What This Chart Shows
This chart is a journey map: a network of nodes (touchpoints/series) and edges (transitions between them) that lead to your selected KPI. It shows what the most frequent paths to conversion are, where they sit in the funnel, and which steps carry the most volume.
Nodes are arranged in stage lanes (columns): Awareness, Consideration, Intent, Conversion, Retention, and Other. Each node is a series/touchpoint where node size is volume (weight passing through that step). Edge width is how often that transition appears. Only journeys that touch the selected KPI (target series) are used when possible; if none exist, a tiered fallback (e.g. drilldown → KPI group → all outcomes) is used and a yellow badge explains what you’re seeing.
Key Questions This Chart Helps Answer
- What are the most common transitions (A → B) on paths to our KPI?
- Where do those steps sit in the funnel (awareness → conversion)?
- Which nodes have the most volume and which edges are most frequent?
- After changing KPI or filters, do we see different journeys or a fallback badge?
Axes, Metrics, and Units
Element | Description |
|---|---|
| X (layout) | Stage lanes. Awareness, Consideration, Intent, Conversion, Retention, Other. Nodes are placed in the lane that matches their funnel stage (from taxonomy). |
| Y (layout) | Position within lane. Nodes in the same stage are stacked vertically; position is for layout only. |
| Nodes | Touchpoints/series. One circle per series. Size = volume (weight passing through that node). Color = stage (e.g. blue = Awareness, purple = Consideration, yellow = Intent, green = Conversion, red = Retention, gray = Other). |
| Edges | Transitions. Width = frequency (aggregated weight). Color = gray/slate by default; edges connected to the highlighted node are brightened. Curved (spline) lines. Hover: “A → B”, Frequency, Avg TE, Avg Lag. |
| Labels | Node names (truncated for left-hand stages; conversion/retention can show longer labels). “+N” on overflow diamond. |
Control Options Reference
Control | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Outcome group / KPI | Which KPI or outcome set is used. Only transitions that touch this outcome are shown when possible. |
| KPI drilldown | When set, narrow to specific series in the KPI group first; then fallback to full KPI group, then all outcomes. |
| Date range | Time window for attribution. |
| Event categories | Filter by specific event categories (include/exclude). |
| Funnel stages | Filter by specific funnel stages (include/exclude). |
| Search terms | Text search on lever/series labels. |
How to Interpret the Results
- Stage lanes: Left to right = funnel (Awareness → … → Retention/Other). Use to see where journeys concentrate and how they move across stages.
- Node size: Larger = more volume (weight) through that touchpoint. Use to see which steps carry the most traffic.
- Edge width: Thicker = more frequent transition. Use to see the main paths (e.g. TV → Film → Sale).
- Highlight: After clicking a node, that node and its edges stand out; others dim. Use to focus on one touchpoint and its connections.
- “+N” diamonds: Indicate extra nodes in that stage (not drawn individually). Hover for list and combined volume.
- Badges: A yellow badge means a fallback is active (e.g. no journeys for selected series, so showing KPI-level or all-outcome journeys, or CSR direct links). Read it to know what the chart is based on.
- Empty state: “No transition paths found” or “No transitions remain after filtering” means no data passed the pipeline or filters.
Practical Applications for Marketers
Application | How to use this chart |
|---|---|
| Journey mapping | See the main paths to conversion and where they sit in the funnel. |
| Touchpoint prioritization | Use node size and edge width to see which steps and transitions matter most. |
| Stage analysis | Use lanes to see where journeys are strong or weak (e.g. thin consideration, strong conversion). |
| Drill-down | Click a node to highlight it and open the detail drawer for that series. |
| KPI and filter sensitivity | Change KPI or filters and see how the map and badges change. |
Common Mistakes & Misinterpretations
Mistake | Why it’s a problem | How to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Treating the map as literal user flow | Layout is by funnel stage and discovery; not every path is a single user journey. | Use for common transitions and concentration; treat as model-discovered structure. |
| Ignoring badges | When a fallback is used, the set of journeys (e.g. any-KPI or CSR direct) may not match your selection. | Read the yellow badge to see which fallback is active. |
| Assuming all nodes are shown | Up to 8 nodes per stage are named; the rest are in “+N”. | Use “+N” hover to see overflow nodes and combined volume. |
| Comparing node size across stages directly | Size = volume within the discovered transitions; stages have different numbers of nodes. | Compare within a stage or use edge width for transition importance. |
| Treating CSR fallback as multi-step journeys | If only CSR is used, you see direct causal links (single hops), not mined multi-step patterns. | Check badge: “Showing strongest direct causal connections instead.” |
Caveats & Considerations
- Empty states: If no transitions are found from any source, the chart shows “No transition paths found”. If filtering (e.g. search) removes all transitions, “No transitions remain after filtering” can appear.
- KPI filter: Only transitions that touch the selected KPI (target series set) are used when possible. If none do, tiered fallback (drilldown → KPI group → all outcomes) is used and a badge explains.
- Tiered fallback: When the exact selection has no journeys, the chart may use the KPI group or all outcomes, or CSR direct links, with a badge. Read the badge to interpret.
- Node cap per stage: Up to 8 nodes per stage are drawn by name; the rest are grouped into a “+N” diamond. Total nodes are also capped (e.g. top 40 by strength) when many exist.
- Edge cap: Up to 80 transitions are used for layout; the rest are dropped. Heavier edges are kept first.
- Stage assignment: Node stage comes from funnel stage taxonomy; normalized to Awareness / Consideration / Intent / Conversion / Retention / Other. Missing or unknown → “Other.”
- Search: When search terms are applied, only transitions whose source or destination label contains a term are kept; this can shrink the map or leave it empty.