Getting started with GoodData is quick, simple and free

I have my own data

Step 1: Create a free account.

Click the Login button then select Create your own account. You will receive an email with an embedded link. Click on this link to activate your free GoodData account.

Step 2: Prepare your data.

CSV (comma-delimited flat file) is the only data format GoodData will ingest at the moment. If your data is already in CSV files, you can simply proceed to Step 3.  If your CSV files already have column names as the first row (header) then you’re all set. If not, you will have to enter column names at loading time.

If your data resides in other programs or databases (like Excel or SQL Server, for example), you will first need to export this data into CSV format. Virtually every existing program and database system can export data to CSV format. For tips and tricks on GoodData CSV formats, visit our Support Forum’s Tips and Tricks section.

Step 3: Upload your data.

GoodData’s upload wizard handles up to 10MB at a time, which is the equivalent of about 100,000 rows in an Excel worksheet. The wizard automatically detects and organizes your data for easy analysis. In some cases, this may be all the data modeling you need to do. To upload your data files, login to GoodData, select Data from the main menu, then click “Upload New Data Set”.

Then select each CSV file you want to upload. GoodData parses and infers as much information as possible from the contents and structure of the CSV file. When in doubt, GoodData will ask for guidance. For more information about this process and how to model your data, please visit this Tips and Tricks article.

Don’t have time to locate or create your own CSV files? Why not try and upload a sample one here?

Step 4: Create reports

Select Reports from the main menu then click Create Report. Then tell GoodData What to measure and How to measure it using the intuitive English-based Slice & Dice Wizard. You might also want to add one of more Filters to your report.

When you finish selecting what, how and filter (if any) simply click Done and your report is immediately generated and displayed in tabular format. Click on the Chart button to view your report in charting mode.

Give me demo data

Step 1: Create a free account.

Click the Login button then select Create your own account. You will receive an email with an embedded link. Click on this link to activate your free GoodData account.

Step 2: Login

Every GoodData account comes provisioned with two sample projects (a project is like a data warehouse). To access these projects, simply login to your account and select “Switch Projects”.

Step 3: Pick a demo project.

One is called FoodMartDemo and the other Customer Analytics Demo. You can start playing with either project immediately. This is a quick and efficient way to quickly learn how to get around the reporting and analysis features of GoodData.

Step 4: Play with reports.

So what can you do with existing demo projects? If you click the Report tab on the main menu bar, you can then examine and edit existing reports. You can modify an existing report, or select “Save as” to a different name, and work from a copy (leaving the original untouched).

Better yet, you can create your own brand new report from scratch by selecting “Create Report”.

GoodData Demo and Sample Projects

You can start by playing with one of our sample or public data sets:

FoodMartDemo. The GoodData FoodMartDemo allows you to work with data that has been pre-loaded into a project. The data simulates the business data of a fictitious national food retailer, Foodz.com. Data consists of over 2.5 million records spanning sales, products, costs and more.

U.S. Census 2000 Sample Data. The U.S. Census 2000 sample data contains all geographic and demographic data from the 2000 U.S. Census. You can start a project with the U.S. Census data pre-populated and a series of pre-built reports and analysis. Adding your data to this project template allows you to cross-analyze both sets for a potentially deeper understanding of trends and connections within your business data.

New Zealand 2006 Census Sample Data. This project contains all geographic and demographic data from the 2006 New Zealand Census. Projects created with the New Zealand Census template are pre-populated with this data and reports. Adding your data to this project template allows you to cross-analyze both sets for a potentially deeper understanding of trends and connections within your business data.

Major League Baseball Statistics. This project contains complete historical statistics for all players and teams of Major League Baseball by year from 1871 to 2008. Baseball fans can delight in comparing players from different eras or researching historical trivia from their favorite players and teams.

We are adding more public data sets so please let us know what public data you would like to see in GoodData. E-mail us. Or if you see something here that you’d like to check out more just sign up and try it today.