This article will help you to :
- Understand the difference between Google Analytics’ Filters and Segments
When exploring your Google Analytics data, there are two options to isolate what you’re looking for: Segments and Filters. Although they seem similar, they are fundamentally different.
Example
Say that two users visit your website: User A and User B. Within one single session, User A browses three pages (/homepage twice, /products, and /cart) and User B browses only one page (/homepage):
Case 1: Filter
If you apply a filter where pageViews==”/homepage”, you’ll get the following:
- Number of pageViews for User A = 2
- Number of pageViews for User B = 1
- Total number of pageViews: 3
Case 2: Segment
A segment is a cluster of users or sessions that matches specific criteria. You can for exemple create a segment that is defined by all sessions that have seen at least one time a specific page; or users that have visited your site at least 2 times etc…
If you apply a segment where pageViews==”/homepage”, you’ll get the following:
- Number of pageViews for User A = 4
- Number of pageViews for User B = 1
- Total number of pageViews: 5