Use real-time dashboards for live traffic monitoring

Analytics

Beta

Needed permissions: owner, manage, edit & publish, edit or view

Note: It’s a beta version of the feature, so it can be unstable, and we may change it or even turn it off in the future.

Real-time dashboards visualize the latest data available. These kinds of dashboards are the most useful if you analyze time-sensitive data and want to be up-to-date with the latest changes.

Before you start

Here are a few helpful things to know before you start:

  • Real-time dashboards show data from the past 5 to 60 minutes.
  • Typically, data is refreshed automatically every 10 to 30 seconds, but large loads of data may cause some slowdowns.
  • The lookback window is based on our server time recorded when the event hits the server.
  • Data from web-log analytics won’t appear on real-time dashboards.
  • If mobile app data is delayed longer than the chosen lookback window, it won’t appear on real-time dashboards.
  • This feature is not yet supported on meta sites.
  • There may be some differences between real-time dashboards and other reports because reports contain data that is calculated and cleaned up after the session ends.
  • Some dimensions are not available in real-time dashboards. If at least one dimension is used in a segment, custom channel grouping or calculated metric, it can’t be applied to the real-time dashboard.
  • Real-time data is also available using API. There are two endpoints available:
  • Real-time dashboards (beta) will be available on Core plans during the beta phase. After the beta phase, there may be some usage limitations.

Turn on real-time dashboards

Real-time dashboards aren’t visible by default. You need to turn them on to view your data in real-time.

To turn on real-time dashboards, follow these steps:

  1. Go to Menu > Administration.
  2. Select the site you want to work with.
  3. Navigate to Reports.
  4. Turn on  Show real-time dashboards.
    Real-time dashboards in Piwik PRO
  5. All done! Now you’ll see a dedicated section in Menu > Analytics > Real-time dashboards. This is where you’ll find dashboards presenting your real-time traffic.

Create a real-time dashboard

To build a real-time dashboard, follow these steps:

  1. Go to Menu > Analytics.
  2. Navigate to Real-time dashboards.
  3. On the left, click Add a real-time dashboard.
  4. Name the dashboard.
  5. In Visibility, choose Author or All users. All users lets you share this dashboard with your teammates.
    real-time dashboards - visibility
  6. (Optional) Check All sites & apps to make this dashboard visible across all sites and apps.
  7. Click Save.
  8. On the right, click Add a widget and choose the one you want to add to your real-time dashboard.
    real-time dashboards -add a widget
  9. Name the widget.
  10. On the right, select the data you want to see on the dashboard. Depending on the type of widget, you can either select metrics or a combination of metrics and dimensions.
    real-time dashboard -add a widget 2
  11. Drag and drop the data into the designing space.
    real-time-dashboard-add-a-widget-3

    Note: For a flat table widget, you can set default sorting options. This makes the data appear in the report in a specific order based on the selected dimension or metric.

  12. (Optional) Apply filters to dimensions or metrics. For example, if we only want to see data from our blog, we can apply the following filter: Page URL contains blog.
    apply filter to dashboard
  13. The preview will refresh automatically.
    real-time dashboard add a widget 4
  14. When you’re happy with the widget, click Save.
  15. Create and add other widgets.
  16. When done, drag and drop widgets into the desired positions on your dashboard.
    real-time-dashboard-add-a-widget-done
  17. Task completed! Your real-time dashboard is ready.

Tip: You can send your teammates a link to your real-time dashboard by simply clicking on Share in the upper right corner. But note that you need to make the shared dashboard visible to “All users” – not just you – and these users need to have access to your site/app.

Turn on or off presentation mode

You can use presentation mode to view real-time dashboards in full screen. This is particularly useful when you want to have your dashboard constantly displayed on another screen or TV.

The presentation mode also solves the problem of being logged out after 30 minutes of inactivity. It displays real-time data for up to 12 hours or until you close the tab.

For security reasons, you automatically get logged out when you start presentation mode but the mode keeps displaying real-time data without interruptions.

To turn on or off presentation mode, follow these steps:

  1. Go to Menu > Analytics.
  2. Navigate to Real-time dashboards.
  3. Choose your real-time dashboard from the list.
  4. On the left, click the three-dot icon.
  5. Click on Presentation mode.
    real-time dashboards - presentation-mode-1
  6. Confirm by clicking Switch.
    real-time dashboards - presentation-mode-2

    Note: We’ll log you out as soon as you confirm that you want to turn on the presentation mode, but the real-time dashboard will be constantly visible on your screen or TV.

  7. Now your presentation mode is turned on, and you can see the real-time data without interruptions.
    real-time dashboards - presentation-mode-3
  8. If you want to turn off the presentation mode, just close the tab or click on Close presentation mode in the upper right corner.
    real-time dashboards - presentation-mode-4

    Note: If you turn off the presentation mode, you’ll be redirected to the login page.

  9. Great! Now you know how to turn on and off the presentation mode.

Unsupported dimensions and metrics

Not all dimensions and metrics are available for real-time dashboards. Reports are based on open sessions, so dimensions and metrics that are calculated after the session ends aren’t available.

Dimensions

Here is a full list of dimensions that aren’t available for real-time dashboards.

                                                                                               
Dimension name Category Scope
Returning visitor UserSession
Next page view title EventEvent
Next page view URL EventEvent
Previous page view title EventEvent
Previous page view URL EventEvent
Search category EventEvent
Time on page EventEvent
Adds to cart in session EcommerceProduct
Orders in session EcommerceSession
Product detail views in session EcommerceProduct
Removes from cart in session EcommerceProduct
Shopping stage EcommerceSession
Events in session SessionSession
Session time SessionSession
Page views in session SessionSession
Outlinks in session SessionSession
Downloads in session SessionSession
Site searches in session SessionSession
Custom events in session SessionSession
Content impressions in session SessionSession
Content interactions in session SessionSession
Goal conversions in session SessionSession
Abandoned carts in session SessionSession
Bounced session SessionSession
Session entry title SessionSession
Session entry URL SessionSession
Session exit title SessionSession
Session exit URL SessionSession
Session goals SessionSession
Session second title SessionSession
Session second URL SessionSession
Unique content impressions in session SessionSession
Unique content interactions in session SessionSession
Unique custom events in session SessionSession
Unique downloads in session SessionSession
Unique outlinks in session SessionSession
Unique page views in session SessionSession
Unique site searches in session SessionSession
Domain lookup time Website performanceEvent
Page rendering time Website performanceEvent
Server connection time Website performanceEvent
Server response time Website performanceEvent
Time of redirections Website performanceEvent
Time to interact Website performanceEvent
Time until DOM is ready Website performanceEvent
Session custom dimensions Custom dimensionsSession
Session custom variable key Custom variablesSession
Session custom variable value Custom variablesSession

Metrics

Here is a full list of metrics that aren’t available for real-time dashboards.

Metric name Category
Sessions Session
Bounces Session
Bounce rate Session
Page bounce rate Session
Exits Session
Exit rate Session
Entries Session
Entry rate Session

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