Understanding your metrics

How to use and explore the Analytics tab

Use Analytics to explore performance for the selected brand: pick a network or Summary, set the main period, read metric cards and charts, and open a comparison view when you need a side-by-side period analysis.

Analytics is for day-to-day exploration. For downloadable PDFs, PPT files, or saved dashboards, use Reporting instead.

Open Analytics

Open Analytics from the side menu, then choose what to measure.

  1. Click ☰ to open the side menu (if it is not already open).

  2. Select Analytics.

  3. In the social network selector (left sidebar), choose Summary for all connected networks, or choose one network (for example Instagram).

Select the main period

The Main period control at the top right sets the date range for every metric, chart, and table on the current Analytics view.

  1. In the Analytics header, open Main period (calendar icon and date range).

  2. Choose a preset on the right of the picker, or set a custom range on the calendars.

Use a preset range

Select one of the presets in the picker:

  • Yesterday

  • Last week

  • Current month

  • Last 30 days

  • Previous month

  • Last 3 months

  • Last 6 months

  • Last 12 months

The selected preset highlights, and the main period field updates to that range.

Set a custom range

Pick any start and end date on the dual-month calendars.

  1. Use the left and right arrows above the calendars to move to the month that contains your start date.

  2. Click the start date on the calendar.

  3. If the end date is in another month, use the arrows again to reach that month.

  4. Click the end date. The range highlights between the two dates, and Main period shows the full range (for example Jul 27, 2025 - Jul 27, 2026).

All cards, charts, and tables on the page update to the selected main period.

Read comparison percentages

Under many metrics, Metricool shows how the main period changed versus the previous period of the same length.

  • Up arrow: the value increased versus the previous period.

  • Down arrow: the value decreased versus the previous period.

  • No percentage: there is not enough historical data for an equal previous period (common after a recent connection or with a very large date range).

Hover a metric to see the absolute change and percentage (for example +2026 and +1.80%). Analytics always compares equal-duration periods—for example, last 30 days versus the 30 days before that. You cannot manually change the comparison period in Analytics.

For the full rules, including how Reports differ, see How comparison periods work in your metrics.

Create a comparison view

Analytics header showing Main period date range and Comparison period with Create comparison view

Use Create comparison view when you want a saved side-by-side analysis in Metricool Studio without changing the main period in Analytics.

  1. In the Analytics header, open Comparison period → Create comparison view.

  2. Select Previous week, Previous month, or Custom range.

  3. Generate the view. Metricool Studio opens in a new tab, builds the comparison, and saves it to your view list.

Your Analytics main period stays as it is. Full steps are in How to create a view in Metricool Studio.

Work with metric cards and charts

Most Analytics sections pair summary cards with a time-series chart for the same metrics.

Metric and result cards

Cards show totals (or category totals) for the main period, often with a comparison arrow. On Summary, network cards also show each network’s share of the total and whether it went up or down.

Click a result card to include or hide that series in the chart. Hiding a card only changes the chart display; it does not delete data or change the underlying metrics.

Chart hover

Hover any point on a chart to see:

  • The date for that point

  • Metric values for that day

  • Breakdown values, when a breakdown is applied

Use Columns and CSV on post and campaign lists

Every list of posts or campaigns in Analytics includes table controls for the main period.

  • Use Search to find rows when the list includes search.

  • Use Columns to show or hide table fields and available metrics.

  • Use Download CSV to export the list.

What to open next

After you can move around Analytics, go deeper by topic:

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