If yous're collecting website information in Google Analytics, you should know a few things about how data is organized inside the interface.

3 stages of the Google Analytics hierarchy:

  1. Business relationship – Contains all of your data for all websites
  2. Belongings – Each holding has a unique tracking ID (UA-########)
  3. View – Where yous actually view your website data in the GA interface

When you're analyzing your website data you're virtually likely spending most of your fourth dimension within the Views in Google Analytics. Views can be customized by applying FIlters to show y'all only the information you or your stakeholders want to see.

Why You Should Create Google Analytics View Filters

Pre-filtering your data before information technology reaches the concluding data collection stage in Google Analytics tin can save you a lot of time in analyzing your data – and there are a ton of possibilities for custom filters for your information! You can also be more than specific when directing stakeholders towards the data that is nearly valuable for them.

Some other reason to create pre-filtered views is to avoid sampling issues within the Google Analytics interface. Applying multiple filters or segments to data afterward it's already processed by GA can be slow, and you run the risk of your data existence sampled to the bespeak where information technology tin't exist used to derive insights and recommendations.

Learn more almost view filtering — including why it matters how you rank (or social club) filters in Seer'south filter lodge guide here.

Basic Google Analytics Views to Gear up:

1) Raw (Unfiltered) Data View

You should always accept a fill-in Google Analytics view that is truly an unfiltered view. In add-on to acting every bit a fill-in, a Raw (Unfiltered) Data View is useful for reviewing changes that would otherwise be filtered out from other views. One time y'all apply a filter to a view y'all cannot retroactively remove information technology, so a raw view also ensures you have access to all historical data that flows into GA.

Like the proper name suggests, "Unfiltered" means that at that place should be no filters practical within the View Filter Settings, similar below:

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2) Examination Data View

A Test Information View is too pretty self-explanatory: y'all use this view to test out any filters or configuration changes in Google Analytics! The reason for using a Test view is to make sure any changes are validated before applying them to your overall data – you can't go dorsum and erase past Google Analytics information.

3) Overall View

Your Overall View is your clean information source that pulls in all Google Analytics data (aside from data such as IP addresses and spam that are purposefully filtered out). This view should include all hostnames of your website, all channels driving traffic, etc.

How to Fix Up half dozen GA View Filters

  • View Filter #ane: Channels
  • View Filter #2: Device Type
  • View Filter #3: Content Type
  • View Filter #4: User-ID
  • View Filter #5: Geography
  • View Filter #6: Custom Dimensions

How to Set Upwardly Google Analytics View Filter #1: Channels

Yous can make a view for whatever Aqueduct or Source / Medium you'd like by using View filters!

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  1. Organic Search Aqueduct

These are examples of meridian channels that you may have dedicated teams for (either internally or with Seer!). Pre-filtering these views can help make data assay faster and easier, either in the interface or by connecting to tools such as Data Studio.

If y'all have teams dedicated to managing social media, take a specific view for them to measure the click through rate from social to your website from specific social sources, campaigns, and more. Offset, you should make certain that your teams are correctly tagging all social campaigns – check out this blog mail service for more info on campaign tagging.

How to Gear up Google Analytics View Filter #2: Device Type

Three more helpful views to gear up up are ones that filter for only a specific device blazon. If your site has a large mobile presence, this is especially helpful to monitor UX for mobile users to assist identify any points of friction or UX issues.

  1. Desktop Devices

  2. Mobile Devices

  3. Tablet Devices

To set upwardly filters for a view specific to a certain device, you lot can but include but the Device Category of your choosing, such equally mobile.

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If you lot want to get even more than granular here, you can cull to include only specific operating systems. Building a RegEx formula of Mobile OS that you want to include is a great fashion to even further segment your audiences by device.

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How to Set Up Google Analytics View Filter #three: Content Blazon

ane. Blog Pages

two. Career Pages

If your website has a blog, it's well-nigh likely broken out into a subfolder on your site, or it might exist an entirely different subdomain. If yous have a content team writing posts, information technology'south helpful to accept a specific view for them to view blog engagement, pinnacle posts and categories, etc.

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Additionally, although Careers page viewers may not be your target audience for your production or service right now, it'southward still just every bit important to understand their behavior. Y'all might even have specific goals for viewing or applying to your job listings!

How to Set up Upwards Google Analytics View Filter #4: User-ID

If your website offers a customer login or portal, you should have the User ID characteristic turned on so you tin place who your true prospective customers are compared to your existing customers.

To create a User-ID view, y'all'll first accept to enable the characteristic within Google Analytics' Property Settings. In one case you complete all the necessary steps, yous'll exist able to create a User ID view right from this screen! A bully way to leverage User ID tracking is include only users with a User ID so you can sympathise user behavior for existing customers.

On the flip side, excluding users with a User ID can show you true prospective customer information such as traffic and conversion rates.

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How to Fix Up Google Analytics View Filter #5: Geography

In that location are several location-based filters you tin apply to your views, which can exist especially useful if y'all operate in multiple countries. However, you take the granularity to filter all the way down to the urban center level if you desire.

  • Filter by Land

  • Filter by City

  • Filter past State (Region)

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You can even filter by Linguistic communication Settings, which tin brand your geo-targeting views fifty-fifty more specific to your audiences.

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How to Set Up Google Analytics View Filter #6: Custom Dimensions

Google Analytics allows you to create Custom Dimensions that collect data unique to your website. One time y'all create a Custom Dimension, it will appear equally an option to use in view filters, opening upward even more possibilities to create audition segmented views.

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Before y'all get besides excited virtually your new view possibilities, keep in mind that the costless version of Google Analytics only allows 25 Views per Property. This means yous'll need to be very strategic with your views and programme for what to practise when you max out. If yous go over the limit or reach it, consider the following solutions:

  • Create a net new property – this requires a new holding ID to be added to your site & splits your information between multiple properties in Google Analytics. However, nosotros caveat that this can brand it more difficult to find the information you need.
  • Upgrade to Google Analytics 360 to expand the number of views per property.

Want to acquire more about upgrading to Google Analytics 360? Contact the Analytics squad or keep reading our blog posts for more!