# Post Analysis

## Overview

The **Post Analysis** page is your command center for deep-diving into raw post-level content across your project's dataset. Whether you are validating narratives, investigating specific authors, or identifying risk signals at the post level, this page gives you the granular visibility you need.

"Posts" refers to any ingested content in your project — social media posts, news articles, chat data, and more — all displayed in one unified view.

### What You Can Do

* **Explore** post-level data with a powerful, customizable data grid
* **Monitor** key metrics at a glance using the top-level Detailed Stats Widget
* **Filter** posts using the Segment Bar's boolean search and filter capabilities
* **Customize** your view by adding or removing columns to suit your analysis needs
* **Track** post and engagement activity over time with the Activity Timeline


## Navigating to the Post Analysis Page

1. Open your project in Constellation 3.0
2. From the left navigation menu, select **Posts**
3. The page will load with your project's post data, applying any active Segment Bar filters


## Page Layout

The Post Analysis page is organized into four main sections:

1. **Detailed Stats Widget** — Two side-by-side summary panels providing post, engagement, platform, and author metrics for the currently filtered dataset
2. **Activity Timeline** — Visual graphs showing post and engagement trends over time
3. **Segment Overlay Search** — A secondary search bar for applying an additional boolean query on top of the active segment
4. **Data Grid** — A searchable, filterable, and customizable table of individual posts


## Detailed Stats Widget

The **Detailed Stats Widget** appears at the top of the Post Analysis page and provides instant, filter-aware metrics across two summary panels displayed side by side. All values update dynamically as you apply or remove filters.

For full details on the Detailed Stats Widget, including metric definitions and the breakdown dialog, see the **Detailed Stats Widget** user guide.

### Posts / Engagements / Platforms Panel

| Metric | Description |
|  --- | --- |
| **Total Posts** | Total number of posts in the currently filtered dataset |
| **Total Engagements** | Aggregated engagement count across all filtered posts |
| **Total Platforms** | Number of distinct platforms represented in the filtered dataset |


### Authors Panel

| Metric | Description |
|  --- | --- |
| **Total Authors** | Total number of unique authors in the currently filtered dataset |
| **Top Cohorts** | Top cohorts by author count in the currently filtered dataset |
| **Bot-Like Authors** | Total number of unique authors classified as bot-like in the filtered dataset |


**Pro Tip:** Click either summary panel to open a detailed breakdown dialog with platform-by-platform and author-level metrics.

> **Note:** All metrics in the Detailed Stats Widget reflect the **currently filtered dataset**, not the full project. Check for active filter pills in the Segment Bar if numbers appear lower than expected.


## Activity Timeline

The Activity Timeline provides a visual representation of post activity and engagement over time for your current filtered dataset.

### Timeline Controls

* **View Mode**: Toggle between a **Cross-Platform** view (each platform as a separate series) and an **Aggregated** view (all platforms combined)
* **Chart Type**: Switch between a **Line Graph** and a **Bar Chart** depending on your preference
* **Data Series**: Choose to display **Post Activity** or **Engagement Activity**
* **Zoom**: Click and drag on the chart to zoom into a specific time window; use the **Reset Zoom** control to return to the full view


## Data Grid

The Data Grid is the core of the Post Analysis page. It displays individual posts in a structured, sortable, and customizable table.

### Post Title Display

For posts originating from platforms that support post titles (such as news articles and certain forum platforms), the title is displayed in **bold** above the post body text in both the Data Grid cell and the Post Detail modal. If no title is present, only the post body is shown.

### View Modes

The Data Grid supports three view modes, selectable from the toggle in the toolbar:

| Mode | Description |
|  --- | --- |
| **Posts** | Default view — displays individual posts |
| **Clusters** | Groups posts into clusters with a post count per cluster |
| **Exclusions** | Displays posts you have manually excluded from the current segment; only enabled when at least one exclusion exists |


### Default Columns

Out of the box, the following columns are visible:

| Column | Description |
|  --- | --- |
| **Post Text** | The full text content of the post. If the platform provides a post title, it is displayed in bold above the body text. |
| **Author** | The handle or display name of the post's author |
| **Platform** | The source platform (e.g., X/Twitter, Facebook, Reddit) |
| **Engagements (Total)** | Total engagement count for the post |
| **Cohorts** | Author cohort classifications associated with the post |
| **Bot-Like** | Flags posts from accounts exhibiting bot-like behavior |
| **Toxicity** | Flags posts containing toxic or harmful language |
| **Date** | The timestamp when the post was published |


### All Available Columns

The following columns can be added to the Data Grid via the **Column Selector**:

#### Post Information

| Column | Description |
|  --- | --- |
| **Post Text** | Full text content of the post; bold title displayed above body where applicable |
| **Author** | The author's display name and handle |
| **Channel** | The specific channel within a platform the post originated from (hidden by default) |
| **Platform** | Source platform (e.g., X/Twitter, Facebook, Reddit) |
| **Date** | Timestamp of when the post was published |
| **Cluster ID** | Unique identifier for the post cluster the post belongs to (Clusters view only) |
| **Post Count** | Number of posts within a cluster (Clusters view only) |
| **Submission Score** | Platform-specific submission or ranking score, where available (hidden by default) |


#### Engagement Metrics

The **Engagements** column group expands to reveal platform-specific engagement sub-metrics:

| Column | Description |
|  --- | --- |
| **Total** | Combined count of all engagement actions |
| **Global Shares** | Number of shares or retweets across all platforms |
| **Likes** | Number of likes or reactions |
| **Local Comments** | Number of comments or replies on the post |
| **Local Quotes** | Number of quote-posts or quote-retweets |
| **Reactions** | Platform-specific reaction count (e.g., emoji reactions) |
| **Views** | Number of views or impressions, where reported by the platform |


#### Risk Signals

| Column | Description |
|  --- | --- |
| **Bot-Like** | Flags posts from accounts exhibiting bot-like behavior |
| **Anomalous** | Flags posts showing anomalous amplification or behavior patterns (hidden by default) |
| **Toxicity** | Flags posts containing toxic or harmful language |


### Adding and Removing Columns

**To add or remove columns:**

1. Click the **Column Selector** button (located in the top-right area of the Data Grid)
2. A panel will appear listing all available columns
3. Check or uncheck columns to show or hide them
4. Your configuration is automatically saved and will persist across sessions until you make another change


> **Note:** Your column preferences are remembered across sessions. The next time you visit the Posts page, your custom layout will be restored automatically.


## Filtering Posts with the Segment Bar

The **Segment Bar** at the top of the page is a powerful tool for narrowing down the posts displayed in the Data Grid. All filtering happens in real time — the Detailed Stats Widget, Activity Timeline, and Data Grid update immediately as you apply filters.

### Search

Use the query field to search post content using boolean operators:

| Operator | Purpose | Example |
|  --- | --- | --- |
| **AND** | Both terms must appear | `misinformation AND election` |
| **OR** | Either term can appear | `vaccine OR vax` |
| **NOT** | Exclude a term | `climate NOT hoax` |
| **"quotes"** | Exact phrase match | `"coordinated inauthentic behavior"` |
| **(parentheses)** | Group conditions | `(bot OR automated) AND risk` |


**Important:** Boolean operators must be typed in **UPPERCASE** to be recognized.

### Segment Overlay Search

The **Segment Overlay Search** bar appears above the Activity Timeline and allows you to apply a second boolean query on top of your active segment without modifying it. Enter a query and click **Apply** to layer the search on the current segment. The overlay query is independent of the Segment Bar and can be cleared separately.

### Available Filters

* **Date Range** — Limit posts to a specific time window using presets or a custom range
* **Platform** — Filter by one or more social media platforms
* **Risk Signals** — Filter for posts flagged as Bot-like, Toxic, Harmful, or Manipulated
* **Cohorts** — Filter by author cohort classification
* **Additional Filters** — Depending on your project, you may also have access to entity filters, engagement ranges, and more


### Saving and Reusing Filters

You can save your current filter combination as a **Segment** for quick reuse. See the Segment Bar User Guide for full details.

## Tips & Best Practices

### For Efficient Analysis

* **Start with the Detailed Stats Widget** — Get a high-level read on post volume, engagement, platforms, and authors before diving into individual posts
* **Click a stats panel to drill down** — Each summary panel in the Detailed Stats Widget opens a detailed breakdown dialog with platform and author-level metrics
* **Use the Activity Timeline to identify spikes** — Click and drag on a spike in activity to zoom into that time window
* **Save effective filter combinations** — When you find a filter combination that yields good results, save it as a Segment for fast retrieval in future sessions
* **Use the Segment Overlay Search for ad hoc refinement** — Apply a temporary boolean query on top of your saved segment without permanently altering it


### For Column Management

* **Add Risk Signal columns for threat investigations** — Surface Bot-like, Toxic, and Anomalous flags together to quickly triage high-risk posts
* **Expand the Engagements group** — Use Global Shares, Local Comments, Local Quotes, Reactions, and Views for a fuller picture than Total alone
* **Add Channel for intra-platform analysis** — Useful when a project ingests data from multiple channels within a single platform
* **Remove noise** — Hide columns you do not need for a given workflow to keep your view clean and focused
* **Your layout is persistent** — Do not worry about reconfiguring columns every session; your setup is remembered automatically


### For Large Datasets

* **Filter first** — Use the Segment Bar to narrow your dataset before analyzing individual posts
* **Use date range selection on the timeline** — Isolate time-specific activity to focus your review
* **Sort by risk signal columns** — Sorting by Bot-like or Anomalous flags can quickly surface the most relevant posts for investigation
* **Switch to Clusters view** — The Clusters view groups similar posts and shows a post count per cluster, making it easier to identify coordinated or repeated content at scale


## Troubleshooting

### "No posts are showing"

* Check your active Segment Bar filters — they may be too restrictive
* Verify your date range includes the expected time window
* Confirm the correct project is selected


### "My column changes weren't saved"

* Column configurations are saved automatically — try refreshing the page
* If the issue persists, reconfigure your columns and navigate away and back to confirm persistence


### "The Narrative column is empty for some posts"

* Not all posts are associated with an AI Narrative — the field is only populated when the post has been matched to a narrative with sufficient confidence


### "Stats Widget numbers don't match my expectations"

* The Detailed Stats Widget reflects the **currently filtered dataset**, not the entire project
* Check for active filter pills beneath the Segment Bar and remove any unintended filters
* If the Segment Overlay Search is active, clear it and check whether the numbers change


### "I don't see a post title in the Post Text column"

* Post titles are only displayed for platforms that provide them (e.g., news articles, certain forum platforms). Social media posts from platforms such as X/Twitter or Facebook do not include titles.


## Summary

The Post Analysis page gives analysts the tools they need to work directly with raw post data:

* **Detailed Stats Widget** for instant, filter-aware metrics across posts, engagements, platforms, and authors
* **Activity Timeline** for temporal trend analysis and time-range filtering
* **Segment Bar** and **Segment Overlay Search** for powerful boolean search and multi-dimensional filtering
* **Customizable Data Grid** with a full suite of columns spanning post content, engagement breakdowns, author details, channel, and risk signals