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Creating Views and Segments: Organizing Your Data by Purpose

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You have one analytics account with one property and one view. Everything flows into one place. You can see all traffic. But you can't see paid traffic separately from organic. You can't see mobile separately from desktop. You can't see different regions separately. All your traffic is mixed together. Views and segments solve this. Views are permanent filtered datasets. Segments are temporary filters you apply to reports. Views and segments let you slice your data into pieces that answer specific questions.

This article explains how to create views and segments to organize your data by purpose.

What Are Views and Segments

A view is a filtered version of your property data. One property can have multiple views. Each view shows a different slice of your data. A view for all traffic. A view for only mobile. A view for only paid traffic. A view for only your main product.

A segment is a temporary filter applied to reports. Instead of creating a new view, you apply a segment to see a specific slice of data. Segments show the same underlying data as views but from a different angle.

Views are permanent. Once created, they keep collecting data. Segments are temporary. You apply them to specific reports without changing the underlying data collection.

Create Views for Permanent Filters

Create a view for any permanent way you want to look at your data. A view for all traffic. A view for mobile only. A view for desktop only. A view for paid traffic. A view for organic traffic. A view for a specific geographic region.

Each view filters the same underlying data. If your property receives 10,000 visits, one view shows all 10,000. Another view shows only the 2,000 mobile visits. Another shows only the 3,000 paid visits.

Don't create too many views. Views make your account complex. Keep three to five main views. One for all traffic. One or two for major traffic sources. One or two for device types. More than that becomes hard to manage.

Create Segments for Temporary Filters

Create a segment when you want to look at a specific slice of data without permanently filtering it. A segment for returning visitors. A segment for visitors who completed a conversion. A segment for high-value customers.

Apply segments to individual reports. When you view a report, select a segment. The report shows only data matching that segment. When you view a different report, you can apply a different segment.

Segments are flexible. Create them as needed. Delete them when you no longer need them. No permanent data collection overhead.

Organize Views by Purpose

Think about the questions different teams ask. Marketing asks about traffic sources. Product asks about feature usage. Sales asks about conversion rates. Create views that answer each team's questions.

Marketing view shows all traffic broken down by source. Product view shows feature usage. Sales view shows conversion funnels. Each team gets a view organized for their needs.

Document why each view exists. "Marketing view shows paid vs organic." "Product view shows feature engagement." Documentation helps teams understand which view to use.

Use Views for Data Integrity

Some views exist for data integrity. A view that excludes internal traffic. A view for testing only. A view for staging environment data.

Keep these views separate from business views. Have a folder for testing views. Have a folder for business views. Organization prevents confusion. Teams use the right view for analysis.

Apply Segments to Answer Specific Questions

When a specific question comes up, create a segment. "How do mobile users convert?" Create a mobile segment. "How do first-time visitors behave?" Create a first-time visitor segment. Apply it to your conversion report.

Use segments for one-off analysis. Once you answer the question, the segment might not be needed. Delete it. Keep only segments you use regularly.

Test Your Views and Segments

After creating a view, verify it shows the right data. If you created a mobile-only view, check that it only shows mobile traffic. If numbers look wrong, troubleshoot the filter.

For segments, apply them to reports and verify the data makes sense. A returning visitor segment should exclude first-time visitors. A conversion segment should only show sessions with conversions.