Date comparisons help you understand how your metrics change over time. Compare any two periods to measure growth, evaluate campaigns, and identify trends.
Pro PlanEnabling Date Comparison
Open Date Picker
Click the date range selector in the top-right.
Select Primary Period
Choose the date range you want to analyze.
Enable Comparison
Toggle on "Compare to" option.
Choose Comparison Period
Select what to compare against.
Apply
Click "Apply" to see comparison data.
Comparison Options
Previous Period
Compares to the same length period immediately before:
- Last 7 days vs Previous 7 days
- This month vs Last month
- Custom range vs Equal period before
Best for: Short-term trend analysis
Previous Year
Compares to the same dates one year ago:
- Jan 1-31, 2025 vs Jan 1-31, 2024
- This week vs Same week last year
Best for: Seasonal comparison, annual growth
Custom Comparison
Select any date range to compare against:
- Compare different campaigns
- Compare before/after changes
- Analyze specific events
Best for: Specific analysis needs
Reading Comparison Data
Metric Cards
When comparison is enabled, metrics show:
- Current value: Primary period result
- Previous value: Comparison period result
- Change: Absolute difference
- Percentage: % change (↑ or ↓)
Chart Overlays
Charts display:
- Solid line: Current period
- Dashed line: Comparison period
- Hover: Both values at each point
Color Indicators
| Color | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Green | Positive change (usually good) |
| Red | Negative change (usually bad) |
| Gray | No significant change |
Context matters! Red for bounce rate increase might be bad, but red for a spam metric might be good.
Common Comparison Scenarios
Week-over-Week
Compare this week to last week:
- Date Range: Last 7 days
- Compare to: Previous period
Useful for:
- Regular performance monitoring
- Detecting sudden changes
- Weekly reporting
Month-over-Month
Compare this month to last month:
- Date Range: This month
- Compare to: Previous period
Useful for:
- Monthly growth tracking
- Budget period analysis
- Report preparation
Year-over-Year
Compare to same period last year:
- Date Range: Any period
- Compare to: Previous year
Useful for:
- Seasonal analysis
- Annual growth
- Long-term trends
Campaign Comparison
Compare two campaigns:
- Date Range: Campaign A dates
- Compare to: Custom (Campaign B dates)
Useful for:
- A/B testing results
- Campaign effectiveness
- Promotion analysis
Percentage Change Calculation
Formula
% Change = ((New Value - Old Value) / Old Value) × 100
Examples
| Current | Previous | Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | 800 | +200 | +25% |
| 1,000 | 1,200 | -200 | -16.7% |
| 1,000 | 1,000 | 0 | 0% |
Special Cases
- Previous = 0: Shows "New" instead of infinity
- Both = 0: Shows "N/A"
- Very small values: May show large percentages
Metric-Specific Comparisons
Visitors
- Growth indicates reach expansion
- Decline may indicate issues or seasonality
- Compare source breakdown
Bounce Rate
- Lower is usually better
- Small changes may not be significant
- Consider with traffic volume
Session Duration
- Higher often means better engagement
- Context matters (quick answers vs. deep reading)
- Compare across sources
Conversions
- Direct business impact
- Account for traffic volume changes
- Calculate conversion rate change
Advanced Comparisons
Multi-Metric Analysis
Compare multiple metrics together:
- Enable comparison mode
- Note visitors change
- Note conversion change
- Calculate if changes are proportional
Segment Comparisons
Compare filtered data:
- Apply segment filter
- Enable comparison
- See segment-specific trends
Source-Level Comparison
Compare traffic source performance:
- Click on source
- View comparison for that source
- Identify best/worst performers
Interpreting Results
Significant vs Noise
Consider statistical significance:
- Large sample: Small changes may be significant
- Small sample: Large changes may be noise
External Factors
Account for:
- Seasonality
- Holidays
- News events
- Marketing activities
- Technical changes
Correlation vs Causation
A change might not mean what you think:
- Traffic up could be from bots
- Bounce rate down could be from tracking change
- Investigate before concluding
Comparison Best Practices
Apples to Apples
Ensure fair comparisons:
- Same day count in both periods
- Account for holidays in one period
- Consider business cycles
Document Context
Note external factors:
- Campaigns running
- Site changes made
- External events
Regular Cadence
Establish comparison routine:
| Frequency | Comparison |
|---|---|
| Daily | Yesterday vs day before |
| Weekly | This week vs last week |
| Monthly | This month vs last month |
| Quarterly | This quarter vs last quarter |
| Annually | This year vs last year |
Troubleshooting
No Comparison Data
If comparison shows no data:
- Check data exists for comparison period
- Verify within retention limits
- Try broader comparison period
Percentages Seem Wrong
If percentages look incorrect:
- Verify both periods have data
- Check for very small base numbers
- Consider rounding effects
Chart Not Showing Both Lines
If only one line appears:
- Both periods may have identical values
- Check date range selection
- Ensure comparison is enabled
Reporting with Comparisons
Executive Summaries
Include:
- Key metric changes
- Percentage movements
- Context/explanation
- Recommendations
Visual Reports
Use comparison charts for:
- Board presentations
- Client reports
- Team updates
Regular Reports
Automate comparison reports (Scale+):
- Weekly growth summary
- Monthly performance review
- Quarterly business review