Queries enable users to access and filter data in the system to make data-driven decisions and manage populations. Queries can isolate, return, and display specific data, build reports, create recipient mailing lists in Deliver, configure data layers for Voyager, and much more.

The following videos provide a high level overview of how queries work in Slate:

Selecting a Base in Configurable Joins

Joining Data: One-to-One vs. One-to-Many

Direct Query Exports: Filter, Sorts, and Output

Getting Started

1. Familiarize yourself with the basics of Slate: Before you start querying in Slate, make sure you understand the basic concepts and terminology used in Slate. You can find plenty of resources online to learn about Slate, including the Slate documentation and support forum.

2. Determine your goals: What do you hope to accomplish by querying your Slate database? Are you looking to extract data for a specific report, or do you need to identify specific groups of records for outreach or engagement purposes? Having a clear understanding of your goals will help you develop effective queries.

3. Identify the data you need: Once you have established your goals, identify the specific data points you need to extract from Slate. This might include information about demographics, communication history, or other relevant data.

4. Practice writing queries: The best way to learn how to write effective queries in Slate is to practice. Start with simple queries and work your way up to more complex ones.

5. Refine your queries: As you write and test your queries, you may find that they don't return the expected results. Don't get discouraged! Refine your queries and experiment with different syntax and logic until you get the desired results.

6. Document your queries: Once you have developed effective queries, document them for future reference. This will save you time and effort in the long run and help ensure that your queries are accurate and reliable.

7. Keep learning: The world of querying and data analysis is constantly evolving, so it's important to keep learning and staying up-to-date on the latest tools and techniques. Take Learning Lab courses, attend community conversations and webinars, and engage with the Slate community to stay current and continue improving your querying skills.

Exploring this section

The Queries section of the Slate Knowledge Base contains five subsections:

🛠️ Building Queries

Get acquainted with the basic elements of queries. Learn how to add exports, how to filter on results, and how to join out to other tables in your database.

• Building Queries

📂 Managing Queries

Your database will likely contain a lot of queries over time. Learn the best practices for storing them, saving them for future use, and optimizing them for performance.

• Managing Queries

🤔 Use Cases & Examples

Learn what queries can do for you with use-cases tailored to your situation.

• Use Cases & Examples

💻 Query Webinars

Watch video walkthroughs about the query builder.

• Query Webinars

Query (Legacy Articles)

Documentation on query features that are no longer considered best practices to employ in your database. For use only in special circumstances.

• Query (Legacy Articles)