This article provides guidance for determining why the visitor number for guide views is higher than the eligible visitors in metrics for a guide.
Product area: Guide > Guide Metrics (web, mobile)
Issue
The number of Eligible Visitors is calculated based on the segment rules applied to the guide in the present moment. This number can change if the segment it uses is dynamic, if the segment's rules are edited, or if the segment is replaced with another segment.
- The segment is dynamic. Depending on the rules of a segment, it's possible for visitors to fall in and out of the segment based on their behavior over time.
- The segment rules changed. The segment applied to a guide might have been edited to include different rules to when it was first created.
- A different segment was applied to the guide after it was published. The guide might have been edited to replace the original segment with another segment.
Explanation
In your Guide Metrics, visitors are defined as the number of unique visitors who saw the guide. This value changes based on the date range and segment selected on the guide metrics view. For multi-step guides, this metric is limited to the first guide step only.
Eligible visitors are defined as the number of unique visitors that are currently eligible for the guide based on the presently assigned segment. This value isn't impacted by date range.
A guide continues to show until it is dismissed. Each page reload or consecutive site visit where a visitor doesn't dismiss the guide is considered a separate view and counts towards the total number of guide views.
Eligible visitors are directly related to the segment assigned to the guide and only display the number of visitors eligible for the guide at this moment in time. It doesn't tell us how many visitors were eligible for the guide in the past, which could have been a higher number than what you currently see.
For more information about segments and guides views, see the Segment of Eligible Visitors differs when applied to Guide and Guide Views - Metrics articles.
Diagnosis
This section provides guidance on how to diagnose which of the above might be the reason for a higher number of guide views than eligible visitors.
Check whether the segment is dynamic
Segments aren't always static. For example, your segment might contain visitors who signed in within the last 30 days, and this number might increase while your guide is published. To check whether the segment in your guide is dynamic:
1. Navigate to People > Segments.
2. Find and select the segment assigned to the guide in the Segments table.
3. Select Edit segment to view its details.
If there are any behavior-driven rules, like number of logins within a specified number of days, your number of eligible visitors for the guide might be affected.
Check whether the segment rules were edited
Changing the rules of a segment while it's currently used by a published guide can affect the number of eligible visitors. To check whether the segment rules have changed:
1. Navigate to People > Segments.
2. Find the segment assigned to the guide in the Segments table.
3. Check when the segment was last updated.
If the segment was updated after the guide was published, this might be why the guide views are higher than the eligible visitors for the guide.
Check whether the segment was changed
Finally, changing the segment of a guide after it was published can affect the number of eligible visitors. To check whether a different segment has been applied to the guide:
1. In your guide, select the ellipses (...) in the top-right corner.
2. Select View edit history from the dropdown menu.
3. If changes were made after your guide was published, investigate further by retrieving the change history for the guide.
For information on how to retrieve a detailed guide change history log, see the API Documentation (Change Guide History).