> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.thousandeyes.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.thousandeyes.com/product-documentation/internet-insights/provider-intelligence/analyze-time-series.md).

# Analyze Time Series

## Overview

While aggregated scores provide a 10,000-foot view of provider performance, the **Time Series** feature allows you to drill into hourly granular data per destination to understand what provider performance actually looks like in charts over time. In other words, **Time Series** charts help you understand the "why" and "how" behind the answer to which provider is best.

* **Identify patterns**: Daily congestion, weekend performance differences, seasonal trends.
* **Spot anomalies**: Outage events, performance spikes, unusual periods.
* **Validate stability**: Visually confirm what stability scores tell you.
* **Understand context**: See if issues were temporary or persistent.
* **Compare timing**: See if multiple providers had issues simultaneously (indicating external factors).
* **Detect emerging problems**: Catch gradual degradation before it becomes severe.

### Key Features

![Time series panel showing hourly provider metrics and tooltip](/files/SSKv53QqdvdbEoaxRWaQ)

* **Hourly data points**: View up to 4,320 hours of data (6 months).
* **Per-metric charts**: Separate time series chart for every [metric](https://docs.thousandeyes.com/product-documentation/internet-insights/provider-intelligence/build-a-query/prioritize-metrics).
* **Detailed tooltip**: Hover across the timeline to see how providers compare hour by hour.

## Viewing A Time Series

![The Destination(s) filter open with a cloud region selected, and the View Time Series button active at the bottom of the page](/files/JO1CrCiJ8aECl3LfKXJa)

To activate the **View Time Series** button, you must filter results by a specific destination (cloud region or application) and select at least one provider from the list.

{% hint style="info" %}
Use the **Destination(s)** field above the table to filter your results; the destination dropdowns within the **Query Builder** bar above generate results rather than filter them. **Summary View** and **Universal Application Summary** do not support time series.
{% endhint %}

You can select up to five providers to view time series data for a specific location. You can change to other locations within the time series panel.

### Chart Layout

![Stacked time series charts with one chart per metric and provider lines](/files/8o0fJbAfo2bSVzhNHGsT)

Each metric has its own chart (see [Prioritize Metrics](https://docs.thousandeyes.com/product-documentation/internet-insights/provider-intelligence/build-a-query/prioritize-metrics) to better understand the metrics we capture):

* **X-Axis**: Time (hourly increments over your selected time frame).
* **Y-Axis**: Metric value (for example, milliseconds for latency, percentage for loss).
* **Chart lines**: Each provider is represented by a different color.
* **Hover tooltip**: Displays exact values per provider for every hour in the time frame.

### Configuration Options

![Time series configuration fields for location, statistic, providers, and metrics](/files/RJ7wCAhOttAfHgB7Q1Jh)

Within the time series panel, you can change the chart data you see via the following configuration fields:

* **User Location**: Select any other location from the dropdown to view a time series from that location to your chosen destination. The list is populated with the user locations you defined in your query.
  * You can only view one location at a time.
* **Summary Statistic**: View the time series from different percentile perspectives, or as averages. See [Summary Statistics](https://docs.thousandeyes.com/product-documentation/internet-insights/provider-intelligence/view-results/summary-statistics) for information about how to use percentiles to understand data.
* **Select Providers**: Change the selection of providers you view. The list is populated with all available providers for that location. Choose up to any five at a time.
* **Select Metrics**: Choose which metrics to view. The list is populated with only those metrics available for the destination type:
  * Latency, loss, jitter and outages for cloud regions
  * All metrics except Total Unique AS Paths for applications.

**Note**: you cannot change the destination from the time series panel. You must go back to the results page to select another destination.

## Understanding Patterns

When multiple providers are displayed simultaneously:

**Parallel lines**: Providers performing similarly.

* Suggests consistent competitive landscape.
* All providers are affected by the same external factors (application, destination, time of day).

**Diverging lines**: One provider performing differently.

* Provider-specific issue or advantage.
* Helps identify which provider has unique problems or benefits.

**Crossing lines**: Performance changing over time.

* Provider A better in morning, Provider B better in afternoon.
* Time-of-day performance variations.
* Consider when your users are most active.

**Correlated spikes**: All providers spike simultaneously.

* Likely an application or destination issue, not provider-specific.
* External factor(s) affecting all paths.
* Less concerning for provider selection.

## Reading Outages and Response Codes

Outages and response codes behave slightly differently to other metrics.

**Key Considerations**:

* **Outages and Response Codes are count-based**: The chart shows the number of outages or response codes detected in each one-hour window (not a percentage).
* **Neither metric changes with percentiles**: Unlike latency or loss, outages and response codes are binary events. Changing the summary statistic (for example, from 95th to 50th percentile) does not affect outage or response code data.
* **Response Codes require applications**: They are displayed only when applications are selected as destinations. You cannot view response codes for cloud regions.
* **They can help unmask behavior issues**: You can view outage and response code metrics alongside metrics such as latency and packet loss to identify root causes or reveal weaknesses in otherwise well-performing providers.

**Examples**:

* You notice a latency spike on December 15 at 10 AM. Checking your outages chart reveals 3 outages occurred in that same hour. This confirms the spike was due to provider instability, not increased traffic.
* A provider shows good latency but high null responses, suggesting packet loss or routing issues are causing connection failures.