Migrate Goals and Funnels to Metric Reports and Funnel Reports

Overview

VWO is enhancing how you track and report on key business metrics by introducing Metric Reports and Funnel Reports. These new features replace the traditional goals and goal-based funnels and offer a more robust, flexible, and scalable approach to reporting.

This article helps you smoothly transition from the older Insights Goals and Funnels to the more powerful and versatile Data360 Metric Reports and Funnel Reports.

Migration Assistance from VWO

VWO is committed to ensuring your transition to Metric and Funnel Reports is smooth and disruption-free. Here's how we’re making it easy for you to migrate with confidence:

• Guided In-App Migration
  We have incorporated step-by-step instructions right into the VWO platform. For detailed instructions on using them, refer to the Migrate Goals and Migrate Funnels sections in this article.
• Feature Continuity
  All capabilities from the current setup, such as audience targeting and segmentation, are fully supported in the new reports.
• No code changes required
  If you're using custom code to trigger goal conversions, it will continue to work seamlessly with Metric Reports after migration.

Migrate Goals

Migrated Goals will function as new campaigns in Metric or Funnel Reports. Data collected by the original goal will be preserved in the old Goals section in Insights for a limited time (based on your data retention policy), but the migrated report will begin collecting data afresh from the time of its creation.

This section covers migrating existing goals to the new Metric Reports and Funnel Reports setup. Based on your use case you can migrate goals to:

• Metric Reports: To track the total number of conversions for a specific goal.
  OR
• Funnel Reports: To track the conversion rate for a specific goal within a defined audience segment.

Migrate Goals to Metric Reports

When migrating goals to metric reports, the targeting and audience settings of the goal are not carried forward into the metric report. For goals with pre-segmentation, VWO recommends that you migrate Goals as Funnel Reports to preserve the audience and targeting settings.

This section explains how to move your existing goals (like button clicks or page visits) to the new metric reports system to track the total number of these conversions.

Step 1: Identify Your Existing Goals

1. Log in to your VWO account.
2. Navigate to Insights > Goals.

Step 2: Start the Migration

1. From the list, click the goal you want to migrate. Within the goal's description, locate and click try migrating this Goal.
   Alternatively, click the goal in the list. From the Report tab, click try migrating this Goal.The Migrate Goal as Metric Report panel appears.

Step 3: Configure the Metric Report

The Migrate Goal as Metric Report panel is auto-populated with information from your existing goal. Review and update the following details:

• Metric Name: The metric name is auto-populated with the suffix ‘migrated’. Confirm or rename the metric.
• Visitors event you want to track: Confirm the visitor event. The metric parameters are configured automatically. Modify them based on your requirement.
• [Optional] Description: Click Add description and enter a suitable description for the metric.
  

Step 4: Create the Metric Report

Click Create to create the final metric report.

Step 5: Verify if the Goal is Migrated Successfully

1. Navigate to Insights > Goals. The migrated goal will display a message indicating it has been migrated to a metric report.
   
2. Navigate to Insights > Metric Reports. You should see the newly created metric report with the same name as the original goal with migrated as a suffix.
   
3. Click on the migrated metric report and navigate to Configuration. The configuration details should match the original goal's conversion settings.
   

Step 6: Monitor Your Data

Monitor the new metric report to ensure data is being collected as expected. For more information, see Interpret Metric Reports. Remember, new data will be collected in the new report. The old goal will continue to collect data until it is sunset, providing a period of overlap for comparison. For more information on comparing on how data is collected, refer to the Data Collection Comparison and Improvements section in this article.

Migrate Goals to Funnel Reports

When migrating goals to Funnel Reports, you can track conversion rates. This option lets you migrate your goal into a two-step funnel. This is particularly useful if you want to track conversion rates.

Step 1: Access the Goal Migration Options

Follow Steps 1 and 2 in the Migrate Goals to Metric Reports section.

Step 2: Initiate Funnel Report Migration

On the Migrate Goal as Metric Report panel, click migrate it as a Funnel.

Step 3: Configure the Funnel Details

1. The funnel details are auto-populated with information from your existing goal. The goal's audience URL is used as the first step of the funnel, and the conversion URL is used as the second step.
2. To add more steps, click Add a step. You can modify the sequence of the steps by dragging and dropping them in the required order.
3. To enter a suitable description for the funnel report, click Add description.
   

Step 4: Update Pre-Segmentation/Visitor Groups

If your original goal had pre-segmentation or used visitor groups, the same will be picked and auto-populated into the funnel configuration under Targeting options.

To modify them, check the Target a specific visitor group checkbox. Now, you can modify the targeting options as required. You can create custom visitor segments or select one of the default segments. Create and save your frequently used segments under My Segments.

Step 5: Review and Start Tracking

1. Click Create to create the funnel report. On successful creation the funnel report appears.
   
2. Click Start Tracking to start data collection in the funnel report.

Step 6: Verify if the Goal is Migrated Successfully

1. Navigate to Insights > Goals. The migrated goal displays a message indicating it has been migrated to an Insights Funnel.
   
2. Navigate to Insights > Funnel Reports. You should see the newly created Funnel Report.
   
3. Click on the migrated funnel report and go to Configuration. The configuration details should match the original goal's audience and conversion settings.
   

Data Collection Comparison and Improvements

Metric reports are tuned to be more sensitive and accurate and will improve the data collection. See the below table to understand the differences clearly:

Migration Considerations

When migrating a revenue conversion insight goal to metric reports, VWO does it in two ways:

1. Migrate to Unique Conversion Metric: The metric report will be calculated as the sum of first values. Metric reports may show fewer conversions than insight goals (as insight goals include conversions from subsequent sessions).
2. Migrate to Sum of Conversions Metric: The metric report will be calculated as the sum of all values. Metric reports may show more conversions than insight goals (as metric reports include multiple conversions in a single session).
   
   NOTE: Sum operations aren't available for Growth and Starter accounts, hence their revenue goals will be migrated to Sum of First Value.

Migrate Funnels

Migrated Funnels will continue collecting data from where the original goal-based funnel left off, ensuring data continuity. You will be able to see historical data from the original funnel in the new Funnel Report.

This section guides you through migrating your existing goal-based funnels to the new Data360 Funnel Reports. The key difference is that the new funnels are built using Data360 events and metrics, offering an easier setup and broader application across the VWO platform. Additionally, funnel reports offer a more visual and intuitive way to analyze user behavior through conversion paths. They allow for easier identification of bottlenecks and areas for improvement in the conversion process. Another advantage is that Data360 funnels support up to 35 steps, giving you greater flexibility to track complex user journeys in detail.

Migrate Traditional Funnels to Data360 Funnel Reports

Step 1: Access Your Traditional Funnels

1. Log in to your VWO account.
2. Navigate to Insights > Funnel Reports. Notice that the Funnels section has now been renamed to Funnel Reports.

Step 2: Initiate Assisted Migration

1. Locate the funnel you want to migrate, then click try migrating this Funnel on its card.
   The Migrate to Funnel Report panel appears.

Step 3: Review and Add Additional Metrics

1. In the migration panel, verify the conversion steps and their configurations. Each step corresponds to the conversion condition of the goal that was originally used in the funnel’s setup.
2. If a goal's Audience condition was critical to the original funnel, add a new step for ‘audience selection’ to ensure accurate data collection. If not, simply proceed.
3. To add more steps, click Add a step. You can modify the sequence of the steps by dragging and dropping them in the required order.
4. To enter a suitable description for the funnel report, click Add description.

Step 4: Update Pre-Segmentation/Visitor Groups

1. If your original funnel had pre-segmentation or used visitor groups, the same will be picked and auto-populted into the funnel configuration under Targeting options.
2. To modify them, check the Target a specific visitor group checkbox. Now, you can modify the targeting options as required. You can create custom visitor segments or select one of the default segments. Create and save your frequently used segments under My Segments.
   
   

Step 5: Create the new Data360 Funnel Report

1. Click Create. On successful creation the funnel report appears.
   
   
2. Click Start Tracking to start data collection in the new Data360 funnel report.

Step 6: Verify if the Funnel is Migrated Successfully

1. Navigate to Insights > Funnel Reports. The migrated funnel displays a message indicating it has been migrated to Insights Funnel.
   
2. Navigate to Data360 > Funnels. You should see the newly created Funnel Definition.
3. Click on the migrated funnel report and go to Configuration. The configuration details should match the original funnel's settings.
   
   

Monitor the report data to ensure data is being collected as expected. For more information, see Interpreting Funnel Reports in VWO.

Why migrate?

The new Metric and Funnel Reports are designed to make tracking easier, more flexible, and better aligned with your business plans and objectives. They also prepare your setup for upcoming features in VWO, giving you access to smarter reporting as the platform evolves.

Here are some of the key improvements you’ll experience with the new setup:

• Simplified Setup: Build reports directly using events and metrics, eliminating redundant steps.
• Deeper Insights: Track conversions, segment audiences, and analyze funnels with greater flexibility and the capability to support more steps.
• Offline Conversions: Capture offline conversions as part of your funnel setup.
• Future-Ready Features: Data360 lays the groundwork for upcoming capabilities, including retroactive data reports and the ability to use funnel step conversions in A/B test filters.

Migration Caveats

• Once you migrate your data to the new setup, you cannot create goals and goal-based funnels.
• Existing goals and goal-based funnels will be migrated to Metric Reports and Funnel Reports. They will continue to collect data, but any new conversions must be tracked using Metric or Funnel Reports. The migrated Metric and Funnel Reports will start collecting new data from the time of creation. For migrated goals, this means, data collection will effectively restart, creating a fresh campaign. For migrated funnels, the data collection will continue seamlessly, preserving data continuity.
• All your existing goals and funnels will stop collecting visitor tracking data after Goals and Goal-based Funnels are discontinued. To continue tracking the data, you must have them migrated to the new system. The data collected before the old features are discontinued, will remain accessible in the old reports for a limited time, based on your data retention period. VWO recommends that you plan the migration promptly.
• If you don’t migrate your goals and funnels before the features are discontinued, your existing campaigns will automatically be paused and stop collecting data. You will not be able to migrate your goals and funnels after that and will have to create new ones in the new report system.

FAQs

• Will the migrated metric reports mirror the exact same data as the goals?
  No, metric reports are tuned to be more sensitive and accurate and will improve the data collection. For more information, see the Data Collection Comparison and Improvements section in this article.
  
  
• Do I need to involve my tech team in making code changes for the custom conversion and revenue goals that I was tracking?
  No, any metric report created by using the migration mode will be triggered by the same custom implementation.
  
  
• Can I revert the migration if I encounter problems?
  No, the migration process is irreversible.
  
  
• Can I migrate goals and funnels in bulk?
  No, bulk migration is not possible since each campaign has a unique definition.
  
  
• Will migrating affect my existing A/B tests?
  No, migrating Goals and Goal-based Funnels to Metric and Funnel Reports will not affect your existing A/B tests. However, you may need to update the goal or funnel associated with your tests to use the new reports.
  
  
• What is the difference between the Insights Funnel and the Data360 Funnel?
  The Insights Funnel is the older funnel format, which was created using Track-Goals as steps and is being phased out. The Data360 Funnel is the new Funnel Report format, which offers enhanced features and flexibility.

Need more help?

For further assistance or more information, contact VWO Support.