Insights: Using Ask and Metrics

Last updated: August 11, 2026

Ask and Metrics are two tools in the Insights section of candidate.fyi. Together they help you explore scheduling and operations data, get quick answers to questions, and save reusable reports your team can come back to.

Where to find Ask and Metrics

In the left sidebar, open Insights. At the top of the menu you will see:

  • Ask — a chat-style assistant for quick questions about your operations

  • Metrics — a library of saved reports you can view, create, and share

Below those options, the Reports section includes other Insights pages (such as Interviews, Reschedules, and Engagement). Ask and Metrics work differently from those fixed reports: you ask questions or build custom views instead of opening a pre-built dashboard.

Access note: Ask and Metrics are available to Admin and Editor users. If you do not see these menu items, your role or organization settings may not include this feature yet.

Ask: get quick answers

Use Ask when you want an answer in the moment — for example, checking a count, trend, or breakdown without building a full report first.

Starting a conversation

  1. Click Insights → Ask.

  2. On the landing page, type your question in the text box. The placeholder reads: Ask fyi anything about your operations.

  3. Press Enter or click the send button.

You will see a conversation screen where fyi responds to your question. To start over, click New chat in the top-right corner.

Ask mode vs. Build mode

Before you send a message, you can choose how you want to work using the mode dropdown below the text box:

  • Ask — Answer questions about your data. Use this for exploratory questions. fyi replies in the chat.

  • Build — Create and edit a metric. When you send a message in Build mode from the Ask page, you are taken to the Create Metric screen so fyi can help you build a report you can save.

Think of Ask mode as a quick lookup, and Build mode as the starting point for a metric you plan to keep.

Example Ask use cases

  • “How many interviews were scheduled in the last 30 days?”

  • “Which departments had the most reschedules last month?”

  • “Show me coordination activity for this week.”

  • Follow-up questions in the same chat to refine what you are looking at

If a result includes more rows than can be shown at once, fyi may suggest narrowing your time range or adding filters for a clearer view.

Metrics: save and share reports

Metrics are saved reports you can open again, adjust, and optionally share with everyone in your organization.

Browse the Metrics library

  1. Click Insights → Metrics.

  2. Use the search bar to find a metric by name.

  3. Check My Metrics Only to see only metrics you created.

  4. Click a metric card to open it.

Published metrics show a globe icon on the card. Private metrics are visible only to you until you publish them.

Create a new metric

There are two common ways to start:

  • Click the New button on the Metrics page.

  • From Ask, switch to Build mode and send a message describing the report you want. You will land on the Create Metric page with fyi ready to help.

On the Create Metric page:

  1. Describe what you want in the fyi panel on the right (for example, “Ask fyi to build a metric”).

  2. Review the preview chart or table in the main area.

  3. Adjust the date range at the top using Range type (Exact, Relative, Dynamic, or All time) and the related fields such as Period, Start, and End.

  4. Switch chart views using tabs such as Line chart, Bar chart, Pie chart, KPI card, or Table.

  5. Click Save, enter a Title and optional Description, then confirm.

After saving, you are taken to your new metric so you can continue refining it.

Refine a metric manually

If you prefer hands-on control, use the toolbar above the preview:

  • Edit Manually (gear icon) opens the Configure panel with two tabs:

    • Metrics — choose data fields, filters, and groupings

    • Visualize — adjust how results are displayed

  • Refresh Metric reloads the preview after you make changes.

  • Download Table exports table results as a CSV file (available when the Table view is active).

You can switch back to the fyi chat panel at any time using the message icon in the Configure panel header.

Share, copy, and manage metrics

Open the actions menu (three dots) on a metric card or metric detail page:

  • Copy — create your own version. Copies start private; you become the owner of the new metric.

  • Publish — make your metric visible to everyone in your org. Others can view and copy published metrics. (Only available on metrics you own.)

  • Unpublish — return a published metric to private. (Only available on metrics you own.)

  • Delete — permanently remove a metric you own.

If you open someone else’s published metric, you can view and copy it but cannot edit or delete it.

Example Metrics use cases

  • Weekly interview volume by department — save it once, refresh each Monday

  • Reschedule rate by job — publish for coordinators across the org

  • Training progress snapshot — copy a teammate’s metric and adjust the date range for your team

  • Executive-ready KPI card — build a single number view and share the link after publishing

  • Recurring coordination report — set a relative date range (for example, Last month) so the metric stays current when you refresh

Ask and Metrics together: a typical workflow

  1. Start in Ask to explore a question and confirm you are looking at the right data.

  2. Switch to Build when you know you will need the same view again.

  3. Save the result as a Metric, tune the date range and chart type, and optionally Publish it for your team.

  4. Return to Metrics anytime to reopen, refresh, or copy the report.

Tips and things to know

  • New metrics default to a relative date range of Last month. Change the range before sharing if you need a different period.

  • If the preview shows “Select at least one field from a source to preview data,” use fyi or Edit Manually to add the fields your report needs.

  • If loading fails, try Refresh Metric or simplify filters and the date range.

  • Double-check important numbers before sharing them externally — especially for high-stakes decisions.

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