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Using TIMELINE_TABLE and Filtering

  • September 28, 2026
  • 1 reply
  • 81 views
matt.witty13
Level 10

I’ve got a KPI requiring to check whether a user is active in a certain timeframe based on a column in a table. In the event a user is inactive, it will count against the KPI. For example, if a user is active in January and February but not in March, the KPI would calculate to a 67% usage rate. I’ve figured out I can use the TIMELINE_TABLE function to map out when users are inactive.

The issue I’m running into is filtering on the timeline table. I wind up getting an error message and I’m not sure how to troubleshoot it after reading through the documentation.

When I select a specific user or time period, this error populates. I was using the formula template [ “TIMELINE_TABLE”().’Column Name’ ] for dimensions, but once I select a dimension or the timestamp column, I receive the above error. 

Any help would be fantastic!

    1 reply

    gagan1
    Level 12
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    • gagan1
    • Level 12
    • October 2, 2026

    Hi ​@matt.witty13 , 
     

    the error comes from the filter, not the table. clicking a cell or using a column header filter builds a filter from that column's formula (like FILTER TIMELINE_TABLE()."User" = 'x') and applies it to the whole view. a bare TIMELINE_TABLE() only works inside your table because another TIMELINE call in the same query gives it the time unit and timestamp column. the filter has neither, so it fails.

    fix:

    1. table settings > Interactions: turn on "Can't be used to set filters" so clicks stop creating filters, and don't use the column header filters on the timeline columns
    2. filter users with a filter dropdown on the source column, e.g. "Logins"."USER"
    3. wrap the column inside your PU in FILTER_TO_NULL, PUs ignore filters otherwise. other users' rows stay in the table, they just show 0 / null
    4. set the period with FROM / TO inside the timeline, not a date filter. a date filter leaves the other months on the timeline as 0, which counts as inactive
    5. use PARTITION TIMELINE_START TO TIMELINE_END. the default stops each user's timeline at their last activity, so active jan + feb but not march shows 100% instead of 67%
    TIMELINE_COLUMN(MONTHS, "Logins"."TIMESTAMP", PARTITION TIMELINE_START TO TIMELINE_END BY ("Logins"."USER" AS "User"), FROM({d '2026-01-01'}), TO({d '2026-03-31'}))
    TIMELINE_TABLE()."User"

    put this config in one TIMELINE call only and keep the others bare, different configs in the same query give No common table errors. names and dates are placeholders.. and still errors, post the table's PQL.

    Docs [ may help you :)

    https://docs.celonis.com/en/timeline_column---timeline_table.html
    https://docs.celonis.com/en/configuring-tables.html

    https://docs.celonis.com/en/filter_to_null.html 

     

     

    Gagan
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