CartVisualAssets & tasks / FIELD GUIDE
Why do two reports disagree about the same product campaign?
Align the reporting definitions before comparing results. Two dashboards can count different actions or assign credit differently while both are working as configured. A discrepancy is an investigation task, not immediate evidence that the creative or tracking is fraudulent.
Write down what each number means
For an illustrative launch review, one report might show clicks, another sessions and another attributed purchases. Those are different units. Record the metric name, date range, time zone and selected campaign before exporting the totals. Keep the raw report definitions with the review.
Google Analytics documents attribution settings and eligible lookback periods. Check the actual configured rules rather than assuming that an advertising platform and website report assign credit in the same way. Do not change the rules simply to make the totals match.
Create a reconciliation sheet
| Difference | Check | Keep visible |
|---|---|---|
| Different dates | Time zone and report range | Exact range |
| Different outcomes | Event definition | Counted action |
| Different credit | Attribution model or window | Actual configuration |
| Recent changes | Processing and report state | Extraction time |
Resolve a definitional difference separately from a missing event or broken link. A combined total can conceal which problem remains.
Compare equivalent slices
Use the same product campaign and a clearly defined interval. Check whether refunds, duplicate events or later actions are included according to the relevant system. Ask the analytics owner to investigate implementation defects; creative generation cannot repair reporting configuration.
State the practical limitation
The final review should name the chosen reporting basis and any unresolved mismatch. Do not merge incompatible dashboards into one unsupported return claim. Use creative comparison for production variables and accepted-asset cost for a separately defined production metric.
A reconciliation that does not force the totals to agree
Fictional reports: dashboard A lists 120 sessions for the lamp campaign. Dashboard B assigns 6.4 key-event credits to that campaign. Subtracting 6.4 from 120 does not identify missing orders: the measures differ. Keep the original exports, counted unit, interval/time zone, filters, extraction time and implementation owner.
| Question | Concrete distinction | What remains unresolved |
|---|---|---|
| What is counted? | Sessions are not purchase events or attribution credits | Need an equivalent outcome definition |
| What does a decimal mean? | Google documents fractional event credit under data-driven attribution | Not a fractional physical order or proof of duplicate events |
| Which time rule? | Report interval selects reported dates; lookback determines eligible prior interactions | Need the actual settings of both systems |
| What next? | Compare matching units/slices, then investigate any remaining discrepancy | No live account or corrected result in this exercise |
Google’s description of lookback windows concerns how far back an interaction can receive credit. Do not assume this is the same as the report’s displayed date range, or change the model to obtain a desired total. Record configuration changes and which reports they affect. A residual difference requires investigation; this example does not diagnose fraud or a particular tracking defect.
Sources and further reading
Recorded source-review dates are listed individually below. An undated source does not inherit the article’s publication date. Software and platform rules can change; check the current original before acting.
- CartVisual: editorial scope and evidence policy · Review date not separately recorded
- Google Analytics: attribution settings · Reviewed
Frequently asked questions
Should all dashboards show identical totals?
Check whether they measure and attribute the same thing.
Can a different time zone matter?
Record and align the actual reporting interval.
Does CartVisual configure attribution?
Use your analytics and advertising tools.
PREPARE ASSETS FOR YOUR NEXT STEP
Create supporting product assets in CartVisual.
Create new product creative assets in the workspace, then continue in your chosen tools. Third-party software procedures described in this guide take place in those applications; this workspace link does not imply an integration. Check current capabilities, account access and credit quotes.
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