Analytics
Read the dashboard's visitor, traffic, device and location widgets.
On this page
You'll review how people use your public site and compare activity over time. The screenshots here use demo data.
Review site activityLink to this section
- Open the dashboard and find Analytics overview and Traffic.
- Check the service named beneath the widgets and choose a period, such as Last 28 days.
- Compare visitor numbers with the traffic chart, then check the sources and pages below. Use the same period when comparing results.
The sections below explain each widget.
Live visitorsLink to this section
Live shows the number of recently active visitors and the time window beneath it, such as Active in the last 5 min. It refreshes while the dashboard is visible. It is not the total for your selected date range.
Overview numbersLink to this section
The Analytics overview gives a quick view of the selected period.
| Number | What it does | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Visitors | Estimates the distinct people or browsers visiting in the period. | One person using two devices may count more than once. |
| Views | Counts recorded page views, including repeat views. | Views can be higher than visitors. |
| Bounce rate | Shows the share of visits the provider counts as a bounce. | The exact definition depends on the provider; a short visit can still answer someone's question. |
| Avg duration | Estimates how long visits last on average. | It is an estimate, not a stopwatch for every reader. |
| Percentage change | Compares a figure with the preceding comparable period. | A fall in bounce rate may be useful even though it is a negative percentage. |
K means thousands: 24.1K is about 24,100. A duration of 2:24 means two minutes and 24 seconds.
Traffic over timeLink to this section
The Traffic chart shows visitors and views across the selected period. Use the period selector, such as Last 28 days, to change the range. Hover over a point to inspect a particular date.
Changing the analytics period in one widget updates the other analytics widgets too. The Last 28 days range normally ends yesterday, so it excludes an unfinished today.
A spike may follow a campaign, newsletter or news story. Compare it with the dates of your activity before deciding what caused it. Use the same period when comparing widgets.
Top sources and pagesLink to this section
Top sources ranks where recorded traffic came from. Direct means no source was identified; it can include typed addresses, bookmarks or links that did not pass a source. It does not prove someone typed your address.
Top pages ranks the addresses receiving the most recorded activity. / is your homepage. A long article address identifies that article, not a separate type of visitor. These lists show the provider's count for each row, usually visitors or views; ask your agency which measure your provider uses if you need a precise comparison. A top list is not the complete total.
Devices and locationsLink to this section
Audience devices lets you switch between Device type, Browser and OS. It shows the share and count for each group. Use it to understand how visitors access the site and which screens to check when reviewing content.
Locations offers Countries, Regions and Cities. These are estimated locations, often based on the connection used by the visitor. They may not identify where someone actually lives.
Age and genderLink to this section
Where supported, Age groups the provider's estimated audience into age ranges, with a count for each. Gender shows the provider's categories with percentages and counts. Unknown means no value was available. These are estimates for the measured audience, not verified details about individual customers.
These widgets normally need Google Analytics 4 demographic data. Privacy limits can hide or reduce results. Their totals may differ from the visitor total; do not assume every visitor has demographic information.
Cloudflare numbersLink to this section
When Cloudflare is enabled, its widgets use a separate period selector and a Provided by Cloudflare label. These measure requests to the site, including files and automated traffic.
| Number or widget | What it does | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Requests | Counts requests for pages and files. | One page visit can cause many requests. |
| Bandwidth | Shows the amount of data transferred. | GB means gigabytes, not visitors. |
| Cached | Shows the share of requests served from Cloudflare's saved copies. | This is a performance measure, not a publication status. |
| Unique visitors | Estimates distinct visitors seen by Cloudflare. | It uses a different measure from your visitor analytics. |
| Threats blocked | Counts requests Cloudflare classified and blocked as threats. | A request is not necessarily a distinct attacker. |
| Traffic | Charts total and cached requests, or transferred data in Bandwidth. | Check the selected tab and period before comparing. |
| Cache | Shows cached and uncached shares and counts, plus request counts by content type. | Images, page HTML and other files are different types of request. |
| Security | Charts blocked threats and ranks their estimated countries. | Country counts describe blocked requests, not your customer audience. |
For refreshing old content, see cache and performance. Ask your agency about unusual security changes.
Why numbers may differLink to this section
Analytics providers measure visits differently. Cookie choices, privacy tools and blocked tracking can reduce recorded activity. Cloudflare traffic can also include automated requests, so it need not match visitor analytics.
Do not treat page views as enquiries or sales. Compare them with form submissions and your own business records. If a widget is empty or shows an error, check the period and ask your agency to check the connection.
Check afterwardsLink to this section
Confirm the period and the service named beneath each chart. Compare the same date range when reviewing a campaign. Use stored form responses or your sales records to check business results.