe. Common options include the last 7 or 30 days. On dashboard views you can also use 24h, 7d, or 30d period buttons when they appear.
6. Review the summary: reach, engagement trends, and post-level metrics for connected platforms. Analytics summaries show the latest performance signal and a useful next action when recommendations are available on your plan.

Use the refresh or timeframe buttons on the dashboard to update the view after you publish new content or when you want a different window.

Open the dashboard from the Command Palette

1. In any Slack channel or DM, type /social.
2. Search for the analytics or dashboard task.
3. When prompted, pick a period such as 24h, 7d, or 30d if the dashboard asks for one.
4. Slash Social returns dashboard blocks in Slack with the metrics for that window.

If you enter an invalid period, Slack shows validation guidance so you can choose a supported range.

Review what you see

On Team and Scale plans, advanced analytics includes the full dashboard modal, timeframe filters, and deeper post-level drill-down. Scan KPI rows and trends first, then open individual posts when you need detail. On Free and Starter plans, use the daily briefing signals on App Home for a lighter summary until you upgrade.

Decision-ready AI recommendations may appear on Team and Scale plans when the product has enough signal to suggest a next step, such as reviewing approval friction or a format shift.

Confirm it works

You have a working analytics view when these checks pass:

• Metrics appear for published posts: Posts that have been live long enough for the platform to return data show reach, engagement, or click stats in the selected window.
• Brand and timeframe match: Numbers reflect the active brand and the period you chose. If you change brands or timeframes, the view updates after refresh.
• Platforms with data show rows: Connected platforms that returned fresh data appear in the summary. A platform with no activity in the window may show empty sections.

When sections look empty

Empty sections usually mean one of these:

• The timeframe is too short for the post age. A post published yesterday may not have full stats in a 24h window.
• Platform sync has not finished. Wait and use refresh, or try a longer range such as 7d or 30d.
• No posts published in the range. Confirm the brand has content in that period.

For a symptom-first checklist, see Analytics missing or delayed.

When you need an upgrade

If you expect full dashboard modals, CSV export, or decision-ready recommendations but only see briefing signals, confirm your org is on the Team plan or Scale plan. See Advanced analytics and Plan comparison for entitlement details.

Next step

You confirmed that analytics data reaches Slack for your brand. Continue with these paths:

• Generate and schedule client reports: Build one-off or recurring reports when your org needs stakeholder summaries. Scheduled client reports require the Scale plan.
• Analytics, learning, and reports: Understand how daily briefings, advanced analytics, learning settings, and client reports fit together.
• Open the Insights dashboard: Return here when you need export, refresh controls, or command palette shortcuts for dashboard mode.