Dataset: Issues & Pull Requests
Entity: Pull Requests, Issues
Field ID: updated_at
Type: Datetime
Description: The datetime at which the item was last updated (description, CI build, assigned milestone, etc.).
Source: App
Transformation logic: N/A
From: |
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Github (PRs, Issues) |
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Gitlab (PRs, Issues) |
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Bitbucket (PRs) | Most recent of [ |
Azure DevOps (PRs, Issues) | ADO does not expose a "last updated" timestamp, so the date of the most recent activity event is used. |
JIRA (Issues) |
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ClickUp (Issues) |
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Trello (Issues) |
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Reporting Use Cases
The Updated At field is the ultimate indicator of an item's "freshness," capturing the timestamp of the most recent activity of any kind, from a code push to a comment or a label change. Its primary use is for identifying stale work and monitoring the pulse of ongoing activities.
Filtering for Stale and Active Work: This is the most powerful application of the
Updated Atfield. It allows you to manage your backlog and active work effectively.Find Stale Items: The most common use is to create a backlog grooming report by filtering for open items that have not been touched in a long time, using a filter like
Updated At before 90 days ago.Track Active Items: Conversely, you can build a "What's Happening Now" widget for daily stand-ups by filtering for items that have been updated recently, for example,
Updated At in the previous 24 hours.
Quantifying Item Staleness: You can use this field in custom formulas to measure exactly how long an item has been inactive.
In a list report of open items, you can add a custom dimension with the formula
ROUND((NOW() - updated_at) / DAY())to show the "Days Since Last Update." Sorting by this column is the fastest way to bring the most neglected items to the top of your list.
Analyzing Activity Trends: While less common, you can use this field as a time-based dimension to understand the overall "churn" or activity level in your projects.
A line chart with
YEAR_MONTH(updated_at)as the dimension andCOUNT()as the metric can reveal periods of high activity (e.g., a major backlog grooming effort) versus periods of inactivity.