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Getting Started with Analyze

Learn how to build dynamic earned media reports.

Robert B. avatar
Written by Robert B.
Updated over a month ago

Meltwater offers a variety of reporting and dashboard options, each catering to different needs.

Analyze is a tab that generates custom reports and dashboards for earned media using your Explore searches. It allows for a tailored approach to understanding the impact and reach of media coverage.

Note: If you have Engage, Owned Reporting can be found in Measure. Learn more about Getting Started with Measure.

Analyze is designed to simplify your earned media reporting process, transforming complex data into customizable reports.

This article will cover:

Requirements

Before building any dashboard, you must first have at least one search saved in Explore. Learn more about Creating a Saved Search.

Additionally, ensure you have the correct access to the Analyze tab. Your access levels can be viewed in the Manage Users section.

Note: If you are not the admin on your Meltwater account, work with the user that is to adjust your permissions.

Follow these instructions to assign and adjust access levels for users:

  1. Click the Account drop-down in the left-hand navigation bar

  2. Select Manage Users

  3. Hover over the user you want to edit permissions for

  4. Click Edit User

  5. Navigate to the Permissions section

  6. Click the Analyze drop-down

  7. Adjust the permissions as needed

    1. No Access

    2. Viewer

    3. Admin

Learn more about Managing User Permissions.

Types of Dashboards

Now, let’s look at the different types of dashboards.

Brand Report, Benchmark Report, and Campaign Reports

  • Brand Report - Understand and report on brand awareness using metrics such as number of mentions, reach, sentiment, coverage by market, and key themes.

  • Benchmark Report - Compare brands, topics, or competitors to understand their share of voice across mentions, reach, sentiment, source type, and markets.

  • Campaign Report - Analyze and report on mentions from your campaign across various media types, engagement levels, and reach. Highlight the key coverage achieved.

Coverage Report

Highlight your earned media coverage for your stakeholders. Use it for campaigns, issues you’re tracking, or periodic reports.

Canvas and Slide Layout Reports

  • Blank Dashboard (Canvas Layout) - Start from scratch with an empty dashboard. This can be downloaded as a PDF.

  • Blank Dashboard (Slide Layout) - Start from scratch with an empty dashboard in a slide format which you can easily export to a PDF, PPT, or Google Slides.

Earned Media Measurement

Now, the Earned Media Measurement report template can be created with the same design and content customization as the first 4 report templates (Coverage, Campaign, Brand, and Benchmark). Creating a customized report that works for you and your stakeholders can be time-consuming. That’s why switching the searches that power a good report can be more accessible than creating the same report from scratch. Learn more about Creating an Earned Media Measurement Dashboard.

Classic Dashboards

Classic Dashboards will no longer be accessible after March 31, 2025. However, any existing Classic Dashboards can be migrated to Canvas layout for further edits. Follow these steps to do so:

Note: Unsupported widgets or scheduling configurations will require new dashboards or customization.

  1. Click Analyze in the left-hand navigation bar

  2. Hover over the Classic Dashboard you want to migrate or click the checkboxes to the left of multiple Classic Dashboards you want to migrate

  3. Select Update to New Dashboard

  4. Your Classic Dashboard will appear in Canvas Layout with a link to the converted Classic Dashboard for reference

Read more about Saying Goodbye to Classic Dashboards.

Available Insights (Widgets)

The widgets in Analyze Dashboards are designed to help you quickly visualize and analyze media data, uncover trends, and gain insights from coverage. Whether you’re monitoring social media mentions, tracking sentiment, or analyzing brand performance, the available insights provide a selection of ready-made widgets tailored to specific business needs. Learn more about Analyze Insights Catalog (Widgets).

Creating a Dashboard

There are two different workflows for creating a new dashboard: one for Brand, Benchmark, Campaign Reports, and Coverage Reports and another for Canvas and Slide Layout Reports.

Creating a Brand Report, Benchmark Report, or Campaign Report

  1. Click Analyze on the left-hand navigation bar

  2. Click Get Started

  3. Navigate to the type of dashboard you want to create (Brand Report, Benchmark Report, or Campaign Report)

  4. Click Create

  5. Select up to ten inputs. These are your Explore searches or tags.

  6. Click Generate

  7. Your template will load

  8. To share your dashboard:

    1. Click Share

    2. Select a report type:

      1. Link

      2. Download as a PowerPoint

      3. Download as a PDF (available as a link)

      4. Add to Google Slides

    3. Or create a Report Schedule

      1. Click Report Scheduling

      2. Select Create Schedule

      3. Enter a name

      4. Select your recipients

      5. Create your report schedule

      6. Edit Report settings as needed

      7. Click Save

Creating a Coverage Report

  1. Click Analyze on the left-hand navigation bar

  2. Click Get Started

  3. Select Coverage Report Template

  4. Select up to 10 inputs for your report

  5. Click Generate

  6. To customize your Coverage Report

    1. Hover over the top right-hand corner of the cover image to replace the existing cover image with your own branded slide cover

    2. Hover over the Meltwater logo and click Edit insight to add your own

  7. Choose metrics for the Summary section:

    1. 6 metrics are included by default.

    2. To add other metrics, click Add Insight at the top right of the page. This will open our insight library, which contains all available insights.

    3. To remove an insight (and access other options), click the kebab menu

    4. To move an insight, click and drag it.

    5. To resize an insight, use the arrow in the right corner.

  8. Choose coverage to highlight:

    1. In the Coverage Overview section, you’ll find 3 or 5 sections:

      1. By default, Online News, Social Media, and Print will populate. Bonus: if you have Broadcast, you’ll find 5 total sections including TV and Radio.

    2. By default, the top 10 mentions by Reach will be included in Highlighted Coverage

    3. Hover over the top right of Highlighted Coverage and select the content icon to see a list of mentions to choose from.

    4. Hover over any article to deselect mentions by clicking the X and select mentions to display by clicking the + symbol.

      1. By default, only unique (original) articles are shown. To include duplicate or similar articles, click Select Mentions to open the content stream, then click # Duplicates to select the articles you’d like to include.

    1. Content can be selected from other searches and tags. Click the pencil icon to select different inputs.

  9. Choose the number of mentions in the Coverage Overview: This section is intended to give your stakeholders relevant media coverage in addition to the ones you’ve highlighted. Hover over the top right of the Coverage Overview section to change the default mentions from 10 to 50 or 100. By default, the top 10 mentions by Reach will be included. Learn more about Reach and other PR Metrics.

  10. The container adjusts automatically to ensure that all of the mentions are displayed properly. To change the view, use the corner arrows.

  11. To share your dashboard, click Share. A PDF will be downloaded to share with your stakeholders

Creating a Canvas or Slide Layout Dashboard

  1. Select Analyze on the left-hand side navigation bar

  2. Click Get Started

  3. Navigate to the type of dashboard you want to create (Blank Canvas or Blank Slide Report)

  4. Select Create

  5. A blank dashboard will open

  6. To add insights to your dashboard:

    1. Click Add Insights

      1. The Insight Catalog will populate, listing all the insights you can add.

      2. Review the Insights Catalog for further details.

    2. Select one or all of the Insights you want to add to your dashboard

    3. Click Add

Customizing Your Dashboards

To customize your dashboards, follow these steps:

  1. Click Analyze in the left-hand navigation bar

  2. Open the dashboard you want to edit

  3. For a Brand Report, Benchmark Report, or Campaign Report

    1. Hover over the top right-hand corner of the cover image to replace the existing cover image with your own branded slide cover. See FAQ for tips on high-quality cover images.

    2. Hover over the Meltwater logo to add your own

    3. Text can be customized into bullet points, ensuring you can craft your story with comments, highlights, and predictions

  4. For a Coverage Report

    1. Hover over the top right-hand corner of the cover image to replace the existing cover image with your own branded slide cover

    2. Hover over the Meltwater logo to add your own

  5. For a Blank Dashboard

    1. Hover on the top right corner of each insight

    2. Click Edit insight

    3. An Update Settings panel will open on the right-hand side. Here, you can configure:

      1. Select the saved searches and/or tags that will populate this insight

      2. Modify chart type

      3. Modify date range

      4. Filters

    4. To update the date range of all insights:

      1. Select the date range drop-down on the top menu

      2. Click on the date range required

    5. To update the date range of an individual insight:

      1. Hover over the insight

      2. Select Edit insight

      3. Update the date range

        Here you will notice a few different options when selecting a date range: Last Week, Last Month, Last Quarter, and Last 365 Days (replacing 'Last Year'). These are four common reporting intervals that have been added to avoid the need to select a custom date when reporting on earned media from these common time frames.

        For Total Mentions Comparison, Total Potential Editorial Reach Comparison, and Average Sentiment you can now select time periods other than 'previous period'. For example, you can select June 2024 and compare it to June 2023, or any day, week, month, or quarter to the same period in the previous year.

    6. To apply filters to the content in your insight:

      1. Hover over the insight

      2. Select Edit insight

      3. On the pop-up on the right-hand side, select Filters, and select from the following

        1. Source Type filter

        2. Language filter

        3. Location filter

        4. Sentiment filter

          Note: updating the filters will not override filters in your existing Explore search or other input source. It also will not show existing filters applied in your Explore search. Select Apply when finished.

    7. To remove words from a Word Cloud:

      1. Hover over the word or phrase you'd like to hide

      2. Select Hide

      3. To revert the change, select the eye icon to see the hidden terms and unhide the word or all hidden words.

    8. To delete an insight from your dashboard:

      1. Hover over the insight you want to delete

      2. Click the kebab menu

      3. Select Delete Insight

    9. To move a widget on your dashboard:

      1. Hover over the top of any insight; you will see a hand icon

      2. Move the icon around and put it wherever you want in your dashboard.

    10. To resize a widget:

      1. Hover over the insight you want to resize, you will see two arrows at the bottom corners

      2. Drag them to the desired size

    11. To set a background image:

      1. Click the kebab menu on the slide without a background

      2. Select Select Background image

      3. Add a link to upload your image

    12. To expand analytics within your dashboard:

      1. Hover over the insight you want to expand

        1. Example: Hover over a spike on a line graph to see the total number and percentage for that spike.

      2. Click on any point or visualization in the insight to open the related documents pop-up on the right-hand side

    13. To add a tab in your dashboard:

      1. Click Add Tab

      2. Select the drop-down

      3. Click Edit tab name

      4. Give the tab a name

    14. To duplicate a tab in your dashboard:

      1. Select the drop-down of the tab you want to duplicate

      2. Select Duplicate tab

      3. Click the drop-down on the new tab

      4. Select Edit tab name to rename the tab if necessary

Exporting and Scheduling Analyze Reports & Insights

How to Export a Dashboard Report

Click on the top right Download Tab button to export a PDF of your report. Only the selected tab will be exported when exporting tabs in a dashboard.

Scheduling Reports

To schedule a Dashboard Report, follow these steps:

  1. Click Analyze in the left-hand navigation bar

  2. Open the dashboard you want to share

  3. Click Share in the top right-hand corner

  4. Select Report Scheduling

  5. Click Create Schedule

  6. Enter a Schedule name

  7. Select recipients

  8. Select your frequency

    1. Weekly

    2. Monthly

  9. Select the day(s) you want to receive the report on

  10. Select the Export language

  11. Click Save

Note: Schedule Reports can be sent in PDF of PPT format.

How to Download Insights

You can export a widget as a CSV or image from your dashboard.

Option 1: Download CSV - Select a specific analytic or visualization from the Custom Dashboard and download the underlying data used to create that particular analytic. This downloaded data is in a CSV (Comma-Separated Values) file format.

Option 2: Download PNG - Whether you need to download or copy for use in presentations, exporting the insight as an image removes the need to take a screenshot.

To Download:

  1. Navigate to the Insight

  2. Select the three dots at the top right of the Insight

  3. Select Download as CSV.

    1. Alternatively, for an image view, select Download as PNG.

CSV Export Shown Above

How to Download a Dashboard

If you already have a Dashboard, you’ll find a change in export options. The dashboard layout can be exported as a PDF.

To find the combined export options of Dashboard Report Layout, navigate to Dashboard Report Layout under Build Your own Dashboard. These can be exported in Slides, PDF, or a shareable link.

Tip: you can also convert your Dashboard Layout into a Report Layout from the Dashboard Layout export menu.

FAQ

Where do I find Dashboards?

In the Analyze tab, in the left-hand navigation, for users with the Explore for Media Intelligence entitlement.​

I’m not seeing results in my insight; why is that?

Ensure your searches are set up accurately. Keep in mind that some insights require a specific source type assigned to their search inputs. Dashboards are great for combined reporting across news and social sources. If your search, however, has filters excluding that source type, you won’t see it in the insight.

Should I create a Dashboard Layout or a Report Layout?

A: We’re introducing two options for building dashboards to fit your intended use case - daily interactive dashboards, and stylized dashboard reports.

  1. Dashboard Layout helps you build an at-a-glance overview of your chosen KPIs to analyze and monitor, and it can also be shared as a PDF.

  2. Dashboard Report Layout is your place to build an organized view of your metrics in a slide layout - these can be shared as PDF, PPT, Google slides, or a shareable link.

Either one can be your daily dashboard, but keep in mind that the organization is limited to slides in Report Layout. If you’d like to move an insight to a higher slide, you need to rebuild the insight in the corresponding slide. Report layout is recommended if you’re interested in exporting as slides. Both layouts can be exported as a PDF. These PDFs are not customizable.

How do I access other export options?

You can achieve this by creating a copy of your original dashboard. Navigate to the three dots above Export Tab on the top right of Dashboard Layout, and click Duplicate to Report Layout.

Can I power my report with searches, tags, and RSS feeds?

No, searches and tags only

Which insights exist in the Insight Library?

The comprehensive Insight Library can be found here.

How do I update custom colors?

Click on the three dots on the top right of the Dashboard for customization options, and select Input Color Editor.

​How do I apply labels to my charts?

Click on the three dots on the top right of the Dashboard for customization options, and select Turn Data Labels OFF or ON. When exporting, we recommend ensuring your labels are on.

What’s the maximum number of tabs I can create?

The maximum tabs are a total of 5 tabs with 20 insights per tab. (Custom Text and Custom Images don’t count toward the 20 insight limit).

How do I move the slide up or down in Report Layout?

Select the three dots menu at the top right of a slide, select “move slide up” or move slide down”

If I have feedback on the new features, where should I submit it?

Do you have an idea for a new insight or feature we should include in Dashboards? Share your feedback in the Community post!

What are dashboard limits? i.e. How many inputs per insight, how many insights per slide, how many slides per dashboard, etc.

You can create as many dashboards as you'd like (including Dashboard and Report layouts). Each dashboard can have up to five tabs and each tab can have up to 20 insights (Custom Text and Custom Image Insights do not count toward the 20 insight limit). Most insights can be powered by up to ten inputs. These inputs can be searches or tags. The Share of Voice (SOV) Insight can have up to 25 inputs.

What New Sources are included in a Coverage Report?

Non-premium news sources are available to all Meltwater customers. Premium licenses require an additional subscription for full content access. Due to our contracts with our data providers, there may be other restrictions on the data we can provide in your market.

Are TV and Radio hits included in a Coverage Report?

A Broadcast Entitlement is required to see the TV and Radio sections. By default, sections for Online News, Print News, and Social Media will show for users without a Broadcast subscription.

How do I get the highest quality cover image?

When adding your cover images, there are three things to consider:

  1. Aspect Ratio: Make sure your images have an aspect ratio of 16:9. This means the width should be almost twice the height.

    Example: If your image is 1920 pixels wide, it should be 1080 pixels high to fit the 16:9 aspect ratio.

  2. Size: The image size depends on the screen on which it will be viewed. However, for consistent and high-quality results, use images approximately the size of a slide.

  3. Resolution: Use high-resolution images for branded images meant for exports (such as presentations). This ensures they look sharp and professional.

💡 Tip

Need more help? Feel free to reach out to us via Live Chat or check out our Customer Community.

Find answers and get help from Meltwater Support and Community Experts.

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