Single access
The Single access metric shows the number of visits where the applicable reporting dimension contained only a single value for an entire visit. It is the broader, dimension-specific version of Single page visits. This metric is helpful in context of any dimension where you want to see the value of a dimension when it was set only once during a visit.
How this metric is calculated
The definition of this metric depends on the project setting of Count repeat instances:
- Count repeat instances enabled: Counts visits where the dimension contains exactly one value in a visit. If the dimension persists, then it no longer qualifies as a single access.
- Count repeat instances disabled: Counts visits where the dimension contains a single unique value. You can set the dimension item to the same value multiple times or have it persist and it still counts as a single access.
Regardless of ‘Count repeat instances’, the visit no longer qualifies as a single access if the dimension changes to a second unique value. Link tracking calls are included in this calculation if the dimension is set in them.
Difference between ‘Single access’ and ‘Single page visit’
In context of the Page dimension, ‘Single access’ and ‘Single page visits’ are always exactly identical regardless of the ‘Count repeat instances’ project setting. Their differences emerge when you use other dimensions.
- Single access: Shows the number of visits where the given dimension item was present for a single hit. It is contextual to the dimension that you use in your project.
- Single page visit: Shows the number of visits where the ‘Page’ dimension was present for a single hit. Even though you use another dimension in your report, it still counts visits that contain a single unique ‘Page’ dimension item.
If Count repeat instances is disabled, metric definitions change slightly:
- Single access: Shows the number of visits where the given dimension item did not change for the entire visit.
- Single page visit: Shows the number of visits where the ‘Page’ dimension did not change for the entire visit.
For example, consider the following example two-hit visits. The dimension in your report is Site section and ‘Count repeat instances’ is disabled.
- A visitor hits two pages, but they are both in the same site section. Since site section remained the same through the visit, it counts as a single access. It does not count as a single page visit because the visit contains more than one unique Page dimension item.
- A visitor hits two pages in different site sections, but both pages just happen to be named the same. The visit does not count as a single access because there were two unique site section values. It counts as a single page visit because there was a single unique Page dimension item.