Reports
Cohort or Event date: how to read the numbers
Cohort (the default) looks at leads that came in during the period and everything that happened to them up to today. Event date looks at what happened within the period, for any lead. Spend always follows the date the ad ran, in both readings.
The two readings
| Cohort | Event date | |
|---|---|---|
| Question it answers | What did this period’s leads bring in? | What happened in this period? |
| Revenue | Sales from leads that came in during the period, up to today | Sales dated within the period |
| Meetings held | From the period’s leads | Held during the period |
| Spend | By delivery date | By delivery date |
| Funnel | Always cohort | Always cohort |
The selector is in the filter bar, under Reading, on the Overview, Campaigns, UTM and links and Salespeople screens. The icon next to it explains each mode.
Example (sample data)
Example Co. spent $3,000 in September. September’s leads bought $6,000 in September and another $3,000 in October. September also brought in $2,000 in sales from August leads.
- September in Cohort, viewed today (end of October): revenue $9,000, ROAS 3.00. That’s what September’s campaigns brought in.
- September in Event date: revenue $8,000 ($6,000 + $2,000), ROAS 2.67. That’s what came in during September.
That’s why the cohort for a recent period keeps growing: leads that came in last week may buy tomorrow, and that week’s revenue goes up with them.
When to use each one
- Cohort to judge a campaign, creative or audience: it compares spend with what those leads bought, even if the purchase takes a while. For long sales cycles (real estate, treatments), it’s the fairest reading.
- Event date to track operations within the period: how many meetings took place this week, how much was sold this month.
One detail: the lead’s current data is what counts
In both readings, salesperson, campaign, number and source are the lead’s current ones. If a lead is reassigned from Ana to Bruno, its meetings and sales start counting for Bruno. For sales, the salesperson filter uses the salesperson credited on the sale.
Didn’t work? See…
- Revenue for a closed month changed: in cohort this is expected, because that month’s leads keep buying.
- A salesperson’s numbers changed after a reassignment: see reassign a lead.
- Goals always use the event date: see monthly goals.
Frequently asked questions
Which reading is selected by default?
Cohort.
Does spend change between readings?
No. Spend and delivery (impressions, clicks) always follow the date the ad ran.
See the path from ad to sale in your WhatsApp.
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