What are Interactions in the Top Paths reports?

An interaction refers to any measurable action like viewing a page, clicking a link, submitting a form, or playing a video.

The Top Paths reports include data for Interaction 1, Interaction 2, Interaction 3, and so on, representing the sequential actions users takes during their session. The sequence of steps within an interaction position shows how users move through your website.

In the reports, each interaction typically displays two URLs: the page users were on and the action they took from there, such as the next page they visited.

This shows the last two steps users took within any interaction position; it does not list all the steps for every interaction leading up to that point.

• Where both URLs are identical, it could indicate a page refresh or users navigated away from the site and returned to the same page through a link or using the browser back button, e.g., Interaction 1 → dive-shop.net to dive-shop.net.

• If only one URL is visible in an interaction, it indicates that users landed on a page from a previous interaction and then left the website or ended the session, e.g., Interaction 3 → dive-shop.net/my-account. There won’t be a second URL to show where they navigated next and only the last known visited URL in their session is displayed.

As users engage more with the website, additional interactions are recorded. For example, Interaction 10 means users continued to stay on the site after several interactions. By analysing the reports, you can get a range of insights, such as identifying the most common flow for users and optimising ineffective pages where users become disengaged in early interactions.

Interaction Position 1 (First Interaction)

In the Top Paths report, the data is sorted by the number of visits for each interaction from highest to lowest. To change the sorting order, click the Visits column title to reverse the sorting order (1). To sort the data by interaction position in numerical order, click the Path column heading (2).

Interaction 1 shows the first action users took on the first page they viewed. Users may arrive on your website through clicking an ad, via search results, or by direct link to view a product page.

In the example above, users first viewed the page /best-of-the-best. The majority of users then proceeded to /products/diving-tank while the next most popular route was to products/diving-boots. This step resulted in the first completed interaction.

Interaction Position 2 (Second Interaction)

Interaction 2 is the next action users takes following their first interaction. For example, navigating to another page, adding an item to the cart, using the search bar, or clicking a call-to-action button.

Using the example report, it shows what users did after viewing the /products/diving-boots in their first interaction. Only 1 user proceeded from the product page to ask a question on the forum. If the number of visits to create a new message on the forum were high, it could indicate that information is lacking on the product page.

Interaction Position 3 (Third Interaction) and beyond

This is the subsequent action taken by users after their second interaction. Each interaction builds the path that users take through the session and they could complete several interactions in one session, such viewing additional product pages, adding a product to the cart or completing a checkout process.

The Top Paths reports offer valuable insights into user behaviour by mapping out the most frequent journeys through your website. These common interactions can help you to optimise navigation and content, prioritise key pages, and improve overall site performance.