In plain English
Above certain volumes, complex reports are calculated from a portion of the data and scaled up. The result is an estimate rather than a count.
It matters most for small segments within large datasets. A segment representing one percent of a sampled report can be substantially wrong.
What to know
A subset, scaled
Not a full count.
Appears above thresholds
Volume and complexity dependent.
Flagged in the interface
Look for the notice.
Worse for small segments
Where the sample is thin.
Why it matters
Anyone reading a sampled exploration and reporting a precise figure is reporting an estimate as a fact. Narrowing the date range usually removes the sampling.
Common mistakes
×Not noticing the sampling notice.
×Reporting sampled figures as exact.
×Analysing tiny segments in heavily sampled reports.
×Wide date ranges where a narrower one would avoid it.
FAQs
How do I reduce sampling?
Shorten the date range or simplify the report.
Is sampled data useless?
No, for trends. Poor for precise small-segment figures.
WRITTEN BY TARIQ SALLAM
Marketing Consultant. Entrepreneur. Content Creator.
I'm a marketing consultant, entrepreneur and content creator. I help businesses grow through practical marketing, websites, SEO, content and AI.
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