How do I compare date ranges?

Short answer

Pick a date range in the header of any web analytics report, then set comparison to previous period or same period last week. Each number shows the change against the comparison range. When the range includes today, the comparison stops at the same time of day, so a morning is compared with a morning.

1. Pick the date range

Presets: today, yesterday, last 24 hours, 7 days, 30 days, 90 days, this month, last month, this year, all time and custom. Keyboard shortcuts: T today, Y yesterday, W last 7 days, M last 30 days.

A range you pick carries over when you switch reports, and resets to today when you reload or open a new tab. Retention, SEO, AARRR, ROI, journey maps and ads open on the last 7 days and do not carry over short ranges such as today or the last 24 hours.

2. Choose the comparison

Sample: at 9 a.m. with "today" selected and previous period on, today 00:00–09:00 is compared with yesterday 00:00–09:00, not with all of yesterday. Without that rule, every morning would look like a drop.

For the ideas behind these comparisons, see month over month and year over year.

3. Narrow with filters

Click a row in pages, sources, audience and similar tables to add it as a filter; the tag appears in the header and can be dismissed, or clear all at once. The comparison uses the same filters, so "organic search, this week vs last" is one click on the source row.

When you move to another web analytics page, a hostname filter is kept and other filters are dropped.

4. Mark what changed

If a jump lines up with a release or campaign, add a note on the chart so the next comparison explains itself: add chart annotations. To hand the numbers to someone, use share a dashboard.

Common problems

Dates follow the project time zone; see choose a site time zone.