# Smart Trends Dashboards
Verkada cameras leverage artificial intelligence and computer vision to analyze the movement of people and vehicles. This data, combined with third-party data integrations via Helix, provides a powerful series of capabilities that go beyond physical security.
There are five types of widgets you can add to your dashboards:
* [**Occupancy Trends**](#occupancy-trends-widget)**:** Monitor entry, exit, and total people and vehicles inside a space.
* [**Queue Trends**](#queue-trends-widget)**:** Monitor queue lengths and customer wait times.
* [**Helix Trends**](#helix-trends-widget)**:** Visualize custom events you have configured using third-party data.
* [**Conversion Trends**](#conversion-trends-widget)**:** See what percentage of visitors convert into customers.
* [**Alert Trends**](#alert-trends-widget): Visualize the frequency of specific camera alerts in your organization.
Smart Trends dashboards are available to configure, manage, and review across all Command platforms (web browser and the mobile app).
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Data populated for Occupancy Trends, Queue Trends, and Conversion Trends widgets is not retroactive. Those widgets will not populate data generated before the widget was configured.
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## Create a dashboard
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**In Verkada Command, go to All Products > Cameras.**
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**In the left navigation, select Camera Analytics.**
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**Next to My Dashboard, click** :plus:**.**
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**On Sites:**
a. Select the sites to trigger an alert.\
b. Click **Done** to continue.
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**On People with Access:**
a. Search for and add Command users who should receive the alerts.\
b. Click :angle-left:.
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**On Timezone: Use the dropdown to select the timezone for the site.**
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**Click Save.**
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**In the top left, click Untitled Dashboard and enter a descriptive name.**
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## Occupancy Trends Widget
The Occupancy Trends widget counts the number of people or vehicles entering and exiting a specific area. This is done by drawing virtual lines on camera feeds and defining IN and OUT directions.
### Configuration
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**In the top right, select Widget > Occupancy Trends.**
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**Under Occupancy Type, click Select > People or Vehicles.**
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**Under Sites > your site, click Cameras.**
a. Select the cameras that cover your entrance/exit.\
b. Click **Next.**\
c. Click **Select Lines.** You can draw lines across multiple cameras to cover different entry points. Draw a digital line along the path people take to enter your store and define the correct **IN** and **OUT** directions. Each camera supports up to five lines.\
d. Click **Done.**
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**In the top right, click Save.**
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### Best practices
* **Choose a one-directional path:** This feature works best in locations like doors and hallways. Mount cameras on the ceiling perpendicular to the path.
* **Install the camera 8-12 feet (3-4 meters) from the digital line:** This distance provides the most accurate data.
* **Position vertically between 40°- 60°:** The camera should be positioned no more than 40° - 60° degrees vertically from the location of the digital line.
* **Minimize occlusions:** Draw the line in a part of the frame that is not blocked by objects and where people are less likely to overlap.
* **Ensure good illumination:** Significant differences in lighting on either side of the line can impact accuracy. Avoid placing lines in naturally dark areas.
* **Ensure good visibility:** People must be clearly visible for at least a second on both sides of the line before crossing it. Avoid placing lines right at a corner or on an opaque door that opens inwards.
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## Queue Trends Widget
The Queue Trends widget measures the number of people or vehicles present in a defined area (e.g., a checkout line or drive-thru) and the average wait time.
### Configuration
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**In the top right, select Widget > Queue Trends.**
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**Under Queue Type, click Select > People or Vehicles.**
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**Under Sites > your site, click Cameras.**
a. Select the cameras pointed at your queueing area.\
b. Click **Next.**\
c. Click **Edit Regions**. Draw a polygon that covers the entire queue area. Each camera supports only one queue region.\
d. Click **Done.**
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**In the top right, click Save.**
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### Best practices
* **Use a top-down view:** A camera positioned directly above the queue region, such as a ceiling-mounted fisheye camera, yields the best results.
* **Install the camera 8-12 feet (3-4 meters) above the queue region:** For high ceilings, use a drop pole with a pendant cap mount to achieve this distance.
* **Properly angle the lens:** For non-fisheye cameras, angle the lens as close to 90° (straight down) as possible while still capturing the entire queue region.
* **Minimize occlusions:** Ensure objects do not block the region and is in an area where people are less likely to overlap.
* **Ensure good illumination:** Consistent lighting in and around the queue region is critical for accuracy.
* **Ensure good visibility:** People and vehicles must be clearly visible before entering the queue region.
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## Helix Trends Widget
The Helix Trends widget displays information about custom third-party events you have integrated into the platform over specified time periods.
### Configuration
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**In the top right, select Widget > Helix Trends.**
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**Under Helix Type, click Select > the Helix Event you want to report on.**
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**Select a mode to choose how the data is displayed:**
* **Count of all events:** total number of transactions
* **Sum of an attribute:** total sales revenue
* **Average of an attribute:** average transaction value or discount percentage
a. Click **Done.**
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**(Optional) Under Filtered by Attribute, add conditions to filter for specific events (for example, Discount = True or Transaction\_Value > 100).**
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**In the top right, click Save.**
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## Conversion Trends Widget
The Conversion Trends widget combines point-of-sale data (from Helix) with foot traffic data (from an Occupancy Trends widget) to reveal how effectively your traffic translates into purchases.
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You must have an **Occupancy Trends** widget already set up to use this feature.
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### Configuration
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**In the top right, select Widget > Conversion Trends.**
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**Under Occupancy Trends, click Select > an existing Occupancy widget you want to use to source people counts.**
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**Under Helix Event, click Select > the Helix Event that represents a sales conversion, such as a transaction event.**
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**(Optional) Under Filtered by Attribute, add conditions to filter for specific transactions (for example, purchases over $100).**
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**In the top right, click Save.**
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## Alert Trends Widget
The Alert Trends widget allows users to pull quantitative data from one or multiple camera alerts configured in their organization to better understand frequency patterns.
### Configuration
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**In the top right, select Widget > Alert Trends.**
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**Using the checkboxes, select one or multiple camera alerts to be used for this widget.**
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**In the top right, click Save.**
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### General best practices
* **Optimize Loading Docks:** Use Queue Trends and Occupancy Trends to monitor loading docks, improve vehicle flow, and reduce delays.
* **Boost Operational Visibility:** Use Occupancy Trends and Helix Trends to track throughput across key checkpoints and enhance supply chain efficiency.
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### Export data
All data displayed on your dashboard widgets can be exported for further analysis.
* **CSV Download:**
1. In the top right of the dashboard, click .
2. Select **Delete Dashboard**.
* **API Access:** Use Verkada’s API endpoints to export camera analytics data directly into third-party software. See our [API documentation](https://apidocs.verkada.com/reference/introduction) for more information.