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Analytics

Objective

Understand the metrics, analytics filters, puzzle type specific analysis tools, and data export options available in PuzzleMe.

Filters​

PuzzleMe provides a robust set of features for analyzing the performance of your puzzles. You can view analytics for a single puzzle, a series, or all the series in your account.

These filters are available together at the top of the analytics page. Once you set one or more of the filters, click on the "Apply" button to reload the data with the filters applied.

Analytics filters

Series​

When you open the analytics page via a single puzzle's analytic icon or the series analytics button, the series field is pre selected. This field in the analytics page allows you to switch the series whose data you want to view.

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  • If you are using a free account, you have access to only 1 series. If you are using a paid account, you can switch between different series in your account. You can also view aggregate data for all your series together.

Time Period​

Use this field to select from one of the preset time period ranges for filtering analytics data. Note that the time period ends at the moment you apply the filter. For example, if you select the time period as last 1 hour and apply the filter at 7.43 AM UTC, then the filter will return the data of loads and gameplays from 6.43 AM UTC to 7.43 AM UTC.

By default, it takes the value of "Last 1 hour".

note

"Last 7 days time" period filter provides data for the 7 days immediately prior to accessing the analytics. "Last Week" time period filter provides the data for the previous week, from Monday, 00:00 to Sunday, 23:59.

For example, if you access the analytics on Wednesday, 9th October, 2024, 5 PM. The "Last 7 days" filter would return the data from 2nd October, 5 PM to 9th October, 4.59 PM. The "Last Week" filter would return the data from 30 September, 00:00 to 6th October, 23:59.

Advanced Filters​

Puzzle​

This field can be used to filter data for a single puzzle. It displays the titles of the puzzles in the dropdown field.

Filter specific puzzles
  • If you open the analytics page for a single puzzle, this field is pre selected to use the given puzzle.
  • If you open the analytics page for a series, this field is pre selected to "All".

Play State​

This field can be used to filter plays, based on their completion status.

Play State filters

Here is what each of the filters mean

  1. All : All plays, regardless of completion status. This includes plays where the solver loaded the puzzle, but did not fill anything in the grid or interact at all with the puzzle. This is the default value.
  2. Started solving : All plays, where the solver has loaded the puzzle and started solving it (i.e. interact with the elements, fill something in the grid), but has not finished the game.
  3. Completed : All plays, where the solver has finished solving the puzzle. This includes cases where the solver may have revealed the solution partially or completely.
  4. Completed Correctly :
  5. Submitted : All plays, where the solver has clicked "Submit" and submitted the puzzle. This includes game plays where the solver has submitted a partial solution. Note that this option is only shown for puzzles that are explicitly set to contest mode.

Specific Time ranges​

This is a checkbox. Clicking on it displays two fields - From and To, for filtering data for a given specific time range. You can specify the date and time yourself using the format : YYYY-MM-DD HH:MI . The fields requires the 24 hour specification format, and uses the UTC timezone.

Time range picker

By default, the time range fields are blank.

User ID​

If you know the User ID, for a specific solver, you can use it to filter data only for that given solver.

  • Series analytics : This feature can be used to analyze how a specific solver is engaging with various puzzles in a series.
  • Puzzle analytics : By filtering for a given UID, it is possible to see the exact solution submitted by a solver.

By default, the User ID field is blank.

Metrics​

Loads​

Total Loads​

Number of times a PuzzleMe iframe is requested from our server.

Verified Loads​

This is the measure used for billing.

If a picker is being used, the number of times the picker has been displayed in a user's browser, plus the number of puzzles loaded through the end modal streak that is shown upon completion, if enabled. Here are some examples to understand it better.

  1. When a user accesses the puzzle picker, selects a puzzle to play: 1st verified load
  2. User accesses the puzzle picker, plays a puzzle, then navigates back to the picker by clicking "All puzzles" in the hamburger menu to select another puzzle: 2nd verified load
  3. User accesses the puzzle picker, completes a puzzle, then selects a different puzzle from the end modal streak picker: 2nd verified load

If a picker is not being used, the number of times a puzzle has been displayed in a user’s browser.

note

This covers both web browsers and apps. This is counted only when Javascript has been executed in a user’s browser and successfully posted back to the PuzzleMe server to tell the database that the row should be initialized.

UID Provided Loads​

Number of times a PuzzleMe iframe is requested from our servers, with a UID parameter present in the request URL. See the section on user identity for more details.

Number of times a puzzle iframe was requested from our server using a deep link. Deep links are generated for individual puzzles, via the "Share" option in the puzzle player, or via the "Play Together" feature. Whenever users open a deep link, the specific puzzle loads directly, without requiring the user to select the puzzle from the picker.

Ads Invoked​

Number of times a pre-roll has been invoked from the iframe. This metric is only relevant for sites that use a pre-roll.

Ads Completed​

Number of times a pre-roll ad finished playing. This metric is only relevant for sites that use a pre-roll.

Avg Ad Duration​

The average playback duration of a video pre-roll ad. This metric is only relevant for sites that use a pre-roll.

Plays​

Unique Plays​

Each user has one unique play for a specific puzzle. Note that a user loading the same puzzle twice would count as one unique play. However, the two loads would count as two verified loads.

Unique Users​

Number of unique users who loaded at least one puzzle.

Average Play Time​

Across all the unique plays, the average time that is clocked on the timer. This is measured in seconds (not hours, minutes). This time is tracked even when a user chooses the setting not to display the timer. Time when the iframe is not in focus (e.g. when a user navigates to a different tab) or when the focus is outside the iframe is not counted.

note

The average play time is under-reported compared to other tools that measure time-on-page because

  1. Based on the setting, the timer may start ticking when a user enters the first letter on a grid. So the time after the page loads but before a user enters the first letter is not included.
  2. A user may pause the timer at any time and still be on the page. However, once a user enters a letter, the timer is un-paused.
  3. The timer stops when a puzzle is completely filled. However, users may spend more time on the page, which is not included in our stat.
  4. The time on the picker page is not included in this metric.

Total Play Time​

The total time spent by all players playing the puzzle(s). It is the product of average play time and number of unique plays.

Plays Completed​

Of all the unique plays, the number of plays where the puzzle was completely solved online. Note: This number does not include those who print and solve the puzzle offline. So the actual number of people who solve the puzzle completely is higher.

Plays Completed Correctly​

Of all the unique plays, the number of plays where the puzzle is completed correctly.

More Statistics​

Browser Type​

This is tracked for each verified load.

note

Browser Type is parsed using the User Agent string of the browser. Browser type is classified into one of the following categories: Chrome, Safari, Edge, IE, Firefox, WebView, Other browsers.

Device Type​

This is tracked for each verified load.

note

Device Type is parsed using the User Agent string of the browser. Device type is classified into one of the following categories: Desktop, Tablet, Mobile

OS Type​

This is tracked for each verified load.

note

OS type is parsed using the User Agent string of the browser. OS Type is classified into one of the following categories: Mac OS, Windows, Android, iOS, Other OS.

Prints​

Number of unique plays where a user printed at least once using any of the print options: black / filled letters / solution.

Scores​

This tracks the maximum and average score achieved so far across all the plays.

Data Download​

Play by Play​

The Play by Play section provides you details about each play that occurs for your puzzles. This includes essential information like:

  1. Time taken to completion
  2. Score
  3. Words or Questions correct
  4. Puzzle completion timestamp
  5. Name, email or mobile number, if collected
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Name, email and mobile number are available only on our premium plans.


Play by play table

Play by play table features:

  1. Filters : You can filter the rows in the Play by Play table using the standard analytics filters.
  2. Sort : You can sort based on any of the columns in the Play by Play table.
  3. Listing : You can control the maximum number of rows listed at a time - 10, 25, 50, 100 rows.
  4. Search : You can search and filter based on the contents of the rows. For example, search for a specific UID, name or score.

You can also download the plays information as a CSV file. The contents of this file are used for scoring in puzzle contests.

Puzzle Content​

You can download and export the contents of your puzzles in the form of CSV files. The CSV file contains a list of rows, where each row represents a single word in a puzzle. You can download the CSV file contents for individual puzzles, as well as all the puzzles in a series.

Download as CSV

The contents of crosswords, Wordrows, word searches, codewords, kriss kross and word flowers can be downloaded as a CSV file.

Advanced​

These metrics provide additional insights about specific puzzle types.

Loads distribution​

Example loads distribution

Loads distribution analysis is available only for series analytics. It displays loads information for upto 14 most loaded puzzles in that series. The puzzles are ordered in the descending order of loads. If you hover over any of the bars in the graphs, you can see the puzzle ID, title and the number of loads associated with it.

Quiz Statistics​

Quiz statistics

Quiz statistics provides you with a summary of how your solvers have fared on individual questions, with a distribution of attempted answers. The statistics contains one row ror each question in your quiz, and the following columns:

  1. Question : This is the text of your question.
  2. Question Type : This is either MCQ (for multiple choice questions), or Free form.
  3. Total freq. : Total number of times this question was attempted
  4. Options : One column for each option present in the given question, stating how many users chose that option. Free form questions contain data only for a single option column.

You can also download the statistics as a CSV file.

Grid Heat Map​

Grid heat map

Grid heat maps are used to analyze solver's performance in specific areas/boxes of the puzzle grid. The background color of a box in the grid heat map indicates how many solvers got it right - the redder a box, the more solvers entered an incorrect solution into the box, and vice versa.

You can use the toggles at the right to:

  1. Consider blank boxes (for partialy completed plays) as correct
  2. Consider revealed boxes as correct
  3. Include data for fully correct plays as well (note that this may skew the heat map).

Grid heat maps are available for crosswords, sudokus, codewords and kriss kross.

Word By Word​

Word by word

Word by word statistic help you analyze the difficulty level of individual words, as well as the overall puzzle. You can view data for correctly answered words, or words that were revealed. You can also download the statistics as a CSV file.

The graph shows the total number of words in the puzzle, and the average number of words answered correctly/revealed. In the graph, if you hover over an individual bar, you can see the word, its clue, and the number of times it was correctly answered/revealed. The words in sorted in descending order of correct answers/reveals.

Word by word statistics are available only for crosswords.