Track · 2:29 · Liner note
The Numbers Are Still Warm
Data freshness is how recently the data behind a report was updated, and showing it next to the number lets readers judge whether it is current enough to act on.
As of when? That is the question every number should answer before anyone asks. Data freshness measures how recently the underlying tables were updated, and The Numbers Are Still Warm is the good version: a dashboard whose load finished minutes ago and says so.
Show the timestamp on the page. Monitor the gap between when an event happened and when it became queryable, and alert when it exceeds what users need. Some questions want seconds, most are well served by an hour, and nobody is served by not knowing.