einstein-analytics-basics
Use when deciding whether Salesforce Reports, CRM Analytics, or Tableau should be used for analytics, or when reviewing and troubleshooting basic CRM Analytics designs. Triggers: 'CRM Analytics', 'Einstein Analytics', 'Tableau CRM', 'lens', 'dataset', 'dataflow', 'analytics dashboard', 'license requirement'. NOT for standard report builder questions unless the decision is whether reports are still enough.
Best use case
einstein-analytics-basics is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.
Use when deciding whether Salesforce Reports, CRM Analytics, or Tableau should be used for analytics, or when reviewing and troubleshooting basic CRM Analytics designs. Triggers: 'CRM Analytics', 'Einstein Analytics', 'Tableau CRM', 'lens', 'dataset', 'dataflow', 'analytics dashboard', 'license requirement'. NOT for standard report builder questions unless the decision is whether reports are still enough.
Teams using einstein-analytics-basics should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.
When to use this skill
- You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.
When not to use this skill
- You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
- You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.
Installation
Claude Code / Cursor / Codex
Manual Installation
- Download SKILL.md from GitHub
- Place it in
.claude/skills/einstein-analytics-basics/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How einstein-analytics-basics Compares
| Feature / Agent | einstein-analytics-basics | Standard Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Support | Not specified | Limited / Varies |
| Context Awareness | High | Baseline |
| Installation Complexity | Unknown | N/A |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this skill do?
Use when deciding whether Salesforce Reports, CRM Analytics, or Tableau should be used for analytics, or when reviewing and troubleshooting basic CRM Analytics designs. Triggers: 'CRM Analytics', 'Einstein Analytics', 'Tableau CRM', 'lens', 'dataset', 'dataflow', 'analytics dashboard', 'license requirement'. NOT for standard report builder questions unless the decision is whether reports are still enough.
Where can I find the source code?
You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.
Related Guides
SKILL.md Source
You are a Salesforce Admin expert in analytics tool selection and basic CRM Analytics design. Your goal is to keep teams on the simplest reporting tool that meets the requirement, and to use CRM Analytics deliberately when standard reports are no longer enough. ## Before Starting Check for `salesforce-context.md` in the project root. If present, read it first. Only ask for information not already covered there. Gather if not available: - What question is the business actually trying to answer? - Is the data entirely in Salesforce, or does it span multiple systems? - Is the requirement real-time, near-real-time, or scheduled refresh? - Who needs access, and do they already have CRM Analytics licenses? - Are the users business operators, analysts, or executives? - Does the solution need row-level security beyond ordinary report visibility? ## How This Skill Works ### Mode 1: Build from Scratch Use this for a new analytics requirement or when a stakeholder is pushing for CRM Analytics. 1. Start with the business question, audience, and required freshness. 2. Decide whether Reports and Dashboards, CRM Analytics, or Tableau is the right level of tooling. 3. Confirm licensing before promising any CRM Analytics design. 4. Define the data shape: source objects, transformations, refresh cadence, and security model. 5. Keep the first dashboard narrow, useful, and role-specific instead of building an analytics monument. 6. Validate with real users before adding more datasets, formulas, or apps. ### Mode 2: Review Existing Use this for inherited CRM Analytics dashboards, Tableau CRM pilots, or exec decks that became permanent. 1. Check whether CRM Analytics is justified, or whether the use case drifted back into standard reporting territory. 2. Check dataset freshness, refresh ownership, and transformation complexity. 3. Check license alignment: who needs access versus who actually has it. 4. Check security explicitly: app sharing, dataset visibility, and row-level controls. 5. Check dashboard sprawl: too many widgets, too many stories, not enough decisions. ### Mode 3: Troubleshoot Use this when dashboards are stale, users cannot see data, or analytics feels much more complex than promised. 1. Identify whether the failure is tool choice, data sync, license assignment, security, or dashboard design. 2. Confirm whether the underlying data is fresh enough for the stated business need. 3. Confirm whether access failure is a Salesforce permission issue, an analytics app-sharing issue, or dataset security. 4. Reduce the problem to one dashboard, one dataset, and one user persona before scaling the fix. 5. If the use case no longer needs CRM Analytics, say that directly and move it back to reports. ## Analytics Tool Decision Matrix | Requirement | Best Fit | Why | |-------------|----------|-----| | Standard operational reporting on Salesforce data | Reports and Dashboards | Included, real-time, and easiest for admins and business users | | Large Salesforce-focused analysis with richer visuals or heavier calculations | CRM Analytics | Better for transformed datasets, complex metrics, and mobile-friendly dashboards | | Enterprise analytics across multiple non-Salesforce platforms | Tableau or broader BI stack | Cross-system BI belongs in an enterprise analytics platform | | One executive chart that someone thinks needs "AI" | Probably still Reports | Tool choice should follow data complexity, not branding pressure | **Rule:** Start with Reports. Move to CRM Analytics only when report limitations are real, repeated, and business-significant. ## CRM Analytics Guardrails | Guardrail | Discipline | |---|---| | Licenses first | "We will figure out access later" is how pilots die. | | Freshness is designed, not assumed | CRM Analytics data often reflects sync cadence, not immediate record changes. | | Security must be explicit | Dataset sharing and row-level security need real design, not wishful thinking. | | Keep dashboards decision-oriented | Each page should support an action, not just show that data exists. | | Own the pipeline | Somebody must own recipes, dataflows, refresh failures, and broken source logic. | ## Recommended Workflow Step-by-step instructions for an AI agent or practitioner activating this skill: 1. Gather context — confirm the org edition, relevant objects, and current configuration state 2. Review official sources — check the references in this skill's well-architected.md before making changes 3. Implement or advise — apply the patterns from Core Concepts and Common Patterns sections above 4. Validate — run the skill's checker script and verify against the Review Checklist below 5. Document — record any deviations from standard patterns and update the template if needed --- ## Salesforce-Specific Gotchas | Gotcha | Why it bites | |---|---| | CRM Analytics is not just prettier dashboards | It introduces datasets, refresh jobs, and a new security surface. | | Reports are real-time; CRM Analytics may not be | Stale data is a design choice unless proven otherwise. | | Licensing gets forgotten until rollout | A good pilot with five power users often fails at fifty users. | | Too much transformation hides business logic | If KPI math only lives in a recipe nobody owns, trust will collapse. | | Cross-system reporting may point beyond CRM Analytics | Do not force enterprise BI needs into a Salesforce-only answer. | ## Proactive Triggers Surface these WITHOUT being asked: | Trigger | Action | |---|---| | Single-object KPI dashboard with ordinary filters | Push back toward Reports and Dashboards. | | No CRM Analytics license inventory exists | Flag before any design work. | | Stakeholder says data must be real-time | Verify whether Reports already solve it better. | | Dashboard request mixes Salesforce, ERP, and marketing warehouse data | Raise Tableau or broader BI evaluation. | | Analytics plan has many widgets and no clear audience | Trim scope before building. | ## Output Artifacts | When you ask for... | You get... | |---------------------|------------| | Tool recommendation | Reports vs CRM Analytics vs Tableau decision with rationale | | Analytics review | Findings on licensing, freshness, security, and dashboard sprawl | | Troubleshooting help | Root-cause path for access, stale data, or design mismatch | | Rollout plan | Phased dashboard and access approach for a manageable pilot | ## Related Skills - **admin/reports-and-dashboards**: Use when the work is ordinary Salesforce reporting and dashboarding. NOT for deciding whether CRM Analytics should exist. - **admin/sharing-and-visibility**: Use when row-level access design is the main issue. NOT for tool selection and dashboard scope. - **admin/data-import-and-management**: Use when the real problem is source-data quality or cutover quality, not analytics tooling.
Related Skills
einstein-analytics-data-model
Use this skill when working with CRM Analytics (Einstein Analytics) extended metadata (XMD) — the multi-layer metadata system that controls field display labels, aliases, number formatting, date formatting, measure/dimension classification, and color palettes on CRM Analytics datasets. Trigger keywords: XMD API, dataset field formatting CRM Analytics, wave dataset labels, main XMD update, dataset versioning Analytics. NOT for dataflow development, recipe node configuration, dataset ingestion setup, standard dashboard design, or SAQL query construction — those are covered by analytics-dataflow-development and analytics-recipe-design.
crm-analytics-security-predicates
Row-level security in CRM Analytics datasets via security predicates — SAQL filter expressions stored on the dataset that apply at query time per running user. Covers the syntax (`'DatasetColumn' operator value`), the `$User.*` context variables, multi-level predicates (role hierarchy + team + region), the performance cost of complex predicates, and the testing discipline (admins bypass predicates by default). NOT for Salesforce Core sharing rules (different runtime), NOT for App / Dashboard / Lens-level access (that's CRM Analytics App sharing, not predicates), NOT for field-level masking inside a dataset (use Encryption + dataset transformations).
community-analytics-data
Use when analyzing Experience Cloud site analytics including login metrics, member engagement, page view tracking, and content performance. Triggers: Experience Cloud site analytics, community member engagement data, portal login tracking, page view reports community, GA4 Experience Cloud integration. NOT for CRM Analytics or Tableau CRM. NOT for internal Salesforce reporting on standard CRM objects.
commerce-analytics-data
Use when analyzing B2C Commerce storefront metrics (conversion funnel, cart abandonment, product performance, revenue trends) via the Business Manager Reports and Dashboards app, or when deriving B2B Commerce analytics via SOQL on core platform objects or the CRM Analytics B2B Commerce template. NOT for CRM Analytics platform configuration, Einstein Analytics, Experience Cloud analytics, or general Salesforce report builder usage.
analytics-external-data
Use when bringing non-Salesforce data into CRM Analytics via the External Data API, Data Connectors, or Live Datasets. Trigger keywords: InsightsExternalData, External Data API, live dataset, remote connection, Snowflake connector, BigQuery connector, Tableau Bridge, external CSV upload, analytics connector. NOT for standard data import into Salesforce objects. NOT for Salesforce object sync via dataflow local connectors. NOT for standard ETL into Sales or Service Cloud.
analytics-dataset-optimization
Use this skill when tuning CRM Analytics dataset performance through field selection, date granularity choices, dataset splitting strategy, and run-budget optimization. Trigger keywords: dataset too many fields, SAQL timeseries slow, epoch vs date storage, dataset field count limit, dataset partition, split dataset by year, CRM Analytics performance tuning. NOT for SOQL optimization, Salesforce report tuning, Data Cloud segmentation performance, or choosing between analytics tools.
analytics-data-preparation
Use this skill when customizing CRM Analytics dataset field metadata via the XMD (Extended Metadata) REST API or augmenting CRM Analytics recipes with external non-Salesforce data: labeling fields, setting display formats, reclassifying measures vs dimensions, and applying org-level field annotations via main XMD PATCH. Trigger keywords: XMD field labels, CRM Analytics main XMD update, dataset field formatting wave, analytics external data augmentation, WaveXmd REST API. NOT for recipe node transformation logic, dataflow SOQL extraction, dataset row count management, or standard CRM data quality — those are covered by analytics-recipe-design, analytics-dataflow-development, and analytics-dataset-management.
embedded-analytics-architecture
Use this skill to architect CRM Analytics dashboard embedding in Lightning pages, Experience Cloud, or Visualforce — covering dashboard context strategy, filter/state management, cross-dashboard context propagation, performance optimization, and LWC vs Aura component selection. Trigger keywords: embed CRM Analytics dashboard, embedded analytics Lightning page, analytics dashboard filter, wave dashboard LWC, analytics state attribute. NOT for CRM Analytics dashboard design/building (use analytics skills), standard Lightning report embedding, or Data Cloud analytics.
einstein-bot-architecture
Use when designing conversational AI architecture on Salesforce: Einstein Bot dialog design, Agentforce Agent topic planning, intent models, NLU training strategy, bot-to-agent handoff, escalation paths, knowledge article surfacing, and bot analytics. Triggers: 'einstein bot architecture', 'agentforce dialog design', 'bot handoff to agent', 'intent model training'. NOT for bot implementation code, Apex action authoring, Flow screen design, or Omni-Channel routing rule configuration.
data-cloud-vs-analytics-decision
Use when choosing or explaining how Salesforce Data Cloud (Data 360) and CRM Analytics (Tableau CRM / Einstein Analytics) fit together versus overlap — unified data platform vs analytics consumption, Direct Data on Data Model Objects (DMOs), identity and activation vs dashboards and recipes. Triggers: 'Data Cloud vs CRM Analytics', 'when to use Data Cloud versus Einstein Analytics', 'should we buy Data Cloud or CRM Analytics', 'CRM Analytics on Data Cloud DMOs', 'direct data connector Data Cloud', 'analytics on unified profile architecture'. NOT for step-by-step implementation of Data Cloud data streams, identity resolution rules, CRM Analytics recipes, dataflows, or dashboard build — use architect/data-cloud-architecture, admin/data-cloud-identity-resolution, or admin/einstein-analytics-basics for that.
crm-analytics-vs-tableau-decision
Use when deciding between CRM Analytics (formerly Einstein Analytics / Tableau CRM) and Tableau Desktop, Tableau Server, or Tableau Cloud for a Salesforce-centric analytics requirement. Triggers: 'CRM Analytics vs Tableau', 'which BI tool for Salesforce', 'Tableau for Salesforce data', 'Einstein Analytics vs Tableau', 'analytics platform decision', 'licensing comparison CRM Analytics Tableau', 'Tableau Next', 'Tableau+ for Salesforce'. NOT for implementation guidance on configuring CRM Analytics datasets, recipes, or Tableau workbooks — use admin/einstein-analytics-basics for that.
analytics-security-architecture
Use this skill when designing or auditing CRM Analytics (formerly Einstein Analytics / Tableau CRM) data access controls: row-level security predicates, dataset-level visibility, app-level sharing roles, sharing inheritance configuration, and cross-dataset security embedding strategies. Trigger keywords: CRM Analytics security, row-level security predicate, Analytics dataset access, sharing inheritance, security predicate design, cross-dataset security, analytics entitlement dataset. NOT for standard Salesforce sharing model design (OWD, role hierarchy, sharing rules on standard objects), standard reports/dashboards folder sharing, or Tableau Server/Tableau Cloud security.