# Find your way around Analytics

Learn the main features and controls of an Analytics report.

New to Analytics? Use this interface map and the numbered sections below to familiarize yourself with the main Reporting tools and controls.*Reporting-interface map*

**Note:** access to certain features or pages in Analytics depends on your [permissions](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6100731). Additionally, some features are only available to [360 users](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/3437434). So it's possible you won't see all the elements or features described here.

[***In this article***:](https://knowledge.ostsdigital.com/google-anlalytics/answer/find-your-way-around-analytics)

## &#x20;Organization and account links, search <a href="#navigation_links" id="navigation_links"></a>

The breadcrumb links at the top of every page in Analytics give you access to the Google Marketing Platform organizations and product accounts, as well as Analytics accounts, properties, and views associated with your current login credentials.

* **Organization**: Within Google Marketing Platform, the representation of your company, and the management framework for your company’s product accounts and users. [Learn more](https://support.google.com/marketingplatform/answer/6292532)
* **Product accounts**: Other Google Marketing Platform product accounts like Tag Manager and Optimize.
* **Account**: Your access point for Analytics, and the top-most level of organization within the product.
* **Property**: A website, mobile application, or device (e.g. a kiosk or point-of-sale device.) An account can contain one or more properties.
* **View**: Your access point for reports; a defined view of data from a property.

[Learn more](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1009618) about accounts, properties, and views.

Use [the search box](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9121111) to search Analytics for reports, ask questions, and query for help content.

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## &#x20;Diagnostics and Google accounts <a href="#accounts_settings_and_notifications" id="accounts_settings_and_notifications"></a>

Every page in Analytics also gives you access to notifications and diagnostic messages, and lets you manage your Analytics user settings and your Google accounts.

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## &#x20;Report navigation <a href="#report_navigation" id="report_navigation"></a>

This is where you access all of your reports.

* Click a report category to open that list of reports.
* The Customization category includes [Dashboards](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1068216), [Shortcuts](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/2676996), and [Custom Reports](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1033013).
* Click  to open [Admin](https://knowledge.ostsdigital.com/google-anlalytics/answer/broken-reference), where you manage your accounts, properties, and views.

Throughout this Analytics Help Center, you'll see references to reports like this: **Acquistion > All Traffic**. This is a shorthand meaning, "the All Traffic report in the Acquisition category.

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## &#x20;Action bar <a href="#actionbar" id="actionbar"></a>

The action bar appears at the top of the reports in Analytics. The action bar includes the report title, the sample percentage, controls that act on the report as a whole, and a link to the Intelligence panel.

* The *sample percentage* tells you what [percentage of sessions during the date range](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1042498) are included in the report. You can switch between a smaller sample (faster response time, less precision) or a larger sample (slower response time, greater precission).
* Click **Save** to save the current configuration of the report.
* Click **Export** to export your report data for use in other applications like Excel.
* Click **Share** to [share a report](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1038573), even if the recipients don't have Analytics accounts.
* Click **Intelligence** to [open the Intelligence panel](https://support.google.com/analytics/topic/7346206), where you can see insights from your data generated by Analytics machine learning, and query your data using natural language.

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## &#x20;Add segments, set the date range <a href="#add_segments" id="add_segments"></a>

## &#x20;Report tabs <a href="#report_tab" id="report_tab"></a>

Analytics reports display data in one or more tabs, providing multiple views of the data in one place. Most standard reports include an Explorer tab, which typically has 2 parts: a graph of your data on top, and a data table below. Some reports include additional tabs like Overview or Map Overlay.

Use the **metric-group** links below the tab label to determine which metrics are shown in the data table: for example, *Summary, Site Usage, Goal Set 1*.

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## &#x20;Graph <a href="#graph_view" id="graph_view"></a>

The top portion of most Explorer tabs displays a graphical view of your data. Graph controls include:

&#x20;When the creators of Annotations delete their Google accounts, Annotations they've made on any Analytics views, whether shared or private, are also deleted.

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## &#x20;Data table <a href="#data_table_view" id="data_table_view"></a>

The lower portion of the Explorer tab displays data in tabular form. The primary dimension and metrics displayed depend on the type of report and on the metric group selected in the Explorer tab controls.

Data-table controls include:

* **Primary dimension** links: [change the primary dimension](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1289845) in the report.
* **Plot Rows** button: [add rows](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1247989?hl=en) you've selected to the graph.
* **Secondary dimension** menu: [add another dimension](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1010056) to the report.

  To remove a secondary dimension, click **X** in the dimension column's header.
* **Sort Type** menu: change the order of the rows in the data table. Your choices are:
  * Default: basic alphanumeric sort. The default order is high to low. You can change this by clicking the column header.
  * Absolute change: sorts date range comparison data by amount of change rather than absolute values
  * [Weighted](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1042020?hl=en): sorts percentage data in order of importance instead of numerical order.
* **Search**: display only rows matching your search term. Click **advanced** to define more complex filters.
* **Table display** buttons: change the way the data table is displayed. Your choices include:

There are a few additional controls not shown in the interface map image at the beginning of this article:

* **Pagination** controls: change the number of rows displayed, jump to a specific page of data, or navigate page by page using the controls below the data table.
* **Refresh report** link: update the data displayed in the report by clicking the link located at the very bottom of the page, next to the generation date.

### Understanding and interacting with the data table

The first column of the table is the primary dimension. Your data is grouped by this column. If you select a secondary dimension, that appears in the next column, further grouping your data. The remaining columns in the table are the metrics associated with the selected dimensions.

You can perform a number of actions directly on the table, such as:

* Use the **checkboxes** preceding a row to select that row. You can then [plot the selected rows](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1247989) on your graph view using the **Plot Rows** button.
* Hover over the **?** icon in a column label to see a definition of that dimenion or metric.
* Sort the table by a column by clicking the column header. Note: this is a simple ASCII sort. To perform a more sophisticated sort, use the **Sort Type** button.

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