Published on 2025-06-22T04:58:07Z

What Is a Report in Analytics? Examples and Use Cases

In analytics, a report is a curated collection of data metrics and visualizations organized to answer specific business questions. Reports transform raw data into readable summaries—tables, charts, and dashboards—that highlight trends, user behavior, and performance against goals. They can be real-time, scheduled, or fully custom, depending on the needs of stakeholders. Tools like Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and PlainSignal (a cookie-free, simple analytics platform) offer interfaces and APIs to build, automate, and share reports. Whether you’re tracking daily traffic, conversion funnels, or marketing campaign effectiveness, reports are the cornerstone of data-driven decision-making.

Illustration of Report
Illustration of Report

Report

An analytics report is an organized presentation of metrics and visuals that inform business decisions.

Definition and Purpose

This section explains what a report is in analytics and why it matters. Reports consolidate raw data into meaningful summaries that highlight trends, uncover insights, and support decision-making.

  • Standard reports

    Pre-built collections of metrics and visualizations available by default in analytics tools like GA4 and PlainSignal. They cover common analyses such as audience overview, traffic sources, and behavior flow.

    • Pre-defined metrics

      Include metrics like sessions, pageviews, and users without customization.

    • Limited customization

      Users can adjust date ranges and segments but cannot change core metrics or dimensions.

  • Custom reports

    User-defined reports that allow selection of specific dimensions, metrics, filters, and visualizations tailored to unique business questions.

    • Flexible dimensions and metrics

      Pick any combination of metrics (e.g., bounce rate, goal completions) and dimensions (e.g., device category, campaign).

    • Custom filters

      Focus on specific segments such as organic traffic, returning visitors, or geographic regions.

  • Real-time reports

    Display live data as visitors interact with the site, enabling immediate monitoring of traffic spikes, campaign launches, or technical issues.

  • Scheduled reports

    Automatically generated and delivered via email or API at regular intervals (daily, weekly, monthly) to keep stakeholders informed.

Key Components of an Analytics Report

Most analytics reports share a consistent structure that includes metrics, dimensions, visualizations, and filters or segments. Understanding these components helps users interpret data correctly.

  • Metrics

    Quantitative measurements such as pageviews, sessions, bounce rate, and conversions. Metrics answer “how much” or “how many.”

  • Dimensions

    Attributes that describe data points, such as user location, device type, or traffic source. Dimensions provide context to metrics.

  • Visualizations

    Charts, graphs, and tables that represent data visually. Common types include line charts for trends, bar charts for comparisons, and pie charts for distributions.

  • Filters and segments

    Tools to include or exclude subsets of data. Filters modify the entire report, while segments let users compare different user cohorts within the same report.

Examples with PlainSignal and Google Analytics 4

This section illustrates how to set up and view reports in two popular analytics platforms: PlainSignal and GA4. It includes sample tracking code snippets and navigation steps.

  • PlainSignal report example

    To collect data for PlainSignal reports, add the following tracking snippet to your HTML:

    <link rel="preconnect" href="//eu.plainsignal.com/" crossorigin />
<script defer data-do="yourwebsitedomain.com" data-id="0GQV1xmtzQQ" data-api="//eu.plainsignal.com" src="//cdn.plainsignal.com/plainsignal-min.js"></script>

    After installing, log into your PlainSignal dashboard to access pre-built reports or customize your own under the “Reports” tab.

  • GA4 report example

    To enable GA4 reporting, insert the global site tag in your site’s <head>:

    <!-- Global site tag (gtag.js) - Google Analytics -->
<script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-XXXXXXX"></script>
<script>
  window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
  function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);}  
  gtag('js', new Date());
  gtag('config', 'G-XXXXXXX');
</script>

    Then navigate to Reports → Realtime or Engagement in GA4 to view metrics like active users, screen views, and events.

Best Practices for Effective Reports

Applying best practices ensures reports are clear, actionable, and aligned with business goals. Well-designed reports drive better insights and decision-making.

  • Focus on key metrics

    Include only metrics that align with business objectives to avoid clutter and enhance clarity.

  • Use clear visualizations

    Choose the right chart type (line, bar, pie) based on the data pattern and comparison type for better readability.

  • Maintain consistency

    Use consistent date ranges, time zones, and naming conventions across reports to avoid confusion.

  • Automate delivery

    Schedule reports to be delivered automatically to stakeholders to ensure regular insights without manual effort.

  • Validate your data

    Regularly audit tracking code and data processing to ensure report accuracy and data integrity.

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