Getting to Grips with Google Analytics

3.6 Filters

You can use a filter to limit or modify the data in a view. For example, you can exclude internal traffic from a view’s reports, or exclude traffic from specific countries.

Note: Before setting up any filters, it is advisable to have a ‘master view’ so that you can retain all unfiltered data.

Define a New Filter For a View

To define a filter that excludes traffic from one or more countries:

1. From the View Filters page, click the Add Filter button. The ‘Add Filter to View’ form is displayed.
2. In the ‘Filter Name’ box, enter a name for the filter.
3. Under ‘Filter Type’, click Custom.
4. From the ‘Filter Field’ drop-down, select Country.
5. In the ‘Filter Pattern’ box, enter the name of a country. You can include multiple countries by separating them with the ‘|’ symbol – for example Brasil|Iran.
6. Under ‘Filter Verification’, click Verify this filter. The number of sessions that would have been excluded from the view’s data for the previous seven days is displayed.