When viewing historical utilization data in Connect, the default time interval used is 30 minutes. But what exactly does that mean?
Here’s a quick explanation of how data is collected and shown in the app—and why it matters.
Time-Based Metrics
Time-based metrics are inclusive—they show if a space was used.
- Connect collects data in 30-minute blocks.
- If someone is present at any time during a 30-minute interval, we mark that entire block as occupied.
- Even if a space was used for just 5 minutes, it counts as used for the full 30-minute window.
Why this matters: These metrics help answer questions like:
“Was the space in use today?” or “What hours of the day see the most activity?”
Example: Time-based heatmap
Seat-Based Metrics
Seat-based metrics are precise—they show how many people were there at that moment.
- Seat data is also collected every 30 minutes—but instead of tracking the full block, we take a snapshot at that time.
- If 3 people are seated at the moment we sample, we record 3 seats in use for that 30-minute period.
- If the space was briefly used before or after the sample, it may show 0 seats used, even if someone was there.
Why this matters: These metrics are better for understanding average demand or group sizes—but short visits may be missed if they don’t line up with the sample time.
Example: Hourly trend of average seat utilization
Why the Difference?
Time-based metrics and seat-based metrics are designed to answer different questions.
- Time-based metrics are inclusive—they show if a space was used.
- Seat-based metrics are precise—they show how many people were there at that moment.
Understanding this difference helps you make more confident decisions about how your spaces are being used.
Custom Intervals on Connect
In the previous app (called Coworker), users could change the data interval—for example, to 15 or 60 minutes.
In Connect, 30-minute intervals are the default for all historical utilization views. This standard keeps things consistent and easier to interpret across different charts.
Next read: About Connect Raw Data Report