New format
Yandex Metrica “Visitors” report: profiles and lifecycle
Most Metrica reports answer “what happens with visits.” The visitors report looks at people (anonymous profiles): how often they came, where first, how many goals they hit, and what the path to purchase looks like on a long cycle.
Below: how it differs from source groupings, which lifecycle metrics to watch, and how to link a profile to Session Replay. Section names in the account change (“Visitors” / user profiles) — go by meaning: a client card, not a visit row. Session Replay has its own article; here the focus is the profiles report.
Why watch visitors, not only visits
Visits are fine for daily channel control. For long deals (B2B, expensive goods, multi-touch services) the person’s path matters more: first source, visits before a lead, goals along the way.
A profile card helps test ideas: “paid search converts on the second visit,” “organic warms, brand closes,” “many visits with no goal — weak landing.”
Typical questions for the report:
- how many visits before the first goal
- what the first channel was
- whether they return after a bounce
- which URLs repeat before a lead
How the report differs from other sections
In Sources, Content, and similar reports a row is a group of visits with a shared trait. In the visitors report a row is a profile: accumulated interaction history with the counter.
The demographics/interests section that could also be called “Visitors” earlier usually lives as “Audience” now. Don’t look for lifecycle there — those are aggregates, not dossiers.
Lifecycle metrics
On a card you usually watch: visit count, total time, goals reached, first source (and sometimes current). With ecommerce — orders and revenue per client.
Compare medians and typical paths, not one “champion” with 40 visits — outliers warp conclusions. For ads it’s useful to separately view those whose first visit was paid.
What to read on a profile
| Metric | Why |
|---|---|
| First source | Who brought them into the funnel |
| Visit count | Decision-cycle length |
| Goals | Micro and macro conversions |
| Ecommerce (if any) | Client value |
| Visit list | Which URLs and when |
Quick segments and hypotheses
State the hypothesis first, then slice the audience: new in 7 days, long sessions, at least one paid visit, bought / didn’t finish checkout (if ecommerce exists).
From a segment open several profiles — look for a repeating pattern, not a one-off case. Pattern → offer, content, or retargeting edit.
Examples of useful slices:
- first visit from Direct, goal not reached
- ≥3 visits with no lead
- purchase after organic
- abandoned cart (with ecommerce)
Linking to Session Replay
From a visitor card it’s convenient to jump to a session recording if Session Replay is on and the visit entered the sample. Numbers say “what”; the recording says “how they stumbled.”
Don’t watch every recording: segment first, then 5–10 illustrative visits. Setup and limits — in the Session Replay article.
What to remember
The visitors report is about an anonymous profile’s lifecycle — not a replacement for traffic sources.
Segment → several cards → hypothesis → site/ads edit. Without goals and (for a store) ecommerce the report’s value drops.
FAQ
Is this the same as Audience?
No. Audience is slices by demographics and interests. The visitors report is a list/cards of individual profiles with history.
Can I see a person’s full name?
No — these are anonymous counter IDs. Personal data in forms is a separate consent and policy scope.
Why bother if traffic sources already exist?
Sources show the channel. A profile shows how many touches are needed to a goal and how behavior changes visit to visit.
Is there a period calendar?
Historically the report built across the counter’s full life; the needed slice comes from segments (visits in a period, purchases, and similar). Check current UI in Help.
Is ecommerce required?
Not mandatory, but with purchase data you get order count and revenue per profile — handy for a store.
Looking only at yesterday’s visits — and missing the multi-touch path to a lead?
We’ll use visitor profiles, segments, and first-source cards so Metrika shows the lifecycle, not just daily traffic.
Discuss the task
