This tutorial demonstrates how to use Communalytic’s built-in Network Visualizer. This feature allows you to visualize your dataset as an interactive network within your browser without installing specialized software. It is optimized for networks with fewer than 100,000 edges.
To illustrate how to use the Network Visualizer, we will examine a “Reply-To” communication network from Reddit. Specifically, we will use a sample of posts and replies shared in the subreddit r/CanadaPolitics based on a sample of 3,705 posts and replies shared between March 21–24, 2026.
Step 1: Access and Start the Network Analysis #
After collecting your data, open the dataset and navigate to the Network Analyzer in the left-hand side menu.
Next, choose the desired network type (e.g., Reply-To, Link Sharing) and generate the network by clicking the Generate Network button. Communalytic will begin processing the posts to create a network representation of your data.
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Step 2: Launch the Network Visualizer #
Once the network analysis is complete, click the Visualize Network button.
The visualizer will open in a new view, as shown below, where each node represents an account and each connection (edge) represents a reply.
You can use the floating control buttons to manage your view of the network. The toolbar on the bottom right allows you to 1) enter full-screen mode for an immersive experience, 2) zoom in and zoom out for detailed inspection or a broad overview, or 3) reset the camera to the default position (Home icon). Additionally, the “Move Nodes” toggle at the top right of the canvas allows you to manually rearrange the position of individual nodes to better organize the layout or highlight specific clusters.
Step 3: Adjust display options in the left-side Control Panel #
The Control Panel on the left side of the screen allows you to view network properties, select layouts, and apply filters.
3.1 Network Info Panel #
This panel displays the total number of nodes and edges. In our example, the network contains 967 nodes and 3,254 edges.
Tip: The orange exclamation icon indicates “isolated nodes” (accounts without connections). These are hidden by default to reduce visual clutter.
3.2 Visualization Panel #
This section controls the aesthetic and mathematical layout of the network:
- Node Size: Adjust sizes based on In-degree centrality (number of replies received) or Out-degree centrality (number of replies sent). Larger nodes indicate higher activity in that category.
- Node Color: Assign colors based on attributes like Community membership or Degree centrality.
- Layout Algorithm: Click the Start Layout button to run a network layout algorithm to improve the readability of dense network. This option is designed in cases when the default layout produces a dense network visualization that is difficult to decipher.
- The default layout is based on the iGraph’s auto layout algorithm for smaller networks (<1000 edges) and GPU-powered cuGraph implementation of ForceAtlas2 – a force-directed algorithm that pulls connected nodes together and pushes others apart.
3.3 Search & Filters Panel #
The Search & Filters panel is your primary tool for navigating complex visualizations. It allows you to isolate specific data points, highlight key actors, and reduce visual noise by filtering nodes and edges based on specific attributes.
1). Find nodes by label: To search for a node, enter a keyword of at least 3 characters into the search field. The search function is case-insensitive, so it will match text regardless of capitalization. Once a search is initiated, matching nodes will be highlighted in the visualization.
For example, searching for “canada” will highlight all accounts with usernames containing “canada” or “Canada” (such as CanadaPolitics-ModTeam and AbundantCanada), as shown in the visualization below.
2). Node attribute: This option allows to filter the entire network based on node-level metrics. This is particularly useful for identifying the most influential or active participants.
The Degree attribute represents the total number of connections (in-degree + out-degree) an account has. By selecting “Degree,” you can access a range slider and input boxes to set specific minimum and maximum values. This feature is designed to hide “noise” from low-activity accounts, allowing you to focus on the high-traffic hubs.
For example, setting a minimum degree of 30 will hide all nodes that have fewer than 30 total interactions, leaving only the most central and highly connected participants visible as shown in the example below.
The Community node attribute filter can show/hide clusters of accounts that interact more frequently with each other than with the rest of the network. These communities are detected using cuGraph’s implementation of the Louvain community detection algorithm. As a visual guide, nodes within the same community are assigned a unique color. You can toggle specific communities on or off using the checkboxes in the “Unique Values” list to isolate clusters and study sub-group dynamics.
For example, the visualization below shows only Communities #1 (Red), #2 (Blue), and #3 (Green) selected, providing a clear view of how these three groups interact.
3). The Edge attribute filter option allows you to show/hide connections shown between accounts, matching a given condition. This option makes it easier to analyze temporal trends or behavioral patterns within the network.
One common way to use this filter is by selecting the Date edge attribute (i.e., when a post was sent) to observe how network activity evolves over time. After selecting this option from the dropdown menu, you can adjust a specific timeframe by using a calendar picker to set start and end dates. Any posts/replies (and the corresponding edges) that are posted outside the specified time period will be hidden.
Additionally, if you have already completed a Civility Analysis, you can use the Toxicity attribute to filter interactions based on their content.
For instance, by setting a minimum toxicity score to 0.7 and maximum to 1, you can hide neutral interactions and focus exclusively on edges representing likely high-toxicity posts.
Step 4: Preview Posts Sent/Received by User #
Selecting a specific node in the network will highlight that user and their direct exchanges with others. When a node is selected, a “Posts Preview” floating panel appears to display the actual content of the messages.
For example, if you filter edges by toxicity scores of 0.7 or above and click on the central node in Cluster 9 (@EarthWarping), you will see 4 likely “toxic” replies directed to that user out of 64 total received replies. You can use the scroll bar within this panel to view all replies sent to or posted by the selected user to gain more context on the nature of the interactions.
Viewing the Original Posts #
To see how a specific post appears on the original platform such as Reddit, look for the blue arrow icon located beside the date in the “Posts Preview” panel. Clicking this icon will open a new window or tab, displaying the post exactly as it appears on the live platform if the post is still available. This is useful for verifying the full thread, checking for media attachments, or seeing the live engagement metrics (likes, upvotes, or additional comments) associated with that specific interaction.
Additionally, for supported dataset types, including Bluesky, Telegram, TikTok, and X, you can view embedded posts directly within this panel by switching the “Show embedded posts” toggle to the “on” position. This allows you to view the rich content of the post without leaving the visualization.
