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Ask Athena a question

Asking Athena a question is the most direct way to get an answer from your data. You pick a subject area, type the question in plain language, and Athena resolves it against the governed semantic layer — grounded in your actuals, traceable to source records. This is the platform's Level 1 mode (Assistant) in everyday use.

⚠ Procedure steps below need UI capture against the staging platform. The shape is in place; the actual click-paths and screenshots are TBD.

Before you start​

  • A ConverSight account (any user role — Athena is for everyone).
  • At least one subject area registered for your role (your Data Administrator handles this).
  • The data picker open in either the Athena chat panel or directly from a Storyboard card.

Steps​

  1. Step one — what to click and what to see.
  2. Step two.
  3. Step three.

Verify​

The response includes the answer, the chart or table backing it, and a "from <subject area>" attribution. Clicking through the cited source shows the rows Athena read.

Tips for getting better answers​

  • Use the language your subject area uses. Athena resolves "AR aging" if that's a labeled concept; "outstanding receivables by bucket" may not match if the synonyms aren't configured.
  • Ask one question at a time. Multi-part questions can lose intent; chain follow-ups instead.
  • Use comparative phrasing for trends. "Compare Q3 to Q2 by region" beats "show me Q3 results."
  • For unique analytical needs, use one special-query operator per request to keep clarity.

Troubleshooting​

SymptomLikely causeFix
Athena says "I don't have data for that"The subject area doesn't include the relevant table/columnAsk your DA to extend the subject area
Wrong numbers in the answerStale data or join issueCheck refresh status in Data Sync; check joins in the subject area
RLS blocks the answerYour role doesn't have access to the rows the question coversVerify your role's RLS scope is correct for what you need
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