Google Analytics: Metrics and Dimensions

Knowing your metrics and dimensions (and what they indicate) is important for customizing your reports (either creating custom reports or segments) and for properly reading the reports.

This "cheat sheet" shows some of the common Google Analytics metrics and describes what these metrics show. It may be useful to print out or keep this sheet on hand when you are starting out.

If you are ever unsure of what a dimension or metric is showing, hover your mouse over the "?" symbol next to the dimension/metric to see a description.

Dimensions and Metrics Clip

Dimensions

Dimensions describe attributes (e.g. city, region, browser, visitor type, etc.). These attributes appear as rows in Google Analytics. When choosing dimensions in custom reporting, Google Analytics will display the choices in green.

Metrics

Metrics are measurements (e.g. Sessions, Time on Page, etc.) and will appear as columns in Google Analytics. When choosing metrics in custom reporting, Google Analytics will display the choices in blue.

Example

Below is an example of a type of standard report with the dimensions and metrics highlighted in green and blue, respectively.