# Journeys & Funnels

The Web Analytics **Journeys & Funnels** page shows how readers move through your site and the funnels you track. It also shows what readers search for and where they leave through a link. It has four tabs: **Journeys**, **Funnels**, **Site search** and **Clicks to other sites**.

## Before you start [#before-you-start]

- Install the Web Analytics script. See [Analytics script](/connect/analytics-script). Without the script, the page shows **Install Web Analytics to see how readers move through your site**.
- Verify the domain. See [Verify ownership](/getting-started/domain-setup/verify-ownership).
- In the sidebar, select **Web Analytics** > **Journeys & Funnels**.
- Select the dates in the filter dock. The default is **Last 28 days**. This page has no comparison, and it counts whole days in UTC.
- Owners and admins can create, change and delete funnels and search themes. Members see them read-only.

VitalSentinel calculates the journey, site search and outbound reports in advance, so the page has no refresh button. If you select other dates or add filters, the reports calculate when you open the page.

### Cookie-free tracking and journeys [#cookie-free-tracking-and-journeys]

With the default cookie-free tracking, the same person on two days is two visits. Journeys and funnels are then approximate. For more accurate journeys, set the **Storage mode** to **Persistent** in the tracking settings. This mode needs the visitor's consent. See [Domain settings](/domain/settings).

## Tiles [#tiles]

The Web Analytics **Journeys & Funnels** page shows four tiles:

| Tile | What it shows |
|---|---|
| **Visits with more than one page** | Visits that looked at two or more pages. The note says **Journeys are approximate with cookie-free tracking.** |
| **Searches** | Searches on your site, with how many people searched |
| **Clicks to other sites** | Clicks on links to other sites, with how many sites |
| **Funnels** | The number of funnels, **defined by you** |

Owners and admins see a **Tracking settings** link in the first tile. On a large site, the **?** of the first tile shows the sample size.

If Web Analytics found problems, a banner such as **Journeys & Funnels: 1 open issue** shows. It links to [Site Health](/site-health/overview).

## Journeys tab [#journeys-tab]

The Web Analytics **Journeys** tab shows the paths visitors take. A journey is the pages that one visit looked at, in order. Only visits with two or more pages count.

### Where readers go around the hub page [#where-readers-go-around-the-hub-page]

The card **Where readers go around the home page** (or around another hub page) shows the pages around your busiest page. A hub page is where visits start and come back to, such as a home page or a news feed. Short visits there are normal.

The card has two tabs: **Read first** and **Then read**. The columns are **Page** and **Visits**. Make the most common next step easy to find.

### Journeys: every path [#journeys-every-path]

Below it, the card **Journeys: every path** has five tabs:

- **Entry, middle, exit**: the most common three-page paths, with **Entry**, **Middle**, **Exit** and **Visits**. **No middle page** means the visit viewed only two pages.
- **Page sequences**: the pages of a visit in order, with **Sequence** and **Visits**.
- **Most visited pages**, **Pages visits start on** and **Pages visits end on**: **Page** and **Visits**.

If no visit had two pages, the card shows **No visits with more than one page in this period**.

## Funnels tab [#funnels-tab]

The Web Analytics **Funnels** tab shows how many visits reach each step of the funnels you set up. A funnel is two to five pages or events in order. A visit counts when it completes the steps within 24 hours.

Funnels are different from goals. A goal counts visits that did one thing, on [Conversions](/web-analytics/conversions).

### Custom funnel builder [#custom-funnel-builder]

The card **Custom funnel builder** lists your funnels. If you have none, it shows **No funnels yet**. Owners and admins can start from an idea: **Contact**, **Checkout** or **Article to a second article**.

Each funnel has its own card with its name, **Completion rate** and a chart of the steps. **Completion rate** is the share of visits that reached the last step, out of those that reached the first. Each step shows as **Step 1:** and its label. If no visit matched the first step, the card shows **No visits matched the first step in this period**.

### Create a funnel [#create-a-funnel]

1. On the **Funnels** tab, click **New funnel**.
2. In **Funnel name**, enter a name, for example `Checkout flow`.
3. For each step, select **Page** or **Event**.
4. For a page, enter the path, for example `/pricing`. For an event, enter the event name, for example `form_submit`.
5. Optional: enter a **Label**. The funnel chart shows the label.
6. To add a step, click **Add step**. You can add up to five steps.
7. Click **Create funnel**.

A toast says **Funnel created**.

### Rules for funnel steps [#rules-for-funnel-steps]

A page step matches the whole path. A star matches anything:

| Path | Matches |
|---|---|
| `/checkout` | Only /checkout |
| `/checkout*` | Also /checkout/confirm |

While you type, each step shows how many views or events it had in the period, such as **1,240 views on 3 pages**. If nothing matches, the step shows **No page matches in this period** or **No event with this name in this period**.

Use the arrows to move a step up or down. Use the remove button to delete a step.

### Change or delete a funnel [#change-or-delete-a-funnel]

- To change a funnel, click the edit button on its card. Change the steps, then click **Save changes**. A toast says **Funnel updated**.
- To delete a funnel, click the delete button on its card. In **Delete this funnel?**, click **Delete funnel**. Click **Keep it** to stop.

## Site search tab [#site-search-tab]

The Web Analytics **Site search** tab shows what visitors type into the search box of your site. It tells you what they cannot find. Web Analytics finds searches from common search parameters in the address of the results page.

### Site search at a glance [#site-search-at-a-glance]

The tile **Searches that found nothing** counts searches with no result. It works only if your search reports a result count. Otherwise it shows **Your search does not report result counts**.

### What readers search for [#what-readers-search-for]

The card **What readers search for** has three tabs: **Searches**, **Every spelling** and **Themes**.

**Searches** groups spellings that differ only by capitals, accents or spaces. Its columns are **Search**, **Searches**, **People**, **Bounce rate**, **Purchase rate** and **No results found**. A grouped row with several spellings shows a dash in some columns. The **Every spelling** tab has these figures.

**Every spelling** lists each exact spelling with **Spelling**, **Searches**, **People**, **Visit length**, **Bounce rate**, **Purchase rate** and **No results found**.

### Google demand [#google-demand]

If Google Search Console is connected, the **Site search** tables add **Google demand**: how often Google showed your site for the same words. Hover it for **Impressions**, **Clicks** and **Your position**.

A **Worth creating** chip marks a search where readers mostly find nothing on your site and Google shows real demand. A new page, a product or a redirect would answer both.

Without Google Search Console, the tab shows **See what Google shows for the same words** and **Connect Google Search Console**.

## Search themes [#search-themes]

The **Themes** tab of **What readers search for** groups searches about the same thing under one name. Themes show what readers look for, and what your site lacks.

Theo, the AI assistant, sorts the searches of the last 90 days into themes about once a month. Theo sends the text of your visitors' searches to Anthropic, the AI provider of VitalSentinel.

### Start the themes [#start-the-themes]

1. On the **Site search** tab, select **Themes**.
2. In **Let Theo group your site searches into themes**, click **Group with Theo**.
3. Wait a few minutes. The page shows **Theo is grouping your searches into themes**. You can leave the page.

Only owners and admins can start the grouping. After a grouping, the button is not available until a date. The page shows **You can ask again on** and the date. If a grouping fails, the page shows **The last grouping didn't work**.

### The themes table [#the-themes-table]

The tiles show **Different searches**, **Themes**, **Not sorted yet** and **No theme fits**. **Not sorted yet** counts searches made since the last sorting. **No theme fits** counts searches that belong to no theme.

| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| **Theme** | The name of the theme |
| **Example searches** | The most searched words in the theme |
| **Different searches** | How many different searches are in the theme |
| **Searches** | How many times readers searched for anything in the theme |
| **Purchase rate** | The share of visits with a search in the theme that ended in a purchase |
| **No results found** | The share of searches that found nothing. It turns orange when it is high |

### Edit themes [#edit-themes]

Owners and admins open the theme menu next to the title. The menu has **Suggest again with Theo** and **Edit themes**.

In **Edit themes**, you can:

- Rename a theme in its name field.
- Merge a theme into another theme with **Merge into…**. Confirm with **Merge**.
- Add a theme with **New theme**.
- Delete a theme. Its searches go back to **Not sorted yet**. Confirm with **Delete theme**.
- Move a search to another theme, to **Not sorted yet** or to **No theme fits**.

Click **Done** to close the editor.

## Clicks to other sites tab [#clicks-to-other-sites-tab]

The Web Analytics **Clicks to other sites** tab shows which links to other sites visitors click. Check that every busy link sends people where you want.

The tiles **Outbound clicks at a glance** show **People who clicked** and **Different links clicked**. The card **Where readers leave for** has two tabs:

- **Top destinations**: **Destination**, **Clicks**, **People** and **Source pages**.
- **Source pages**: **Source page**, **Page views**, **Clicks**, **Clicks per page view** and **Destinations**.

**Clicks per page view** can be more than 1, because one page view can produce several clicks. If no click happened, the card shows **No outbound clicks captured for this period**.

## Troubleshooting [#troubleshooting]

### Why are journeys approximate? [#why-are-journeys-approximate]

The default tracking sets no cookies. The same person on two days is two visits, so Web Analytics cannot join their pages. For more accurate journeys, set the **Storage mode** to **Persistent**. This mode needs the visitor's consent.

### Why does my funnel show "No visits matched the first step in this period"? [#why-does-my-funnel-show-no-visits-matched-the-first-step-in-this-period]

No visit matched the first step in the dates you selected. Check the path or event name. A page path must match the whole path, so add a star, for example `/checkout*`.

### Why does "No results found" stay at 0? [#why-does-no-results-found-stay-at-0]

Your site search does not report a result count to the script. Without it, Web Analytics cannot see searches that found nothing.

### Why can I not click Group with Theo? [#why-can-i-not-click-group-with-theo]

Only owners and admins can start the grouping. After a grouping, you must wait until the date that the page shows.

### Why is the Site search tab empty? [#why-is-the-site-search-tab-empty]

If the tab shows **No site searches in this period**, no search arrived in the dates you selected. If your search uses an unusual parameter in its address, Web Analytics may not detect it. See [Analytics script](/connect/analytics-script).

## Related [#related]

- [Conversions](/web-analytics/conversions) - goals that count visits that did one thing
- [Engagement](/web-analytics/engagement) - where readers leave without engaging
- [Domain settings](/domain/settings) - storage mode and search term settings
- [What Theo can read](/theo/what-theo-can-read) - what Theo uses