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Getting Started with Coginiti

Welcome to Coginiti! This hands-on tutorial will walk you through your first complete data analysis workflow, from logging in to saving your results. You'll learn the core Coginiti features by working with real data in a realistic scenario.

What you'll learn​

By the end of this tutorial, you'll have:

  • Logged into your Coginiti instance
  • Validated or set up a database connection
  • Explored data using the database object browser
  • Created a new project in the analytics catalog
  • Written and executed a data analysis query
  • Saved your analysis to your project for future use

Prerequisites​

Before you begin, make sure you have:

  • Access to a Coginiti instance (Team or Enterprise)
  • Login credentials provided by your administrator
  • Database access (your admin should have set up at least one connection)

Step 1: Log into your Coginiti instance​

  1. Open your web browser and navigate to your organization's Coginiti URL

    • This will typically be something like https://coginiti.yourcompany.com
    • If you're unsure of the URL, check with your administrator

  2. Enter your credentials:

    • Email address or username
    • Password
    • If your organization uses SSO, click the appropriate sign-in option

  3. Click "Sign In"

You should now see the Coginiti workspace with the main navigation and analytics catalog.

Step 2: Validate your database connection​

Before creating projects, let's ensure you can access your data sources.

  1. Open the Connections panel:

    • Use the keyboard shortcut Option+O (macOS) or Alt+O (Windows/Linux)
    • Or go to File → Edit Connections from the menu
    • Or click the Database Explorer icon (first icon) in the left sidebar, then click the large + in the upper right

  2. Check existing connections:

    • You should see one or more database connections already configured

  3. Test the connection (if needed):

    • Click on a connection name
    • Click "Test Connection" to verify it's working
    • If the test fails, you may need to contact your administrator for credentials

Don't have any connections? If no database connections are available, see How to Connect to Common Databases or contact your administrator.

Step 3: Explore data with the database object browser​

Now let's explore what data is available to work with.

  1. Open the Database Object Browser:

    • Click the Database Explorer icon (first icon) in the left sidebar
    • Select one of your available database connections from the dropdown

  2. Browse your database structure:

    • Expand the database connection to see available databases/schemas
    • Expand a database to see tables, views, and other objects
    • Click on a table name to see its columns and data types

  3. Preview table data:

    • Right-click on a table name
    • Select "Open In Tab"
    • This generates a query to return the table contents

  4. Note interesting tables for your analysis:

    • Look for tables with names like customers, orders, sales, products, etc.
    • Make note of column names that might be useful for analysis

Step 4: Create a new project in the analytics catalog​

Projects help you organize your queries, analyses, and visualizations.

  1. Navigate to the Analytics Catalog:

    • Click the Analytics Catalog icon (second icon) in the left sidebar

  2. Create a new project:

    • Right-click in the catalog panel and select "Create Project"
    • Or use the panel toolbar to create a new project

  3. Name your project:

    • Enter a descriptive name (e.g., "Customer Analysis - Q4 2023")
    • Click "Create" to confirm

  4. Configure your project (optional):

    • Coginiti automatically creates default project.toml and linter.toml configuration files
    • You can edit the project.toml file to add a description and other project settings

Your new project will open, and you'll see an empty workspace ready for analysis.

Step 5: Run your first query analysis​

Let's create a meaningful analysis using the data you explored.

  1. Open the query editor:

    • Click "New Query" or "Add Query" in your project
    • This opens a new SQL editor tab

  2. Select your database connection:

    • In the connection dropdown at the top of the editor
    • Choose the database connection you validated earlier

  3. Write an analytical query: Here's an example customer analysis query (adapt table/column names to match your data):

    -- Customer Analysis: Top customers by purchase volume
    SELECT 
        c.customer_id,
        c.customer_name,
        COUNT(o.order_id) as total_orders,
        SUM(o.order_total) as total_revenue,
        AVG(o.order_total) as avg_order_value,
        MAX(o.order_date) as last_order_date
    FROM customers c
    JOIN orders o ON c.customer_id = o.customer_id
    WHERE o.order_date >= '2023-01-01'
    GROUP BY c.customer_id, c.customer_name
    HAVING COUNT(o.order_id) >= 2  -- Only repeat customers
    ORDER BY total_revenue DESC
    LIMIT 20;

    Adapt this query to your available tables:

    • Replace table names (customers, orders) with what you found in step 3
    • Adjust column names to match your schema
    • Modify the date range and criteria as needed

  4. Execute the query:

    • Click the "Run" button or press Ctrl+Enter (Windows) or Cmd+Enter (Mac)
    • Watch the query execute and results appear below

  5. Review the results:

    • Examine the data returned by your query
    • Look for interesting patterns or insights
    • Note any data quality issues you might want to address

Step 6: Save your analysis to the project​

Now let's save this query so you can reuse and share it.

  1. Save the query:

    • Click "Save" or use Ctrl+S / Cmd+S
    • Give your query a descriptive name (e.g., "Top Customers by Revenue")
    • Add a description explaining what the query does

  2. Add documentation (optional but recommended):

    • Add comments to your SQL explaining the business logic
    • Note any assumptions or data limitations
    • Include information about refresh frequency or dependencies

  3. Organize in your project:

    • Your saved query now appears in your project's query list
    • You can create folders to organize multiple queries
    • Add tags to make queries easier to find later

  4. Create a visualization (optional):

    • With your query results displayed, click "Create Chart"
    • Choose an appropriate chart type (bar chart, table, etc.)
    • Customize colors, labels, and formatting
    • Save the visualization to your project

Congratulations! 🎉​

You've successfully completed your first end-to-end analysis in Coginiti:

✅ Logged into your instance and validated access ✅ Explored your data using the database object browser ✅ Created a structured project for organizing your work ✅ Wrote and executed a meaningful analytical query ✅ Saved your analysis for future use and sharing

What you've learned​

  • Navigation: How to move around the Coginiti interface efficiently
  • Data Discovery: Using the object browser to understand available data
  • Project Organization: Creating projects to organize analytical work
  • Query Development: Writing, testing, and documenting SQL analyses
  • Result Management: Saving and organizing your analytical outputs

Troubleshooting​

Can't see any database connections?

Query returns no results?

  • Check that the table names and column names match your database
  • Verify data exists in the date ranges you're querying
  • Try a simpler query first: SELECT * FROM table_name LIMIT 5

Connection timeouts or errors?

  • Contact your administrator - the database may be unavailable
  • Try a smaller query with fewer rows to test connectivity

Can't save your query?

  • Ensure you have write permissions to the project location
  • Check that your query has a valid name (no special characters)

Next steps​

Now that you've mastered the basics, explore these advanced Coginiti capabilities:

Enhance Your Analysis​

Scale Your Work​

Leverage AI Assistance​

You now have the foundation to become productive with Coginiti's powerful data analysis platform!