Evidence

Product Introduction

1. Definition: Evidence is a code-first embedded analytics platform designed for data teams. It falls into the technical category of embedded business intelligence (BI) tools, enabling the creation of customer-facing dashboards and reports directly within applications.
2. Core Value Proposition: Evidence replaces traditional drag-and-drop BI tools with a version-controlled, SQL/markdown-based workflow, allowing data teams to build, test, and deploy production-grade embedded analytics without compromising development rigor or security.

Main Features

1. Code-First Development:
   • Build dashboards using SQL queries and markdown syntax, stored in Git for full version control.
   • Utilizes component-based architecture (e.g., {% calendar_heatmap %}) for reusable, parameterized visualizations.
   • Integrates with CI/CD pipelines for automated testing and deployment.
2. Brand-Customizable Themes:
   • Live theme editor with instant previews modifies CSS variables (colors, fonts, spacing) to match host applications.
   • Outputs responsive, publication-quality visualizations compatible with all device sizes via SVG/HTML5.
3. High-Performance Query Engine:
   • Delivers sub-second latency on large datasets (millions of records) via intelligent caching, query optimization, and auto-scaling.
   • Uses WebAssembly (WASM) for client-side computations to reduce server load.
4. Database-Level Row Security:
   • Enforces row-level security (RLS) at the data source using encrypted JWT tokens.
   • Declarative access policies sync with user attributes, eliminating custom middleware.
5. Embedding API & Security:
   • Generates single-use, encrypted URLs via JWE (JSON Web Encryption) for iframe embedding.
   • Configurable session lengths and global data residency across 20+ regions (e.g., GDPR compliance).

Problems Solved

1. Pain Point: Fragile, non-version-controlled analytics workflows in drag-and-drop BI tools that break during updates or fail to scale.
2. Target Audience: Data engineers (managing SQL/data models), product teams (embedding customer analytics), and security/compliance officers (requiring audit trails).
3. Use Cases:
   • SaaS companies embedding usage dashboards with strict tenant isolation.
   • Fintech apps requiring real-time, auditable financial reporting.
   • Global enterprises needing multi-region data residency and localization.

Unique Advantages

1. Differentiation: Unlike Tableau/Power BI Embedded, Evidence treats analytics as code—integrating with modern data stacks (dbt, Snowflake) rather than standalone GUI tools.
2. Key Innovation: Merge of markdown simplicity with database-native security, enabling secure, scalable embedded analytics owned entirely by data teams without frontend dependencies.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. How does Evidence handle data security for embedded dashboards?
   Evidence enforces row-level security at the database layer using encrypted user attributes, ensuring customers only access their own data without custom code.
2. Can Evidence integrate with existing data warehouses like Snowflake or BigQuery?
   Yes, Evidence connects directly to cloud data warehouses via SQL, leveraging existing data models without ETL duplication.
3. What makes Evidence faster than traditional embedded analytics tools?
   Its optimized query engine uses intelligent caching, parallel processing, and WebAssembly for sub-second interactions on large datasets.
4. Is Evidence suitable for multi-language or global deployments?
   Yes, it supports localization and data residency in 20+ regions, meeting compliance requirements like GDPR and CCPA.
5. How does version control work in Evidence?
   Dashboards are defined in markdown/SQL files stored in Git, enabling branch-based development, peer reviews, and CI/CD deployment rollbacks.