# Point in Time Dashboard Control

<p class="callout info">The **Point in Time** control allows administrators to freeze an entire dashboard view to display historical data as it existed at a specific past moment. It helps teams investigate past incidents, evaluate high-volume permit launches, and generate historical reports without altering live operational data. This article is intended for OPSCOM administrators.</p>

## Setup and Configuration  


**Point in Time** is a built-in feature available on all customizable dashboards. Access is tied to standard dashboard viewing permissions (`dashboard_browse`). No additional system setup or backend configuration is required.

## Using Point in Time   


Administrators can use this tool to quickly toggle between live system data and anchored historical snapshots.

### Freezing a Dashboard to a Past Moment

1. Open the dashboard you'd like a historical view of.
2. In the top toolbar (next to the dashboard title), click the **Point in Time icon** (⟲).
3. In the **Point in Time** modal, click the **Select Date and Time** field to pick your target date and time.
4. Click **Save**.

The dashboard will reload every widget against that specific moment. The ⟲ icon will turn **amber** to indicate an anchored state, and hovering over it displays `Viewing as of: <date and time>`.

<div class="n-card-content" id="bkmrk-returning-to-live-da" role="none"><div class="n-spin-container" data-v-813e0d22=""><div class="n-spin-content"><form class="n-form" data-v-813e0d22="">### Returning to Live Data

<div class="n-tabs n-tabs--line-type n-tabs--medium-size n-tabs--top" data-v-813e0d22=""><div class="n-tabs-pane-wrapper"><div class="n-tab-pane" data-v-813e0d22=""><div class="n-form-item n-form-item--medium-size n-form-item--left-labelled" data-v-813e0d22=""><div class="n-form-item-blank"><div class="n-select" data-v-813e0d22=""><div class="n-base-selection"><div class="n-base-selection__state-border">1. Click the amber **Point in Time icon** (⟲) in the top toolbar.
2. Clear the date and time field (or click **Go Live**) and click **Save.**

</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>## How Widgets Behave When Anchored

When Point in Time is active, dashboard widgets automatically adapt their calculations:

- **Relative Windows:** Time-based widgets (e.g., Last 8 Hours, Last 30 Days) count back from the selected timestamp instead of the current clock time.
- **Active Snapshots:** Status-based metrics (e.g., Active Permits) display records that were active at that exact historical moment.
- **Auto-Refresh:** Automatic data polling automatically pauses across all widgets while anchored.
- **Static Content:** WYSIWYG rich-text panels and static notes remain unaffected.

## <span style="color: rgb(22, 145, 121);">Best Practices and Considerations</span>

- <span style="color: rgb(22, 145, 121);">**Perform Historical Audits with Point in Time:** Use the **Point in Time** anchor in the top dashboard toolbar to freeze dashboard metrics during past high-traffic incidents or specific reporting windows without disrupting live data for other team members.</span>
- **Local Browser View:** Point in Time anchors only apply to your active browser tab. Anchoring a dashboard will not alter live dashboards for other logged-in administrators or affect saved default views.
- **Incident Investigations:** Freeze the dashboard to the exact time of an incident or high-traffic launch to evaluate system performance and export matching raw CSV data from individual widgets.
- **Automatic Reset:** Navigating away from the dashboard page or refreshing your browser tab resets the view back to live data.

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