In Which Order Does Google Analytics Filter Data?
By Filters in Google Analytics refer to tools that let you apply filters to segregate the data that you see in Analytics reports. You can stack multiple filters on top of each other to narrow down the filtered data that you want. However, it’s important to note that when you apply the second filter on top of another, Google Analytics will apply it on top of the first set of filtered data.
Since you wish to know in which order does Google Analytics filter data, this depends on the order in which you set the filters. However, its order does not matter much since the filtrated end result will always be the same.
Therefore, it will only matter if the first filter changes and excludes data to be displayed by the second filter. When you do so, the second filter will not have any effect since the data it’s supposed to display has been removed by the first filter.
What Is Google Analytics Filter Order?
Google Analytics filter order is the order of filters you apply to your data. With each filter you apply certain data gets removed from the view. As you apply more filters on the first filter like the second or third filter then you are applying the filter not on the original data set but the filtered data set.
Does Google Analytics Filter Order Matter?
Filter order does not matter most of the time due to filtering different aspects of the original data alters the data itself. But when two filters work on the same type of data problem starts to occur then.
Google Analytics Filter Data Examples
Here are some examples of Google Analytics Filter data for you to understand.
- When you want to filter a page’s specific section or the whole first page of your data set you will have to write “ /sectionA/page1 or /sectionA.”
- Filter URL in Google Analytics Filter Data by including hostname in your data set. Eg- “ /sectionA becomes www.website1.com/sectionA or www.website1.com/sectionA/page1.”
But when you flip the filters you will have a problem as you will not find the search result. This is due to you not filtering the URL using your domain name. The first filter will show the website, “www.website1.com/sectionA” but when you put the second filter nothing will come up.
But that doesn’t essentially mean filter order matters always. For example, when you have put up a filter of views for cities but want to exclude home IP addresses or office IP addresses from the views as it does not matter to your needs. You only want to find traffic from a particular city that does not need to include IP addresses from the office or home.This means you are working on two different data fields that are separate. One where the views of a city includes IP addresses from homes and offices other data field shows only the traffic from a particular city excluding the IP addresses from office and home.
What Is Google Analytics Filter Order?
Google Analytics filter order is the order of filters you apply to your data. With each filter you apply certain data gets removed from the view. As you apply more filters on the first filter like the second or third filter then you are applying the filter not on the original data set but the filtered data set.
Does Google Analytics Filter Order Matter?
Filter order does not matter most of the time due to filtering different aspects of the original data alters the data itself. But when two filters work on the same type of data problem starts to occur then.
Google Analytics Filter Data Examples
Here are some examples of Google Analytics Filter data for you to understand.
- When you want to filter a page’s specific section or the whole first page of your data set you will have to write “ /sectionA/page1 or /sectionA.”
- Filter URL in Google Analytics Filter Data by including hostname in your data set. Eg- “ /sectionA becomes www.website1.com/sectionA or www.website1.com/sectionA/page1.”
But when you flip the filters you will have a problem as you will not find the search result. This is due to you not filtering the URL using your domain name. The first filter will show the website, “www.website1.com/sectionA” but when you put the second filter nothing will come up.
But that doesn’t essentially mean filter order matters always. For example, when you have put up a filter of views for cities but want to exclude home IP addresses or office IP addresses from the views as it does not matter to your needs. You only want to find traffic from a particular city that does not need to include IP addresses from the office or home.This means you are working on two different data fields that are separate. One where the views of a city includes IP addresses from homes and offices other data field shows only the traffic from a particular city excluding the IP addresses from office and home.
What Are The Google Analytics Filter Types?
If you want to learn what are the options for filtering data in Google Analytics, you must know filter types. In Google Analytics, there are five different types of filters that you can apply to view data. They are:
1. Exclude
The Exclude filter allows you to exclude all data that are related to the log file lines, which are the same as the filter patterns. In that line of entry in the log, all other similar information also gets excluded from your view.
2. Include
The Include filter allows you to include all data that are related to the log file lines, which are the same as the filter patterns. In that line of entry in the log, all other similar information also gets included from your view. Anything that is different from the pattern of this Google Analytics filter automatically gets excluded.
3. Lowercase/Uppercase
The Uppercase/Lowercase filter acts more like a conversion tool than a filter tool. After you use this filter, you can convert all the content in a field to either uppercase letters or lowercase letters. However, it will not have any effect on special characters and numbers.
4. Search & Replace
The Search & Replace filter has two parts to it. The first part – search – allows you to search for a specific pattern in a field. Then, you can use the second part – replace – to replace the data in that pattern with another data set.
5. Advanced
This is an Advanced filter that allows you to combine multiple filters together on top of each other. Therefore, it will let you create a customized data pattern from creating customized filters.
How To Create Filters In Google Analytics?
If you wish to create filters in Google Analytics, you can do so in two different ways with different purposes. Therefore, you must learn what are the options for filtering data in Google Analytics.
The first way is to create a filter at the account level. Filters made at this level will apply to all reports that are currently in all views. The second is to create a filter at the view level. The filter will only apply to the report that is currently in that view.
How To Create A Filter At The Account Level In Google Analytics?
You can create a filter at the account level in Google Analytics to apply filters to all views. If you wish to do so, you need to follow these steps below:
- First and foremost, sign in to your Google Analytics account.
- Secondly, click on Admin.
- Now, open the account where you wish to create a filter.
- Here, you will find a column called Account. Click on it.
- Next, click on All Filters.
- Then, click on the +Add Filter option.
- Now, start by giving this filter a name.
- Then, click on Predefined to select a predefined default filters available in Google Analytics.
- Or, you can click on Custom to make a customized filter of your own liking.
- Next, select the View you wish to apply the filter to from the Available Views list.
- Finally, click on Save.
How To Create A Filter At The View Level In Google Analytics?
To know which view filters are applied in what order, you must create a filter at the view level in Google Analytics. To do so, you need to follow the steps explained below:
- First and foremost, sign in to your Google Analytics account.
- Secondly, click on Admin.
- Now, open the account where you wish to create a filter.
- Here, you will find a column called View, which you should click to open.
- Now, click on Filters.
- Select +Add Filter.
- Then, select Create New Filter.
- First, start by giving this filter a Name.
- Then, click on Predefined to select a default filter to apply.
- Or, you can click on Custom to make a customized filter of your own liking.
- Next, select the View you wish to apply the filter to from the Available Views list.
- Finally, click on Save.
How To Change The Order Of Filters in Google Analytics?
You must be eager to know in which order does google analytics filter data. In a Google analytics view, how would a view filter be configured? To learn to do so, you need to:
- First and foremost, sign in to your Google Analytics account.
- Secondly, click on Admin.
- Now, open the account where you wish to create a filter.
- Here, you will find a column called View, which you should click to open.
- Now, click on Filters.
- Here, you need to click on Assign Filter Order. Now, you can move all assigned filters up and down to arrange the order to your liking.
- When you are done with arranging the order, click on Save.
How To Add Existing Filters Or Remove Them From A View In Google Analytics?
In Google Analytics, you have the option to remove filters, similar to the way you can apply an existing filter. To do so, you need to:
- First and foremost, sign in to your Google Analytics account.
- Secondly, click on Admin.
- Now, open the account where you wish to create a filter.
- Here, you will find a column called View, which you should click to open.
- Now, click on Filters.
- Select +Add Filter.
- Here, you can click on Apply Existing Filter.
- If you want to remove filters, click on Remove Filter.
- When you are done, click on Save.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)?
People have asked various questions similar to in which order does Google Analytics filter data, like:
Ans – If you are a Google Analytics account editor at the account level, you have permission to do the following:
• You can create, edit, and remove filters at the account level.
• You can create, edit, and remove filters at the view level.
• If you want to apply filters to any view in the account, you can do so too.
Ans – If you are a Google Analytics account editor at the view level, you have permission to do the following:
• You can apply pre-existing filters and remove existing filters from a view
• However, you cannot create new filters or edit filters that have already been applied.
Ans – You can filter traffic in Google Analytics by applying these filters:
• ISP Domain.
• IP Address.
• Subdirectories.
• Hostname.
Ans – You can apply filters any order you want but you would need the permission of the Editor to apply filters inside Google Analytics. To apply filters you need to go to ‘Admin’ and then select the ‘Filter’ option listed under the ‘View’ column.
Conclusion
So, did you finally understand in which order does google analytics filter data?
In Google Analytics, you can apply filters in any order you want. That means the end result will be the same irrespective of its order. However, the changes made to the views will be according to the order in which these filters are set. Therefore, if any filter changes the view, Google Analytics will apply the second filter on top of it.
To know more about Google Analytics, check out my other posts here at TechMagNews!
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