When the AI Analyst answers your question, it returns a structured response with multiple components. This page explains what each part means and how to use it.Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.sourcemedium.com/docs/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
Response Components
A typical response includes:| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Answer | Natural language summary of the results, or a short confirmation for raw data pulls |
| Chart | Visual representation of the data (when applicable) |
| Data Table | The underlying numbers in tabular format |
| SQL Query | The exact query used to retrieve the data |
| Files | CSV, SQL, and chart attachments when applicable |
The Answer
The AI Analyst summarizes findings in plain language. This is designed to give you the key insight without needing to parse raw data. Example:Your total revenue last week was 52,100 (37% of total).The answer prioritizes:
- The specific number you asked for
- Relevant context (comparisons, breakdowns)
- Highlighting notable patterns
Charts
When your question lends itself to visualization, the AI Analyst generates a chart. Common chart types:| Chart Type | Used For |
|---|---|
| Bar chart | Comparisons across categories (channels, products, campaigns) |
| Line chart | Trends over time (daily revenue, weekly orders) |
| Table | Detailed breakdowns with multiple metrics |
If a chart doesn’t appear, the AI Analyst determined the data was better presented as text, a table, or a CSV. Raw data pulls skip charts by default.
Data Tables
For questions that return multiple rows, you’ll see a data table showing the raw results. This is the actual output from BigQuery, limited to a reasonable preview size. Example:| channel | revenue | orders |
|---|---|---|
| Paid Social | 52,100 | 412 |
| 38,200 | 298 | |
| Organic Search | 28,750 | 215 |
Raw Data Pull Tables
When you ask to pull or export data, the table preview shows a sample of the returned rows. The full result is attached asresults.csv.
The SQL Query
Every data response includes the SQL query used. This is useful for:- Verification — Confirm the AI understood your question correctly
- Learning — See how to write similar queries yourself using SourceMedium table schemas
- Iteration — Copy and modify the query in BigQuery for deeper follow-up analysis
File Downloads
Responses may include downloadable files:| File | Contents |
|---|---|
query.sql | The SQL query used |
results.csv | Full data export (not truncated) |
chart.png | The visualization as an image |
For raw data pulls,
results.csv is attached automatically even if you did not explicitly ask for a CSV.Follow-Up Responses
In the same Slack thread, you can ask the AI Analyst to summarize, reframe, or give an opinion based on prior analysis:In Slack channels, mention the bot when replying in a thread. In direct messages, you can continue the thread normally.
When Things Look Wrong
If results don’t match your expectations:Verify the metric
Make sure the AI Analyst used the metric you expected (e.g., gross revenue vs. net revenue).
Troubleshooting
Common issues and how to resolve them.
Data Health Check
Verify your data is fresh before querying.
Going Deeper
Once you have results, you can explore further:BigQuery Essentials
Learn to run and modify queries directly in BigQuery.
Looker Studio Guide
Build custom visualizations from your data.

