Flow visualizations help you understand the journey stemming from or leading up to a specific conversion event on your website or your app. It traces a path through your dimensions (and dimension items) or metrics. Flow visualizations let you configure the start or end of the path you are interested in, or analyze all those paths that flow through a dimension or dimension item.
To start creating a flow diagram, add a blank panel to your project and click the visualizations icon in the left rail. Then drag the Flow visualization into the panel. Or drag the Flow visualization into an existing project.
Anchor your Flow visualization using one of three options:
Each of these categories is shown onscreen as a “drop zone.” You can populate the drop zone in 3 ways:
For example, let’s assume that you want to trace everything that leads up to a checkout event. You would drag a checkout-related dimension or metric (such as Order exists) into the Ends with drop zone.
If you choose a metric, you also need to provide a Pathing Dimension, as shown here, that you will use to build the path. The default is Page.
Calculated metrics cannot be dropped into the Starts with or Ends with drop zones.
(Optional) Click Show Advanced Settings to configure Advanced Settings:
Setting | Description |
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Wrap labels | Normally, the labels on the Flow elements are truncated to save screen real estate, but you can make the entire label visible by checking this box. Default = unchecked. |
Include repeat instances | Flow visualizations are based on instances of a dimension. This setting gives you the option to include or exclude repeated instances, e.g. Page reloads. However, repeats cannot be removed from Flow visualizations that include multi-valued dimensions, such as listVars, listProps, s.product, merchandising eVars, etc. Default = unchecked. |
Limit to first/last occurrence | Limit paths to those that start/end with the first/last occurrence of a dimension/item/metric. See the section below entitled “Example scenario for ‘limit to first/last occurrence’” for a more detailed explanation. |
Number of Columns | Determines how many columns you want in your Flow diagram. |
Items expanded per Column | How many items you want in each column. |
Flow Container |
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Click Build.
A summary of the Flow configuration appears at the top of the diagram. The paths in the diagram are proportional. Paths with more activity appear thicker.
To drill down further into the data, you have several options:
The flow diagram is interactive. Mouse over the diagram to change the details that are shown.
When you click on a node in the diagram, the details for that node appear. Click on the node again to collapse it.
You can filter a column to display only certain results, such as including and excluding, specifying criteria, etc.
Click the plus sign (+) on the left to expand a column.
Use the right-click options explained below to further customize the output.
Click the pencil icon next to the configuration summary to further edit the flow or rebuild it with different options.
You can also export and further analyze your Flow diagram as part of a project’s .CSV file by going to Project > Download CSV.
Above each column, a filter appears when you hover over it. By clicking the filter, you get the same filter dialog that exists in the Freeform table today. This filter works the same as it does in the Freeform table.
Option | Description |
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Focus on this node | Change the focus to the selected node. The focus node appears at the center of the Flow diagram. |
Start Over | Returns you to the Freeform diagram builder, where you can build a new Flow diagram. |
Create Segment from this point in flow | Create a segment. This takes you into the Segment Builder, where you can configure the new segment. |
Breakdown | Break the node down by available Dimensions, Metrics, or Time. |
Trend | Create a trended diagram for the node. |
Expand entire column | Expand a column to show all nodes. By default, only the top five nodes display. |
Collapse entire column | Hide all nodes in a column. |
Exclude Item/Restore Excluded Items | Removes a specific node from the column and automatically creates it as a filter at the top of the column. To restore the excluded item, right-click again and select Restore Excluded Item. you can also open the filter at the top of the column and remove the pillbox with the item you just excluded. |
When using this option, keep in mind that:
Example series of hits:
Home > Products > Add to cart > Products > Add to Cart > Billing > Order Confirmation
If Limit to first/last occurrence is disabled, then this single series of hits counts 2 occurrences of “Add to Cart”.
Expected Flow Output:
“Add to Cart” (2) —> “Products” (1)
-> “Billing” (1)
However, if Limit to first/last occurrence is enabled, only the first occurrence of “Add to cart” is included in the analysis.
Expected Flow Output:
“Add to Cart” (1) —> “Products” (1)
If Limit to first/last occurrence is disabled, then this single series of hits would count 2 occurrences of “Add to Cart”.
Expected Flow Output:
“Products” (2) <— “Add to cart” (2)
However, if Limit to first/last occurrence is enabled, only the last occurrence of Add to cart would be included in the analysis.
Expected Flow Output:
“Products” (1) <— “Add to cart” (1)