Help - Frequently Asked Questions

ANSWERS

About this site

Is there a brochure on DemographicsNow? Yes, a brochure in pdf format is available on the site, here. The Welcome page also holds Product Details, Sample Reports and Subscription details.
How do I navigate the tabs? Is there a sequence to follow? Once logged into the site, click between the Home, Report, Map, Query and Files tabs. Each tab functions independently and the sequence depends on what is to be accomplished, however, users typically start on the Report tab to select a geography and generate a report.
What information is on the Home page? Each tab on the Home page provides details about DemographicsNow. This includes access to free Webinars, free trial information, industry packages, pricing, methodology and much more.
Where are samples of the reports and maps? Check out the Home page > Sample Reports tab. Click the Sample Report icons to download samples in a .pdf format.
Are there methodology documents? Yes, click here for Help on data, drivetime and other methodologies.

Return to top

Access

How do I log into the site? In the upper right corner of www.demographicsnow.com, hover over the Log In link and click. Type in the email address used to sign up then type in your password. Note the password field is case sensitive. And if your email address changes, the log in also needs to change.
What if I forget my password? Alteryx, LLC does not keep track of individual passwords and you must reset the password. If forgotten, click Log In > Forgot Password? A Reset Password window opens. Type the email address used to Sign Up > OK. Check your email account for a temporary password. Log In to the site with the temporary password.
How do I change my password? Once logged in, click Account Info in the upper right corner of the screen. The Account Info window opens for editing. Note: fields with an orange asterisk are required fields. Click OK to save the changes.
What are the recommended system requirements and supported browsers? This information resides on the System Requirements page. Acceptable browsers are: Internet Explorer 7.x, Firefox 2.0, Chrome 3.x and Safari 3.x or higher. Acceptable browsers for Classic DemographicsNow are IE 6.x or 7.x only for reporting and mapping. Firefox 2.0 is compatible except for mapping.
What does signing up for DemographicsNow turn on? Signing up and validating an account turns on basic functionality such as access to selected Census 2000 reports, location mapping, geographic theming with 2000 census variables, and access to a sample D& B business file. This gives you an idea of what is available and how the workflow process happens.
What does subscribing to DemographicsNow turn on? An online subscription can include options such as thematic mapping, expanded reports containing current year demographic data and bundled industry packages. User points, custom polygons and database queries can also be added. Click Home > Subscriptions for details and pricing.
My login email isn't recognized. Now what? Did you receive an activation email and follow the instructions? Make sure the account is activated from the email within 48 hours. If the activation email is misplaced or more than 48 hours has elapsed, return to www.DemographicsNow.com and sign up again. Ensure your email address is correct.
Can I share my login information with others? No. There is one named user for each login. Contact your sales representative if additional licenses are needed.
How come I can't see all the reports or create a thematic map with current year variables? Unless you paid for a subscription to DemographicsNow, you only have basic functionality. Contact your sales representative to add functionality.
Who do I contact for login and general support? Support requests are emailed to clientservices@alteryx.com or call 866.516.2400. Select option 2.
Who do I contact for sales and subscription questions? Sales-related requests can be emailed to sales@alteryx.com or call 888-836-4274.

Return to top

Geography Selection

How is the Geography Selection toolbox used? This toolbox defines the geographies for analysis. Define an area by typing an address or geography from the search bar, selecting a geography from history, adding custom locations, selecting from a geography list or picking from a saved geography list.
How do I create a radius? Click the any tab (other than the home tab)> type an address into the Geography Selection Address field (search bar) > press the Enter key or click the magnifying glass icon on the screen to geocode. Leave the Ranges default or delete and type in values of your choice between 0 and 100. Fractions are also acceptable (such as 3.5 miles or kilometers). Or click the Geography Selection down arrow > Create Custom Location(s).... This enables adding multiple locations by address or latitude and longitude or point editing.
How do I create a group of geographies? Click the any tab (other than the home tab) > use the Geography Selection down arrow > select Pick From Geography List. A geography tree opens. Use the + or - sign to expand or contract geographies. Add a check to any box to select. Use the Clear All button to quickly uncheck all selected geographies.
How do I select a single geography? In the Geography Selection search bar, begin typing an address, city, state or any other geography type. If an address or point location is specified, an option becomes available to choose miles, kilometers or drivetimes. Then select the desired ranges.
Can I mix geographies for reporting - like radii, a County, DMA, state and the U.S.? Yes. Specify an address and the radii or drivetimes. In Geography Selection click Edit and add geographies as needed. In the Select Geography window, click Create to edit the original address.
What's the maximum number of geographies I can select for reporting? Select up to 5,000 geographies for a Rank or Summary report. Select up to 16 geographies for a Comparison report.
How can I save geographic definitions? Click the Save button on the Geography Selection toolbox. At the Save Geography window, type in a name describing the area/geographies > OK. This saves the geography until deleted or edited.
How do I edit an address or geography selection? There are two options. One is via the Geography Selection toolbox. Once a geography is defined, click Save. A Save Geography window opens. Edit the default description or type a new one. Click OK. A second way is on the Files tab. Locate and select a Saved Geography Type. Notice the File Properties appear to the right. From there the geography can be renamed and made active for further editing.
Are there definitions for the geographies? Geographic definitions are found at Home > Help > Glossaries > Geography Definitions.
What's the largest drivetime or radius I can create? Drivetimes must be between 2 and 90 minutes. Radii must be between 0 and 100 miles or 0 and 125 kilometers.
Can I report on a custom polygon? Yes, however, custom polygons are created in the Mapping tab. On the Files tab, locate and select the Custom Polygon Set > File Properties window > click Make Active Geography. The selected polygon becomes active for reporting.
How do I reload or retrieve a saved geography list? Two options are available. One is in the Geography Selection toolbox, click the down arrow > Select Saved Geography. The Open Saved Geography window appears displaying your saved geographies. Select a geography and it becomes the active geography. The second is on the Files tab. From the list of files, look for those of the Type "Saved Geography" and select the one of interest. The File Properties appears to the right. One of the options is Make Active Geography. Click that button and the geography becomes active. TIP: In the File Controls tool box, from the Viewing drop down menu select Saved Geographies or click the Type column heading to sort the files for easier identification. Any of the column headings are available for sorting.

Return to top

Reports Tab

How is the Reports tab used? For selecting a report type and saving, printing or exporting an output.
How do I print or export a report into another format? In the File Options toolbox, click Print to open the Print dialog. Reports can also be exported to PDF, Word or Excel formats.
What's the difference between the Comparison and Summary reports? Comparison reports display up to 16 areas side by side for easy analysis. Summary reports aggregate the data for all selected geographies into a single geographic area. If using multiple radii, only data for the largest radius is displayed.
What's the difference between Rank and List reports? Rank reports sort and display geographies or trade areas by a key demographic variable. List reports display individual records such as your own Uploaded Locations or licensed business locations.
Can I save and retrieve reports I generate? Yes. First Save the report definition. On the Report tab > File Options > click Save and type a descriptive name. This name should be descriptive enough to help identify the contents. Click View Saved Reports to view the list of available saved reports. Highlight one and note the File Properties to the right where you can Rename, Delete or View Report.
The message is, "Too many geographies for a comparison report." What does that mean? A Comparison report template accommodates up to 16 areas. If the number is exceeded, an information window appears and a Summary report is displayed. Simply X out the Information window to continue and reduce the number of geographies if a Comparison report is still needed. Otherwise generate a Summary Report.
How can I change the type of records displayed on the List report? In the Report Type toolbox click the List button then the drop down arrow to view the list of licensed datasets. Toggle between them by selecting different datasets. Select a dataset from the Query tab to see your saved queries.

Return to top

Files Tab

What is the Files tab for? This area helps users manage their saved files whether they are Custom Polygon Sets, Location Files, Saved Geographies, Saved Queries or Saved Reports. Click the Viewing drop down to view all types or just a specific file type. All the items can be deleted, copied or renamed from the Files tab.
How can I manage my saved geographies? Select any file and notice a File Properties window appears to the right. You can Delete, Copy, and Rename the file. Depending upon the file, other options like Make Active Geography, Edit Query, or View/Edit may appear.
Can I upload my own list of addresses for mapping and reporting? Yes, from the Files tab. Upload a CSV, DBF or YXDB file of addresses . On the Files tab click Upload Locations. When prompted, type in a File Name then click Browse. Navigate to the file and select. Click Upload. When prompted, use the drop down arrows and align the address fields with those in your file. When finished, click Geocode. When geocoding is complete, a summary of the geocoding matches is displayed. If finished, click Close or Upload Another File and repeat the process. When uploaded, the locations are displayed with a Type of Location File. TIP: click the Type column heading to sort the files for easier identification. Any of the column headings are available for sorting.
How come I don't see all my files? Be sure to use the navigation arrows to move to additional screens of files.

Return to top

Query Tab

How is the Query tab used? This tab allows you to specify criteria to return records from any licensed location list dataset. Counts are returned immediately within the Query Tab. To view a list report containing the results of the query, click on the Reports tab. To view the locations from the query on the map, click on the Map tab.
How can I create lists? The Query tab lets you manipulate a Dataset. The Dataset drop down reflects the available datasets licensed. The Query window is also split into three main areas. The contents change as the dataset changes. The left window shows columns of data available for filtering. The middle window is for defining the filter. The right window shows the results of the query.
How can I filter a D&B Business list? Let's use an example of a Sales Volume filter. Select the D&B Businesses as the Dataset. In the left window of variables, highlight Sales Volume. Notice the selection is highlighted in black. In the middle window, the screen changes and options for filtering Sales Volume appear. In the Value window pick range of sales volumes. In the right window, notice the record count dynamically changes and displays all the records within the geography and those meeting the Sales Volume filter. Filters can also be deleted with the Delete Selected Item button. This query can also be saved with the Query Options > Save button.
Now that I have a list, how do I view or map it? Click the Report tab and a List report appears. Click the Map tab and, once turned on in the Map Features area by Active Query or Point Datasets, the locations are visible.
Can I save or retrieve a query? Yes. On the Query tab in the Query Options toolbox, click Save and type a name for the Query. Or click Open to retrieve a saved Query.

Return to top

Map Tab

What is the Map tab used for? The visualization component of your analysis. Mapping based on a single demographic variable, queries, point datasets, roads, custom polygons and satellite imagery can be displayed.
How do I move around the map and zoom?

Black and orange navigation tools in the upper left quadrant of the map help users move around the map by zooming in or out (the + and - buttons) and moving north, south, east and west (directional arrows). The middle globe zooms to a view of the entire United States.
Pan or slide the map by left mouse clicking and moving the cursor.
If your mouse has a roller feature, moving it up or down zooms the map in or out.
An undocumented zoom feature is activated by holding the Shift key and the left mouse button. Diagonally drag the mouse to create a box and release the mouse and Shift key. That box becomes the active zoom.

What does "theme" a map mean? It's the ability to color code geographies by a demographic variable. Geographies are grouped by their values and the beginning and ending ranges are displayed in a legend. The legend is the key to the colors.
How do I show a theme on the map? It's empty except for the radii. In the Map Controls toolbox, click the Show Theme button. Select a Variable and Color scheme. Click Show Legend to display a key for the colors.
How do I control what displays on the map? Use the Map Features toolbox on the map. Expand or contract the window with the drop down to controls what is visible on the map. Selecting or deselecting layers turns them off or on within the map.
How do I change the background geographies on the map? Zooming controls which geographies are visible or users can select a geography for display. Click the drop down for Geography (based on zoom): and select a geography.
How do I print or export the map? On the Map Controls toolbox, click Export Map. Then you can specify a Map title, output format, print settings and orientation. Maps can be printed directly from the browser but there are few options for controlling the cosmetics.
How do I show or hide the legend? On the Map Controls toolbox click Hide Legend or Show Legend.
How do I turn off the color theming? In the Map Control toolbox click Hide Theme. Or use the Map Features toolbox to uncheck the Thematic Layer box.
How do I create a custom polygon? On the Map tab locate the Polygons toolbox. Click Draw New Polygon and move the cursor onto the map. Notice the hand cursor becomes a crosshair image. Left click on the map to anchor the first "node" on the map. Move the cursor to the next node and left click. Continue clicking until the polygon is the desired shape. Double click at the final node to complete the polygon. When prompted, type a polygon name. NOTE: a valid polygon must contain at least 3 points or nodes.
Can I organize polygons? Yes. Polygon controls enable the creation of polygon sets.

Active Set: displays the active set of polygons. New sets can be added or existing sets edited.
Create New Set: create a new set by selecting Active Set drop down > Create New Set. This launches a dialog to name the new set. Click OK to have the set appear in the drop down.
View: displays all the polygons part of the active set from the map.

How can I edit a polygon? This happens in the Polygons toolbox once the Active set is selected and the target polygon is selected. In the Polygons toolbox, use the drop down below the Active Set to select the polygon for editing. Click Edit Polygon. The polygon on the map becomes highlighted and the nodes are exposed as circles. Click off the polygon to stop editing.

To change the shape, click on one of the nodes and drag to the desired location. Click Done when finished.
The entire polygon can also be moved. Click on the center orange circle. When it turns purple, drag the polygon to a new location. Click Done when finished.
The orange circle outside the polygon is used to resize or rotate the polygon. Click Done when finished.

How do I delete a custom polygon? Below the Active Set field, click the drop down, select a polygon and click delete. NOTE: Deleted polygons are permanently removed.
Can I delete an entire Active Set of polygons? Yes - from the Files tab. Locate and select the Custom Polygon Set name > click Delete in the File Properties to the right.
How do I show the Active or Saved Queries? Expand the Map Features toolbox and check the appropriate boxes.
How do I change a Map title? This is controlled when exporting a map. In the Map Controls toolbox, click Export Map and type a new title.
How can I change the geography being themed? Zooming in or out on the map can change the geographies displayed. Also change it from the Map Controls toolbox. Locate the drop down for the Geography (based on zoom): field and select a geography. If the one is not visible, you may be zoomed in too far or too far out.
Can the "Alteryx Connect" image in the middle of the map be covered? Yes. In the Map Features toolbox, check the Base option.
How do I turn on points on the map - such as Traffic Counts? Expand the Map Features toolbox and check the appropriate boxes.
How do I display my queries on a map? Expand the Map Features toolbox and check the appropriate boxes.
Can the legend be moved? Yes. Simply grab the Legend box in the Legend bar with a left mouse click and drag to a new location. A relocated Legend box is also captured when printing.

Return to top

Educational Resources

How do I access the Free Webinars? The Home page has a link. Click "Learn More" to be redirected to the upcoming Webinars. Also click View Event Recordings to access the library of previously recorded Webinars.
Wherever a ? is located, valuable Help screens are found.
Is there a User Guide for download? Not at this time. Be sure to review the entire contents of this FAQ document and the Help from the Home page. You'll find explanations and links to useful documents including methodologies.

Return to top

Feedback

We actively welcome feedback about the site and your user experience - including both "great" and "needs improvement" comments. Email non-support comments to sales@alteryx.com. Email support comments to clientservices@alteryx.com.

The Classic Site

Can I switch to the previous version? Yes. One login provides access to both sites. Switch to "Classic" DemographicsNow at any time by clicking the Switch to Classic button in the top right corner. You can also switch back to "New."
Is there a User Guide for the Classic site? Yes. User Guides for the Classic site are available in Help > Quick Start Manuals.

Return to top