"Visit" in Adobe Analytics and Google Analytics

Update (10 December 2020): the Google Analytics definition of "visit" used here is for Classic and Universal Analytics. It is not applicable to Firebase / GA4's definition.

In a perfect web analytics world, an analyst would be able to take all of his knowledge about one product and apply it to another. All of their technical and analytical knowledge would be transferable easily, and the analyst can easily switch between web analytics products without missing a beat.

But we don't live in that perfect web analytics world. So we have to contend with differences in web analytics products, especially technical differences that result in reporting differences.

One of those differences is something as fundamental as what a "visit" is. Understanding this is crucial to a web analyst's job because it is the foundation upon which a lot of other data and reports depend on. Crucially, metrics like Conversion Rates and dimensions like User Loyalty depend on what a visit means.

So, I've compiled a summary of the main differences in a "visit" between the two common web analytics products, Adobe Analytics and Google Analytics. This will help you be in a better position to report on your website's performance based on the web analytics product that you use.

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