Numbers do not match another tool
Purpose: Debug reconciliation differences.
Who this page is for
| Audience | Why it matters to you |
|---|---|
| Analysts | Reconciliation between systems |
| Architects | Multi-system integration |
Numbers Don't Match Another Tool
You're comparing Adobe Analytics to Google Analytics (or another tool) and the numbers don't match.
Common differences
Difference 1: Definition of a session
- Adobe: 30 min timeout
- Google: 30 min timeout (but calculated differently)
- Result: Usually close, but not exact
Difference 2: Bot filtering
- Adobe: Filters IAB bot list
- Google: Different bot list
- Result: Different exclude rates
Difference 3: Timestamp
- Adobe: Server timestamp
- Google: Client timestamp
- Result: Off by a few hits if client clock wrong
Difference 4: Attribution windows
- Adobe: 60 days (default)
- Google: 30 days (default)
- Result: Different conversion counts
Difference 5: User identification
- Adobe: ECID
- Google: Client ID
- Result: Different unique visitor counts
How to reconcile
Step 1: Pick a specific metric
- Don't compare "everything"
- Start with Page Views (most stable)
Step 2: Check definitions
- Does Adobe count X the same way as Google?
- Page Views: yes (usually)
- Visitors: maybe (different ID method)
- Conversions: unlikely (different attribution)
Step 3: Check time periods
- Same date range (including time zone)?
- Adobe stores server time, Google client time
- Mismatch = time zone issue
Step 4: Exclude segments
- Remove bots (both should exclude)
- Remove internal traffic (both should exclude)
- Then compare
Expected variance: 5-15% difference (rarely match exactly)
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End of Troubleshooting Hub