Your Today’s Top Five Insights are ranked by six signal areas: recent change, scale, seasonality, momentum, strategic importance, and your own preferences. The result is a list that tells you why a metric matters, not just that it moved.
Use this article when
- You want to know why one insight ranks above another.
- A metric with a small percentage change appears higher than one with a larger change.
- You are deciding what to act on first.
- The value on an insight card does not match the value in the chart above it.
- The percentage change on the card differs from what you see elsewhere in Avid.
Applies to and prerequisites
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Plan | Avid Intelligence or Avid Operating System |
| Role | Any role that can view Insights |
| Permission | Access to the relevant report pages |
What it is
The Today’s Top Five Insights module on Your Dashboard shows the five metrics Avid thinks deserve your attention today. The ranking comes from a prioritization engine that scores every metric for your organization and for each user who can access Insights.
Why it matters
Most dashboards sort by the most recent change. Avid also weighs how a metric fits your whole program, whether the change is part of a normal seasonal pattern, and how long the trend has been building. The result is a list that explains why a metric matters, not just that it moved.
How it works
Avid scores each metric across six areas. The final rank combines all of them.
Recent change
Avid checks whether the metric is changing in an unusual way over the last few months. A sharp break from the recent pattern gets more attention than a steady line.
Scale
A metric’s size relative to your whole program affects its rank. A large percentage jump in a small segment will not outrank a smaller change in a major segment.
Seasonality
Avid compares the current month with the same month last year. Expected year-end spikes or post-holiday dips do not create false alarms.
Momentum
A long-running 12-month trend gets less priority the longer it continues. A fresh reversal or new break ranks higher than a change you have already seen for several months.
Strategic importance
Core fundraising metrics, such as revenue and active donors, weigh more than activity metrics, such as email opens. New donors are treated as strategically important because they drive future revenue.
Your preferences
Metrics and audiences you have told Avid you care about receive a small boost. The rest of the score keeps the list grounded in your actual data.
What you see on the dashboard
Each insight shows the metric value, the percentage change, and an Edna Analysis that explains why it was chosen. The explanation reflects the same signals used to rank it.
Why a card value can differ from the chart
The number on an insight card is the value Avid used to rank that insight. The chart above it may show a different scope or time window. Small differences are expected when the scopes differ.
What is normal
Differences are expected when the insight card and the chart are not looking at the exact same segment or window. There is no fixed percentage threshold. If the two scopes match and the values still differ by more than a normal rounding margin, investigate.
Self-diagnosis checklist
| Check | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Segment scope | The insight may focus on one donor segment. The chart may show all segments together. |
| Date window | The card percentage uses the window tied to the prioritization logic. The chart may use a different default period. |
| Metric definition | Revenue and donor counts may include or exclude certain gift types or statuses. Check the report filters. |
| Sync timing | Both values refresh on the same nightly schedule, but filters and segments are applied at different stages. |
Steps
-
Open the insight card and read the Edna Analysis. It states which segment or window the insight is about.
You see a plain-language explanation of why the metric was chosen.
-
Click View Insights to open the full report page.
The report page shows the metric with its default filters and segments.
-
Compare the filters on the report page with the segment mentioned in the Edna Analysis.
If the filters differ, the values will differ.
When to contact LockStep Support
LockStep insight: Contact support if the difference is large, persistent, or if the Edna Analysis names a segment that does not appear in the report. Include the report name, the insight title, the two values you are comparing, and the date you noticed the difference.
For agency partners
Avid runs the scoring every night against your full data blend, using a 12-month rolling window for historical context. The score is computed per user and respects the report permissions assigned to that user. If a user cannot access a report, insights from that report will not appear in their Top 5.