In this module, you will work with the Aura console tools to import, query, and explore data. You will also learn how to build a simple dashboard.
By the end of this module, you will be able to:
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Import data into your Aura instance using the Data Importer
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Query data using Cypher in the Query tool
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Explore your graph visually using the Explore tool
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Build a dashboard to visualize your data
Choosing the right tool for your data
Aura provides three complementary tools for interacting with your graph data. Each tool serves different users and use cases:
| Tool | Best for | Data scale | Requires Cypher? |
|---|---|---|---|
Query |
Developers, DBAs, data engineers |
Hundreds of nodes/relationships |
Yes |
Explore |
Business analysts, domain experts |
Thousands of nodes/relationships |
No (uses search phrases) |
Dashboards |
Stakeholders, executives, end users |
Aggregated metrics and summaries |
Created with Cypher, used without |
How data type affects tool choice
Highly connected data (social networks, fraud detection):
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Use Explore to visually trace connections and discover patterns
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Use Query when you need precise path-finding algorithms
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Use Dashboards to show metrics like "average connections per user"
Hierarchical data (org charts, product catalogs):
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Use Explore to navigate parent-child relationships visually
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Use Query for recursive traversals and aggregations
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Use Dashboards to display tree summaries and counts
Time-series or transactional data (logs, orders, events):
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Use Query for date-range filtering and aggregations
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Use Dashboards for trend visualizations and KPIs
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Use Explore to investigate specific transactions or anomalies
Knowledge graphs (recommendations, semantic data):
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Use Explore with Perspectives to provide business-friendly views
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Use Query for complex inference and similarity searches
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Use Dashboards to surface recommendations to end users