Published on 2025-06-22T07:11:05Z

Analytics Glossary

Welcome to the Analytics Glossary Index, your ultimate hub for demystifying the language of data. Here you’ll find an ever-growing collection of clearly articulated definitions—from foundational metrics like pageviews, sessions, and unique visitors, to advanced concepts such as multi-touch attribution models, cohort analysis, and predictive lifetime value calculations. Each glossary entry is crafted to cut through the jargon, offering practical examples and “see-also” links that connect related terminology. Whether you’re a marketer fine-tuning an acquisition campaign, a product manager tracking engagement milestones, or a developer integrating tracking snippets into your codebase, this index page helps you navigate and discover the exact term definitions you need, all in one place.

Illustration of Analytics Glossary

Analytics terms starting with letter 'A'

A/B Testing: Comparing two versions of a web page or app to see which performs better.
ABM (Account-Based Marketing): A B2B strategy targeting specific accounts rather than broad audiences.
AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages): A Google framework for fast-loading mobile pages.
API Analytics: Tracking and analyzing API usage.
API Key: A unique code that allows access to an API.
ARPPU (Average Revenue per Paying User): Revenue from paying users only.
ARPU (Average Revenue per User): Total revenue divided by number of users.
ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue): Revenue expected from subscriptions annually.
Acquisition: The process of attracting users to your website or product.
Active Users: Users who engage with your product or site in a given period.
Ad Attribution: Determining which ads led to user conversions.
Ad Clicks: Number of times users click on ads.
Ad Impressions: Number of times ads are displayed.
Ad Inventory: Total amount of ad space available for sale.
Ad Server: A system that stores and delivers ads to digital properties.
Advanced Segment: A defined subset of analytics data for deeper analysis.
Affinity Audience: Users grouped by similar interests or habits.
Affinity Segment: Grouping users based on shared interests.
Aggregated Data: Data combined from several measurements.
Aggregation: Summing or averaging data to higher-level metrics.
Algorithm: A set of rules for data processing or analysis.
Algorithmic Attribution: Using algorithms to assign conversion credit across channels.
Alt Text Analytics: Measuring and analyzing image alt text for accessibility and SEO.
Anomaly Detection: Identifying data points that differ from expected patterns.
App Event: User action tracked within a mobile application.
Application Analytics: Insights from software application usage.
Asynchronous Tracking: Analytics code runs independently from page load.
Attribution Model: Method for assigning credit for conversions to channels.
Attribution Window: Time period for assigning conversions to specific campaigns or channels.
Audience: Group of users defined by shared traits or behaviors.
Audience Overlap: Users who belong to multiple audience segments.
Authentication Event: Tracking user logins or authentication.
Auto-Tagging: Automatically appending tracking tags to URLs.
Automated Reporting: Scheduling reports to generate automatically.
Average Order Value (AOV): Average value of each purchase.
Average Position: The average ranking of an ad or search result.

Analytics terms starting with letter 'B'

Backend Analytics: Tracking and analyzing server-side events.
Banner Ad: Image-based ad displayed on websites.
Behavioral Data: Data about users’ actions and behaviors.
Behavioral Targeting: Serving content or ads based on user behavior.
Benchmarking: Comparing metrics against industry standards.
Bid Adjustment: Changing ad bids based on certain criteria or performance.
Big Data: Extremely large data sets analyzed for insights.
Bot Traffic: Visits or events generated by automated bots rather than real users.
Bounce Rate: Percentage of visitors who leave after one page.
Bounce Session: A session where a user leaves after viewing only one page.
Brand Lift: Increase in brand awareness or favorability due to a campaign.
Browser Analytics: Metrics specific to browser types and versions.
Browser Fingerprinting: Identifying users by browser and device characteristics.

Analytics terms starting with letter 'C'

CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost): Cost to acquire a new customer.
CAC Payback Period: Time required to recoup customer acquisition costs.
CPC (Cost Per Click): See above.
CPCV (Cost per Completed View): Cost model for video ads charged per completed view.
CPM (Cost Per Mille): See above.
CRM Analytics: Insights from customer relationship management data.
CRM Integration: Syncing analytics with customer relationship management systems.
CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score): Metric for measuring customer satisfaction.
CTR Benchmarks: Standard click-through rates for comparison.
Cache Busting: Forcing browsers to load the latest files.
Campaign Code: Unique identifier for a marketing campaign.
Campaign Tracking: Measuring the performance of marketing campaigns.
Canonical URL: The preferred URL for SEO and analytics.
Cart Abandonment Rate: Percentage of users who add items to cart but do not purchase.
Churn Rate: Percentage of customers who stop using a product.
Churned User: A user who has stopped using a product or service.
Click Fraud: Fraudulent clicking of ads with the intent to increase costs or revenue.
Click Map: Visual representation of where users click on a page.
Click Path: Sequence of pages a user visits.
Click-Through Rate (CTR): Percentage of users who click a link or ad.
Client ID: A unique identifier for a device or user session.
Client-Side Tracking: Data collection that happens in the user's browser.
Cluster Analysis: Grouping objects that are similar to each other.
Cohort Analysis: Studying groups of users over time.
Commerce Event: Tracked action relevant to online commerce, like 'add to cart'.
Composite Metric: A metric derived from multiple other metrics.
Consent Mode: Framework for managing user consent preferences.
Consent String: Encoded data string representing consent choices.
Content Grouping: Organizing site content into logical categories.
Content Scoring: Evaluating content based on engagement and performance.
Contextual Targeting: Serving ads based on the surrounding content context.
Conversion: Desired user action (signup, purchase, etc.).
Conversion Funnel: Steps leading users to complete a goal.
Conversion Rate: Percentage of users who complete a goal.
Cookie: Small data file stored in the browser.
Cookie Consent: Obtaining user permission to store cookies.
Cookie Duration: How long a cookie persists before expiration.
Cookie-less Analytics: Tracking users without cookies.
Core Web Vitals: Google metrics on user experience: LCP, FID, CLS.
Correlation Analysis: Assessing how two variables relate to each other.
Cost Per Acquisition (CPA): Ad spend required for one conversion.
Cost Per Click (CPC): Ad cost per user click.
Cost Per Impression (CPM): Ad cost per 1,000 views.
Cross-Device Tracking: Tracking users across multiple devices.
Cross-Domain Tracking: Tracking users across multiple domains as a single session.
Cross-Sell Rate: Rate at which additional products are sold to existing customers.
Custom Dimension: User-defined data attribute in analytics platforms.
Custom Event: User-defined tracked action.
Custom Metric: A metric created by users to track specific measurements.
Customer Data Platform (CDP): Software that unifies customer data from multiple sources.
Customer Journey: Path users take from first contact to conversion.
Customer Lifetime Value (CLV): Total value a customer brings over their relationship.

Analytics terms starting with letter 'D'

DMP (Data Management Platform): System for collecting and managing large sets of data.
DSP (Demand Side Platform): System that allows buyers of digital ads to manage campaigns.
Dashboard: Visual summary of key metrics.
Data Anonymization: Removing identifying details from data.
Data Clean Room: Secure environment for combining data from multiple parties.
Data Controller: Entity determining why and how personal data is processed.
Data Enrichment: Enhancing data with additional information.
Data Governance: Managing data integrity, privacy, and security.
Data Lake: Central repository for storing large raw data sets.
Data Layer: JavaScript object that passes information to analytics tools.
Data Masking: Obscuring specific data within a database to protect privacy.
Data Mining: Extracting patterns from large data sets.
Data Pipeline: Automated data flow process from source to destination.
Data Privacy: Protecting user information.
Data Processor: Entity processing data on behalf of a controller.
Data Retention Policy: Rules regarding how long data is stored.
Data Sampling: Analyzing a subset of data for faster results.
Data Segmentation: Dividing users into groups for analysis.
Data Subject: Person whose data is being collected.
Data Visualization: Graphical representation of data.
Data Warehouse: Central repository for structured data.
Debugging: Finding and fixing data collection errors.
Demographics: Age, gender, income, etc. of users.
Device ID: Unique identifier for a user’s device.
Dimension: Attribute of data (e.g., city, device type).
Direct Traffic: Visitors arriving via URL entry or bookmarks.
DoubleClick: Google’s ad management platform.
Drop-off: Users who leave at a particular funnel step.

Analytics terms starting with letter 'E'

Ecommerce Analytics: Tracking online sales and user behavior.
Ecommerce Conversion Rate: The ratio of purchases to total sessions.
Edge Analytics: Processing data close to the data source.
Engagement: User interaction with content (clicks, shares, etc.).
Engagement Depth: A measure of how deeply users interact with content.
Engagement Rate: Percentage of users who interact with content.
Enhanced Ecommerce: Advanced tracking for online shopping behavior.
Entrances: First page of a session.
Error Rate: Percentage of failed actions or pages.
Event: Any user interaction that’s tracked.
Event Batching: Sending multiple tracked events in a single request.
Event Category: Classification for events (e.g., video, button).
Event Correlation: Finding relationships between multiple tracked events.
Event Label: Further describes a tracked event.
Event Listener: A script waiting for a specific user action to occur.
Event Value: Numerical value assigned to an event.
Exit Intent: User behavior indicating intent to leave a page.
Exit Page: Last page viewed in a session.
Exploded Segment: A detailed, granular breakdown of a segment.
Exploratory Analysis: Discovering patterns in data without assumptions.
Export API: An API used to extract analytics data for export.

Analytics terms starting with letter 'F'

FCP (First Contentful Paint): Time for first content to render in a browser.
First-Party Cookie: Cookie set by the website being visited.
First-Touch Attribution: Assigning full conversion credit to the first interaction.
Frequency: How often a user visits or acts.
Frequency Capping: Limiting the number of times an ad is shown to a user.
Funnel: Sequence of steps toward conversion.

Analytics terms starting with letter 'G'

GA Property: A specific analytics property in Google Analytics.
GA Tag: A snippet of code used for Google Analytics tracking.
GA4 (Google Analytics 4): Google’s latest analytics platform.
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation): EU privacy regulation.
GDPR Compliance: Meeting the requirements of the EU's data privacy law.
Goal: A defined target action in analytics.
Goal Conversion Rate: How often a goal is achieved.
Goal Value: Monetary worth assigned to achieving a goal.
Granular Reporting: Highly detailed analytics reporting.
Granularity: Level of detail in data.

Analytics terms starting with letter 'H'

Hashing (in analytics context): Transforming data for privacy or uniqueness.
Heatmap: Visual display showing where users interact most.
Hierarchical Funnel: A funnel with nested stages or steps.
Hit: Single data point sent to analytics tool.
Hybrid Analytics: Combining multiple data collection methods or sources.

Analytics terms starting with letter 'I'

IDFA (Identifier for Advertisers): Apple’s mobile advertising identifier.
Impression: When content/ad is displayed to a user.
Impression Share: Proportion of impressions received vs. eligible.
In-Memory Analytics: Data analysis performed entirely in RAM for speed.
Incremental Lift: Increase in conversions or sales due to a specific action.
Incrementality: Measuring the true impact of an action or channel.
Inferred Data: Data estimated based on indirect signals.

Analytics terms starting with letter 'J'

JavaScript Tag: Script tag used to implement analytics tracking.

Analytics terms starting with letter 'K'

KPI (Key Performance Indicator): Main metric for tracking success.
Key Segment: A high-value or priority segment of users.

Analytics terms starting with letter 'L'

LCP (Largest Contentful Paint): Measures main content load speed.
Last Interaction: The final touchpoint before conversion.
Last-Click Attribution: Assigning full credit to the last interaction.
Lazy Loading Analytics: Tracking content that loads as a user scrolls.
Lifetime Value (LTV): Total revenue from a customer over time.
Lookback Window: Period during which conversions are attributed to campaigns.
Loyalty Score: A metric indicating user loyalty.

Analytics terms starting with letter 'M'

MAU (Monthly Active Users): Number of unique users active in a month.
MMP (Mobile Measurement Partner): Third-party service for mobile attribution tracking.
MRR (Monthly Recurring Revenue): Total predictable revenue earned per month.
MRR Churn: Monthly recurring revenue lost due to churn.
Machine Learning: Algorithms and models that allow computers to learn from data and make predictions.
Manual Tagging: Manually adding tracking tags to URLs.
Match Rate: Percentage of users matched to known identifiers.
Mean: The average value in a data set.
Measurement Protocol: Google Analytics API for sending hits directly.
Media Mix Modeling: Statistical analysis for channel impact on conversions.
Median: The middle value in a data set.
Meta Refresh Tracking: Tracking page reloads triggered by HTML meta refresh.
Metric: A quantitative measurement used to track performance.
Micro Conversion: A small step towards a larger conversion goal.
Mobile Analytics: Analyzing data from mobile app or web usage.
Mobile Attribution: Tracking source and behavior of mobile app users.
Modeling: Creating representations of data for analysis or prediction.
Multi-Device Session: Session spanning multiple devices.
Multi-Touch Attribution: Credit for conversion distributed among several touchpoints.
Multichannel Attribution: Attributing credit for conversions across multiple marketing channels.
Multivariate Testing: Testing multiple variables at once to determine the best combination.

Analytics terms starting with letter 'N'

Namespace: A container for grouping and organizing data variables.
Natural Language Processing (NLP): Analyzing and interpreting human language using AI.
Natural Search: Organic search results, not paid.
Negative Event: An event indicating a negative outcome (e.g., unsubscribe).
Net Promoter Score (NPS): Measures customer loyalty by likelihood to recommend.
Net Revenue Retention: Revenue retained from existing customers over a period.
New User: A user visiting for the first time.
NoScript Tracking: Tracking visits without JavaScript enabled.
Node: A point or device in a network or data structure.
Noise: Random or irrelevant data in a data set.
Nth Touch Attribution: Credit assigned to the Nth interaction before conversion.

Analytics terms starting with letter 'O'

Objective: The intended outcome or goal of an analysis.
Offline Conversion: Conversions that occur outside the digital environment.
Offline Event: Event that occurs outside digital channels, e.g., in-store purchase.
Omnichannel Analytics: Tracking user behavior across all channels and touchpoints.
Onboarding Funnel: Steps users take when first using a product or service.
Onsite Search: Search queries performed within a website.
Open Rate: Percentage of emails opened by recipients.
Opt-In: User consent to data collection or communications.
Opt-In Rate: Percentage of users who consent to data collection.
Opt-Out: User choice to not participate in data collection.
Order Value: The monetary value of a single order.
Organic Conversion: Conversion resulting from unpaid sources.
Organic Search: Unpaid search engine traffic.
Organic Traffic: Traffic that comes without paid advertising.
Outbound Link Tracking: Tracking clicks to external websites.

Analytics terms starting with letter 'P'

PDP (Product Detail Page): Webpage displaying product information.
PECR (Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations): UK privacy law related to electronic communications.
PII (Personally Identifiable Information): Information that can identify an individual.
PII Redaction: Removing personally identifiable information from data sets.
PLG (Product-Led Growth): A go-to-market strategy driven by product usage.
Page Depth: The number of pages viewed in a session.
Page Load Time: Time taken for a web page to fully display.
Page Timing: Metrics relating to how quickly a page loads.
Page Value: The average value of a page viewed before conversion.
Page View: A single instance of a page being loaded.
Panel Data: Data collected from a group of users over time.
Parameter: A variable used in data analysis or URL tracking.
Parameter Parsing: Extracting parameters from URLs or data.
Passive Analytics: Data collection with no user intervention.
Path Analysis: Examining sequences of user actions or page views.
Path Length: The number of steps before a conversion.
Pattern Recognition: Detecting patterns or trends in data.
Personalization: Tailoring content or experiences to individual users.
Personalization Score: A score for how personalized a user experience is.
Pixel: A tiny code snippet for tracking user behavior.
Platform Analytics: Analytics specific to a software platform.
Platform ID: Unique identifier for a digital platform.
Plugin: A software add-on for extending functionality.
Population: The entire group being studied or analyzed.
Post-Click Conversion: Conversion after a user clicks an ad or link.
Predictive Analytics: Using data to forecast future outcomes.
Predictive Score: A model-based likelihood of a user performing an action.
Preload Analytics: Tracking assets that load before the main content.
Preprocessing: Cleaning and preparing data for analysis.
Primary Dimension: The main attribute by which data is grouped.
Privacy Policy: A document explaining how data is collected and used.
Probabilistic Matching: Estimating user identity based on likelihood.
Processing Time: Time taken to process data or requests.
Product Analytics: Analytics focused on product usage and engagement.
Profile: A set of user attributes and behaviors.
Property: A specific website, app, or asset tracked.
Property ID: Unique identifier for a property in analytics tools.
Proprietary Data: Data owned and controlled by a specific organization.
Publisher Analytics: Analytics focused on content publishers.
Purchase Frequency: How often a customer makes purchases.
Purge: Removing outdated or irrelevant data.

Analytics terms starting with letter 'Q'

Qualified Lead: A lead deemed likely to convert.
Query: A request for data or information.
Query Parameter: A variable appended to a URL for tracking or filtering.
Quota: A set limit on data collection or usage.

Analytics terms starting with letter 'R'

R (Statistical Programming Language): A language for statistical computing and graphics.
ROAS (Return on Ad Spend): Revenue generated for each dollar spent on advertising.
ROI (Return on Investment): A measure of profitability.
RPA (Robotic Process Automation): Automating repetitive tasks with software robots.
RTB (Real-Time Bidding): Automated bidding for online ads.
Raw Data: Data in its original, unprocessed form.
Real User Monitoring (RUM): Monitoring actual user experience in real time.
Real-Time Analytics: Analysis of data as it is collected.
Recall: The ability of a model to find all relevant cases.
Recommendation Engine: System suggesting items to users based on data.
Recurring Churn: Loss of recurring revenue or users.
Recurring Revenue: Predictable revenue from ongoing subscriptions.
Referral: Traffic that arrives from another website.
Referral Path: Sequence of referring sites or pages.
Referral Program: A system encouraging users to refer others.
Referrer: The previous web page that sent a visitor.
Refined Segment: A highly specified user segment.
Regex Filter: Using regular expressions to filter analytics data.
Regression Analysis: A statistical method for modeling relationships between variables.
Report: A document presenting data and insights.
Reporting API: A programmatic interface to access analytics reports.
Request: An action that asks for data from a server.
Retention: Keeping users active over time.
Retention Cohort: Group of users tracked for retention over time.
Retention Curve: A graph showing user retention over time.
Retention Rate: The percentage of users returning after a specific period.
Revenue Attribution: Assigning revenue to channels or actions.
Revenue Leakage: Lost revenue due to system or process failures.
Revenue Recognition: Accounting method for recognizing revenue.
Revenue per Visit: Average revenue generated per website visit.
Rich Media: Interactive or multimedia content.
Rollup: Aggregating data to a higher level.
Root Cause Analysis: Finding the underlying reason for a problem.
Row-Level Data: Data displayed at the most granular level.

Analytics terms starting with letter 'S'

SAR (Subject Access Request): A request for personal data held by an organization.
SDK (Software Development Kit): Tools for building software applications.
SDK Version: The version of a software development kit used for tracking.
SEM (Search Engine Marketing): Paid search advertising.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Improving site visibility in organic search.
SKU (Stock Keeping Unit): A unique identifier for each product.
SKU Analytics: Analytics based on product stock keeping units.
SLI (Service Level Indicator): A key measure of system performance for users.
SPO (Supply Path Optimization): Optimizing the chain of supply in programmatic advertising.
SQL (Structured Query Language): A language for managing databases.
SQL Analytics: Using SQL to query analytics data.
SSO Analytics: Tracking metrics related to single sign-on systems.
SSP (Supply Side Platform): Technology for publishers to manage ad inventory.
SaaS Analytics: Metrics and insights for software-as-a-service businesses.
Sample: A subset of a population used for analysis.
Sampling: Selecting a subset of data for analysis.
Sampling Bias: Bias introduced by non-random sampling.
Sampling Rate: The percentage of data points analyzed.
Saturation: The point where further data collection yields no new insights.
Scalability: The ability of a system to handle growth.
Schema: The structure or organization of a database.
Scope: The boundaries or extent of data analysis.
Script: A program or code for automation.
Search Console: Google’s tool for web search analytics.
Search Query: A term or phrase entered in a search engine.
Secondary Dimension: A second attribute for more granular analytics reports.
Segment: A group of users sharing similar characteristics.
Segment Overlap: Users who fall into multiple segments.
Segmentation: Dividing users into subgroups for targeted analysis.
Self-Destructing Cookie: A cookie that deletes itself after a set condition.
Self-Hosted Analytics: Analytics tools installed on your own servers.
Server Log Analysis: Analytics based on server log files.
Server-Side Tracking: Tracking that occurs on the server, not the client.
Session: A group of user interactions in a defined time frame.
Session Duration: The length of time a user spends in a session.
Session Hijacking: Unauthorized taking over of a user's session.
Session Replay: A tool for replaying user sessions visually.
Session Sampling: Sampling a subset of sessions for analysis.
Sessions per User: The average number of sessions per unique user.
Share of Voice: A brand’s presence compared to competitors.
Shareable Link Analytics: Tracking analytics for shared links.
Shrinkage: Loss of data or users over time.
Signal: A meaningful data point or event.
Single Customer View: Unified profile of a user across all data sources.
Single-Page Application (SPA): Web app that loads a single HTML page.
Sink: A destination for data storage or processing.
Slice: A segment of data for analysis.
Smart Goals: Automatically set goals using machine learning.
Soft Bounce: An email that is temporarily undeliverable.
Soft Conversion: A less-valuable conversion (e.g., newsletter signup).
Source: Where a user or session originated.
Source/Medium Pair: Combination of traffic source and type.
Stack: A combination of software tools for analytics.
Standard Event: A predefined event tracked by analytics.
Statistical Significance: The likelihood a result is not due to chance.
Structured Data: Organized data that follows a schema.
Subscriber: A user who has opted into ongoing communication or service.
Subscription Analytics: Tracking performance of subscription-based products.
Supervised Learning: Machine learning using labeled data.
Suppression List: A list of users excluded from communications or analysis.
Synchronous Tracking: Data is sent immediately after an event occurs.
Synthetic Data: Artificially generated data for testing or modeling.

Analytics terms starting with letter 'T'

Tag Firing: When a tracking tag is executed on a website.
Tag Manager: Tool for managing and deploying analytics tags.
Tagging Plan: Documentation of all tracking tags and their purpose.
Third-Party Data: Data collected by entities other than the original site.
Time Decay Attribution: Attribution model giving more credit to recent touchpoints.
Time on Site: Total time a user spends on a website.
Top Conversion Path: Most common user paths that lead to conversions.
Total Reach: Total unique users exposed to content or ads.
Tracking Pixel: A tiny image or code used to track user actions.
Traffic Allocation: Distribution of users in an experiment or test.
Traffic Source: Origin of website traffic.
Transaction ID: Unique identifier for an ecommerce transaction.
Transitional Funnel: A funnel that tracks users moving between stages.
True Conversion: A validated or verified conversion event.

Analytics terms starting with letter 'U'

UTM Builder: Tool for creating UTM tracking URLs.
UTM Campaign: Parameter in a URL to identify a marketing campaign.
UTM Source: Parameter in a URL to identify the source of traffic.
Unattributed Conversion: Conversion with no identifiable traffic source.
Unique Pageview: A page viewed at least once in a session, counted only once.
Unique User ID: Distinct identifier for each unique user.
User Agent: String identifying browser, device, and OS.
User Flow: The path users take through a website or app.
User Matching: Associating users across sessions or devices.

Analytics terms starting with letter 'V'

View-Through Conversion: Conversion after a user views (but doesn’t click) an ad.
Viewability: Measure of whether an ad was actually seen by a user.
Visitor ID: Unique identifier for each visitor.
Visitor Log: Record of individual visitor sessions.

Analytics terms starting with letter 'W'

Web Beacon: Small, invisible image used for tracking.
Web Server Log: Log file recording web server activity.
Weighted Conversion: Conversion value adjusted for importance or probability.

Analytics terms starting with letter 'Z'

Zero-Party Data: Data intentionally shared by users (e.g., survey responses).