--- source_url: https://www.pubnub.com/docs/illuminate/basics title: PubNub Illuminate updated_at: 2026-06-18T11:26:31.807Z --- > Documentation Index > For a curated overview of PubNub documentation, see: https://www.pubnub.com/docs/llms.txt > For the full list of all documentation pages, see: https://www.pubnub.com/docs/llms-full.txt # PubNub Illuminate PubNub Illuminate is a real-time decision and analytics product. Customize it to your use case. Use Illuminate to: * Define custom real-time aggregated metrics. * Set up and deploy decision rules with conditions and actions. * See your metrics, the actions taken, and results. ## Availability Illuminate works with any real-time app. Start with a two‑week free trial and, after two weeks, [contact sales](https://www.pubnub.com/company/contact-sales/) to upgrade. If you use another platform, send data with the [PubNub Fire API](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/illuminate/business-objects/external-data-sources). ## Access Open the [Admin Portal](https://admin.pubnub.com/). In the sidebar, click **Illuminate** > **Dashboards**, **Business Objects**, or **Decisions**. These options map to the core modules in your real‑time workflow. :::tip Public Admin Portal demo Want to browse through the Admin Portal without creating an account? Explore it through the [Public Demo](https://demo-admin.pubnub.com/) that shows examples of most PubNub features for transport and logistics use case. ::: ## Building blocks Illuminate consists of these three modules: * [Business Object](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/illuminate/business-objects/basics) – Capture data into Illuminate. A Business Object ingests from selected apps and keysets. Define [data fields](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/illuminate/business-objects/basics#data-fields) and create [metrics](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/illuminate/business-objects/basics#metrics) that feed Decision rules and Dashboard charts. Activate it to start capture. * [Decision](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/illuminate/decisions/basics) – Turn metrics into action. Define [rules](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/illuminate/decisions/basics#rules) with [conditions](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/illuminate/decisions/basics#conditions) and [actions](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/illuminate/decisions/basics#actions). Decisions evaluate metrics in real time and run the action when a rule is met. * [Dashboard](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/illuminate/dashboards/basics) – Visualize outcomes and trends. A Dashboard renders [charts](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/illuminate/dashboards/basics#charts) using metrics from Business Objects and actions from Decisions. Track performance in real time. ![Illuminate — building blocks diagram showing Business Object, Decision, and Dashboard modules](https://www.pubnub.com/assets/images/illuminate-building-blocks-a3e8e52563c889f9ad7d88bf9959a8e4.png) ###### Ingest message data into Illuminate Illuminate captures data from [published messages](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/general/messages/overview) through Business Object field mapping. Map fields from your message payloads and metadata to track values like message content, sender, [custom message type](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/general/messages/type), or any JSON path in your publish structure. This lets you build metrics, trigger decisions, and visualize trends based on your real-time message traffic. ## Get started Start with [Business Objects](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/illuminate/business-objects/basics) to define and capture data. Then create [Decisions](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/illuminate/decisions/basics) to act on metrics. Finally, build [Dashboards](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/illuminate/dashboards/basics) to monitor results. ## Who uses Illuminate Illuminate is meant to serve three types of personas, although all actions can be performed by one person or a few collaborating asynchronously: * Users who are responsible for growth and revenue. They need to understand what's happening in real time, make decisions based on the data they see, and execute them. Usually, they are Growth or Product Managers, Product Strategy Managers, or Product Directors. * Users who help others with data analysis and translate product data requirements into technical requirements for implementing data measuring points. Typically, they are Business Analysts, Data Scientists, or Business Intelligence Engineers. * Users who implement product features and support the application's technical development. Usually, they are Software Engineers, Tech Leads, or Technical Directors. ## Sample use case Illuminate helps you make data‑backed decisions across industries and use cases. Examples: * **Multi-user collaboration (Gaming)**: Targeted monetization experiments * **Live audience engagement (Live events)**: Personalized recommendations, promotions, or rewards * **Data streaming (Transport, delivery, and logistics)**: Asset tracking * **Device control (IoT)**: Alerts and warnings This guide uses a gaming scenario with two competing guilds. Run an experiment: send discounts to engaged guilds (based on message volume). Measure if discounts lift revenue and item sales. For this scenario, we will set up the following: * [Business Object](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/illuminate/business-objects/create-business-object#use-case) that collects the data to measure. Create [metrics](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/illuminate/business-objects/create-business-object#create-metrics) that aggregate data for visualizations and decisions. Capture guild name, sent message, purchase item, and purchase value as data fields. Create two metrics: total messages per guild and total purchased item value. * [Decision](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/illuminate/decisions/create-decision#use-case) that defines conditions to evaluate and actions to take when conditions are met. For our scenario, we want to send a discount to a guild that sends 100 or more messages over 30 minutes. * [Dashboard](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/illuminate/dashboards/create-dashboards-and-charts#use-case) to visualize metric data and triggered actions in real time. Create a Dashboard with two charts. One chart shows message counts and discount triggers at the 100‑message threshold., Another chart shows revenue over time to compare discount impact. ## Terms in this document * **Business Object** - A container for data fields and metrics that defines aggregations and data sources. * **Dashboard** - A collection of widgets (charts) that give an overview of the metrics one is evaluating.