The 60+ Facebook Insights Data Definitions

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There has been more than just a little bit of excitement recently in the office and it wasn’t just over college football (though I’ll admit, there was some misery there too). With the launch of the latest version Facebook Insights many of the things we hoped and dreamed to have access to would finally be realized. So we anxiously opened up Facebook, pulled down the *new* data and yelped out a collective WTF when we saw over 200 rows of “new reports.”

So we worked really hard, sweated it out, and launched our new megaphone report last week.

But what we quickly realized is that there are so many new terms, definitions, and data points that it makes even our heads spin. (Except for Aviel’s. His head is too big to spin.) And if that happened to us, (I mean, we do get paid to do this) we can only imagine how many of you are feeling as you pick your way through the data. Well, once again, you have nothing to fear. We’ve written this 3,500+ word “blog post” that is your guide for navigating the murky waters of the new Facebook Insights raw data. We don’t expect you to read it all at once. We do recommend bookmarking this page, as I’m willing to bet (OK, hoping!) you’ll be coming back when you can’t quite remember the difference between Page Active Users and Page Fans.

First, some basic Facebook definitions, or definitions 1 – 9 for all you list junkies:

1. Active Users: These are the people who have engaged with your Page, viewed your Page or consumed content generated by your Page, during a particular time period.
2. Unique Users vs. Total Count:
   Unique Users: A distinctive number tracked over a certain time period.
   Total Count: The entire count of interactions tracked over a certain time period.
   Example: If I were to interact with the Ohio State Buckeyes Page 5 times in one day I would be counted as 1 unique user but would increase their total count by 5.
3. Locale: language of the Facebook user
4. Total Page Reach: The count of people who have seen anything associated with your Page over a given time period, this does include Ads and Sponsored Stories.
5. Viral vs. Organic:
   Viral: When someone interacts with your Page and that interaction is published out *their* feed and ultimately their followers see it.
   Organic: When you post something and your fan/subscribers see it
   Example: If I were to post about my favorite new Patagonia down jacket (in pink, of course) and I linked to the Patagonia Page in my post, this would be counted as a viral action because my friends / subscribers would see it in their news feed. However, if Patagonia posted on their wall about said new jacket and then I read the post, this would be counted as an organic action.
6. Saw Your Page: People who saw content associated with your Page in their News feed.
7. Story Type: Anything that generates content that ends up in a News feed.  It can be video posts, link posts, status updates, comments made about content, new likes to a Page, etc.
8. People Talking About This: Total number of unique people who created a story of any kind about your page or on your page. This includes page likes, wall posts, mentions, and any engagement with one of your posts.
9. Sources: This identifies where your fans get added from. Was it a status update, a video post, a link to a new article

Now, let’s break it all down…

We’ve gone ahead and broken down what all 8,543,423 reports mean. Ok, that’s an exaggeration, there are *only* 60 different ways of slicing the data. But then each report has the option of being viewed by Total Count or Unique Visitors and may have one of five different time ranges (Daily, Weekly, 28 Days, Monthly, and Lifetime). Again, don’t worry our good friends, we’ve broken them all down for you and have put our spin on what each report means.

10. Page Active Users
    Facebook Definition: The number of people who have interacted with or viewed your Page or its posts. This includes interactions from fans and non-fans. (Unique)
    What it really means: If someone has commented / liked / shared your Page or posts from your Page it’s included here. This includes both fans and non-fans.
    Available For: Unique Users
    Time Ranges Available: Daily / Monthly / Weekly
11. Page Active Users Age
    Facebook Definition: Age of your active users (Unique)
    What it really means: This one is pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll leave as is.
    Available For: Unique Users
    Time Ranges Available: Daily
12. Page Active Users City
    Facebook Definition: Top cities of your active users (Unique)
    What it really means: This one is pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll leave as is.
    Available For: Unique Users
    Time Ranges Available: Daily
13. Page Active Users Country
    Facebook Definition: Top countries of your active users (Unique)
    What it really means: This one is pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll leave as is.
    Available for: Unique Users
    Time Ranges Available: Daily
14. Page Active Users Gender
    Facebook Definition: Gender of your active users (Unique)
    What it really means: This one is pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll leave as is.
    Available for: Unique Users
    Time Ranges Available: Daily
15. Page Active Users Gender Age
    Facebook Definition: Gender and age demographics of your active users (Unique)
    What it really means: This one is pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll leave as is.
    Available for: Unique Users
    Time Ranges Available: Daily
16. Page Active Users Locale
    Facebook Definition: Top locales of your active users (Unique)
    What it really means: Top languages of your active users
    Available for: Unique Users
    Time Ranges Available: Daily
17. Page Audio Plays
    Facebook Definition: Number of times your Page’s audio files were played (Unique or Total Count)
    What it really means: This one is pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll leave as is.
    Available for: Unique Users or Total Count
    Time Ranges Available: Daily
18. Page Comment Adds
    Facebook Definition: Comments created on your Page’s content (Unique or Total Count)
    What it really means: This one is pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll leave as is.
    Available for: Unique Users or Total Count
    Time Ranges Available: Daily
19. Page Comment Adds Source
    Facebook Definition: Source of new comments on your Page’s content (Unique or Total Count)
    What it really means: Where the new comments on your site originated from
    Available for: Unique Users or Total Count
    Time Ranges Available: Daily
20. Page Comment Removes
    Facebook Definition: Comments deleted on your Page’s content (Unique or Total Count)
    What it really means: This one is pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll leave as is.
    Available for: Unique Users or Total Count
    Time Ranges Available: Daily
21. Page Comment Removes Source
    Facebook Source of comment deletions on your Page’s content (Unique or Total)
    What it really means: Where the comments deleted from your Page originated from
    Available for: Unique Users or Total Count
    Time Ranges Available: Daily
22. Page Consumptions
    Facebook Definition: The number of people who clicked on any of your content without generating a story. (Unique or Total Count)
    What it really means: People that clicked to like a story or commented but did not generate a post within their own feed
    Available for: Unique Users or Total Count
    Time Ranges Available: Daily / Weekly / 28 Days
23. Page Consumptions by Consumption Type
    Facebook Definition: The number of people who clicked on any of your content without generating a story, by type. (Unique or Total Content)
    What it really means: People that clicked to like a story or commented but did not generate a post within their own feed broken out by type.
    Available for: Unique Users or Total Count
    Time Ranges Available: Daily / Weekly / 28 Days
24. Page Discussions
    Facebook Definition: Discussions created on your Page’s discussion board (Unique or Total Count)
    What it really means: This one is pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll leave as is.
    Available for: Unique Users or Total Count
    Time Ranges Available: Daily
25. Page Engaged Users
    Facebook Definition: The number of people who engaged with your Page. Engagement includes any click. (Unique)
    What it really means: This one is pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll leave as is.
    Available for: Unique Users
    Time Ranges Available: Daily / Weekly / 28 Days
26. Page Fan Adds
    Facebook Definition: The number of new people who have liked your Page (Unique or Total Count)
    What it really means: This one is pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll leave as is.
    Available for: Unique Users or Total Count
    Time Ranges Available: Daily
27. Page Fan Adds Source
    Facebook Definition: This is a breakdown of the number of Page likes from the most common places that people are able to like your Page. Note: this does not include all areas of FB where users can like your Page. (Unique or Total Count)
    What it really means: This number breaks down how many likes came from the places that people tend to like your Page from. Note: Common places can (and will be) different for different Pages.
    For example, the common places for The Macallan Scotch Whiskey Facebook Page could be very different from the common places for PBR.
    Available for: Unique Users or Total Count
    Time Ranges Available: Daily
28. Page Fan Removes
    Facebook Definition: The number of “unlikes” to your Page (Unique or Total Count)
    What it really means: This one is pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll leave as is.
    Available for: Unique Users or Total Count
    Time Ranges Available: Daily
29. Page Fan Removes Source
    Facebook Definition: Source of unlikes to your Page (Unique or Total Count)
    What it really means: Where the unlikes of your Page came from.
    Available for: Unique Users or Total Count
    Time Ranges Available: Daily
30. Page Fans
    Facebook Definition: The total number of people who have liked your Page. (Total Count)
    What it really means: This one is pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll leave as is.
    Available for: Total Count
31. Page Fans Age
    Facebook Definition: Age of people who like your Page (Total Count)
    What it really means: This one is pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll leave as is.
    Available for: Total Count
    Time Ranges Available: Lifetime
32. Page Fans By Like Source
    Facebook Definition: The number of people who liked your Page, broken down by the most common places where people can like your Page. (Unique or Total Count)
    What it really means: What it really means: This number is the total number of likes to your page, broken down by the places that people tend to like your Page from. Note: Common places can (and will be) different for different Pages.
    Available for: Unique Users or Total Count
    Time Ranges Available: Daily
33. Page Fans City
    Facebook Definition: Aggregated FB location data, sorted by city, about the people who like your Page (Total Count)
    What it really means: This one is pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll leave as is.
    Available for: Total Count
    Time Ranges Available: Lifetime
34. Page Fans Country
    Facebook Definition: Aggregated FB location data, sorted by country, about the people who like your Page (Total Count)
    What it really means: This one is pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll leave as is.
    Available for: Total Count
    Time Ranges Available: Lifetime
35. Page Fans Gender
    Facebook Definition: Gender of people who like your Page (Total Count)
    What it really means: This one is pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll leave as is.
    Available for: Total Count
    Time Ranges Available: Lifetime
36. Page Fans Gender Age
    Facebook Definition: Aggregated demographic data about the people who like your Page based on the age and gender information they provide in their user profiles (Total Count)
    What it really means: This one is pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll leave as is.
    Available for: Total Count
    Time Ranges Available: Lifetime
37. Page Fans Locale
    Facebook Definition: Lifetime aggregated language data about the people who like your Page based on the default language setting selected when accessing FB (Total Count)
    What this really means: What languages people speak, based on self-select default languages.
    Available for: Total Count
    Time Ranges Available: Lifetime
38. Page Friends of Fans
    Facebook Definition: The number of people who are friends of the fans of your Page. This is estimated. (Unique)
    What it really means: This one is pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll leave as is.
    Available for: Unique Users
    Time Range Available: Daily
39. Page Impressions
    Facebook Definition: The number of people who have seen any content associated with your Page (Unique and Total Count)
    What it really means: This one is pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll leave as is.
    Available for: Unique Users or Total Count
    Time Ranges Available: Daily / Weekly / 28 Days
    Unique Users or Total Count
40. Page Impressions by Age & Gender
    Facebook Definition: Total Page reach by age and gender (Unique)
    What it really means: This one is pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll leave as is.
    Available for: Unique Users
    Time Ranges Available: 28 Days
41. Page Impressions By Age Gender
    Facebook Definition: Total Page reach by age and gender (Unique)
    What it really means: This one is pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll leave as is.
    Available for: Unique Users
    Time Ranges Available: Daily / Weekly
42. Page Impressions by City
    Facebook Definition: Total Page reach by user city (Unique)
    What it really means: This one is pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll leave as is.
    Available for: Unique Users
    Time Ranges Available: Daily / Weekly / 28 Days
43. Page Impressions by Country
    Facebook Definition: Total Page reach by user country (Unique)
    What it really means: This one is pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll leave as is.
    Available for: Unique Users
    Time Ranges Available: Daily / Weekly / 28 Days
44. Page Impressions by Locale
    Facebook Definition: Total Page reach by user selected language (Unique)
    What it really means: This one is pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll leave as is.
    Available for: Unique Users
    Time Ranges Available: 28 Days
45. Page Impressions by Locale
    Facebook Definition: Total Page reach by user selected language (Unique)
    What it really means: This one is pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll leave as is.
    Available for: Unique Users
    Time Ranges Available: Daily / Weekly / 28 Days
46. Page Impressions by Story Type
    Facebook Definition: Total number of people who saw a story about your Page by story type. (Unique or Total Count)
    What it really means: This one is pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll leave as is.
    Available for: Unique Users or Total Count
    Time Ranges Available: Daily / Weekly / 28 Days
47. Page Impressions Frequency Distribution
    Facebook Definition: The number of people your Page reached broken down by how many times people saw any content about your Page (Unique)
    What it really means: This one really made my head hurt, but I think the example describes it best. In a nutshell, this data point shows how many people saw your page and then breaks it down by the number of times they saw your page.
    Example: This data point will show the number of people who saw your page 1 time vs. 2 times vs. 3 times vs. 4 times, etc.
    Available for: Unique Users
    Time Ranges Available: Daily / Weekly / 28 Days
48. Page Impressions Organic
    Facebook Definition: The number of people who visited your Page, or saw your Page or one its posts in news feed or ticker. These people can be fans or non-fans. (Unique or Total Count)
    What it really means: This one is pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll leave as is.
    Available for: Unique Users or Total Count
    Time Ranges Available: Daily / Weekly / 28 Days
49. Page Impressions Paid
    Facebook Definition: The number of people who saw a sponsored story or ad pointing to your Page (Unique or Total Count)
    What it really means: This one is pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll leave as is.
    Available for: Unique Users or Total Count
    Time Ranges Available: Daily / Weekly / 28 Days
50. Page Impressions Viral
    Facebook Definition: The number of people who saw your Page or one of its posts from a story published by a friend. These stories include liking your Page, posting to your Page’s Wall, liking, commenting on or sharing one of your Page posts, answering a Question you posted, RSVP’ing to one of your events, mentioning your Page, phototagging your Page or checking in at your Place. (Unique / Total Count)
    What it really means: This one is pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll leave as is.
    Available for: Unique Users or Total Count
    Time Ranges Available: Daily / Weekly / 28 Days
51. Page Impressions Viral Frequency Distribution
    Facebook Definition: The number of people your Page reached from a story published by a friend, broken down by how many times people saw stories about your Page (Unique)
    What it really means: This one is almost the same as the page impressions frequency distribution (see above) but includes the element of showing only viral instance.  (Which, to remind you, is the number of people who saw a post about your Page, because a friend of theirs published it).
    Available for: Unique Users
    Time Ranges Available: Daily / Weekly / 28 Days
52. Page Like Adds
    Facebook Definition: Likes of your Page’s content (Unique or Total Count)
    What it really means: Likes to your content, not to your Page.
    Available for: Unique Users or Total Count
    Time Ranges Available: Daily
53. Page Like Adds Source
    Facebook Definition: Source of likes on your Page’s content (Unique or Total Count)
    What does it really mean: Where do the likes to your Page come from.
    Available for: Unique Users or Total Count
    Time Ranges Available: Daily
54. Page Like Removes
    Facebook Definition: Delete Likes of your Page’s content (Unique or Total Count)
    What it really means: Un-liking your page.
    Available for: Unique Users or Total Count
    Time Ranges Available: Daily
55. Page Like Removes Source
    Facebook Definition: Source of like deletions on our Page’s content (Unique or Total Count)
    What it really means:  Un-liking your Page, broken down by source.
    Available for: Unique Users or Total Count
    Time Ranges Available: Daily
56. Page Photo Views
    Facebook Definition: Number of times your Page’s photos were viewed (Unique or Total Count)
    What it really means: This one is pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll leave as is.
    Available for: Unique Users or Total Count
    Time Ranges Available: Daily
57. Page Photos
    Facebook Definition: Photos posted to your Page (Unique or Total Count)
    What it really means: This one is pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll leave as is.
    Available for: Unique Users or Total Count
    Time Ranges Available: Daily
58. Page Posts Impressions
    Facebook Definition: The number of people who saw any of your Page posts. Unique or Total Count
    What it really means: This one is pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll leave as is.
    Available for: Unique Users or Total Count
    Time Ranges Available: Daily / Weekly / 28 Days
59. Page Posts Impressions Frequency Distribution
    Facebook Definition: The number of people who saw your Page posts, broken down by how many times people saw your posts. (Unique)
    What it really means: This data point will show you the number of people who saw your Page posts broken out by frequency.  Enabling you to see how many people saw the post 1 time vs. 2 times vs. 3 times vs. 4 times, etc.
    Available for: Unique Users
    Time Ranges Available: Daily / Weekly / 28 Days
60. Page Posts Impressions Organic
    Facebook Definition: The number of people who saw your Page posts in their news feed or ticker or on your Page’s wall (Unique or Total Content)
    What it really means: This one is pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll leave as is.
    Available for: Unique Users or Total Content
    Time Ranges Available: Daily / Weekly / 28 Days
61. Page Posts Impressions Paid
    Facebook Definition: The number of people who saw your Page posts in an ad or sponsored story. (Unique / Total)
    What it really means: This one is pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll leave as is.
    Available for: Unique Users or Total Count
    Time Ranges Available: Daily / Weekly / 28 Days
62. Page Posts Impressions Viral
    Facebook Definition: The number of people who saw your Page posts via a story from a friend (Unique or Total Count)
    What it really means: This one is pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll leave as is.
    Available for: Unique Users or Total Count
    Time Ranges Available: Daily / Weekly / 28 Days
63. Page Review Adds
    Facebook Definition: New reviews created for your Page (Unique or Total Count)
    What it really means: This one is pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll leave as is.
    Available for: Unique Users or Total Count
    Time Ranges Available: Daily
64. Page Review Modifications
    Facebook Definition: Existing reviews modified for your Page (Unique or Total Count)
    What it really means: This one is pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll leave as is.
    Available for: Unique Users or Total Count
    Time Ranges Available: Daily
65. Page Stories
    Facebook Definition: The number of stories created about your Page (Total)
    What this really means: This happens when your Page is tagged in someone else’s post
    Available for: Total Count
    Time Ranges Available: Daily / Weekly / 28 Days
66. Page Stories by Story Type
    Facebook Definition: The number of stories about your Page by story type (Total)
    This happens when your Page is tagged in someone else’s post and then is broken down by story type.
    Available for: Total Count
    Time Ranges Available: Daily / Weekly / 28 Days
67. Page Story Adds
    Facebook Definition: The number of people sharing stories about your Page. These stories include liking your Page, posting to your Page’s wall, liking, commenting on or sharing one of your Page posts, answering a question you posted, RSVP’ing to one of your events, mentioning your Page, phototagging your Page or checking in at your place (Unique or Total Count).
    What it really means: This one is pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll leave as is.
    Available for: Unique Users
    Time Ranges Available: Daily / Weekly / 28 Days

Have questions? Leave them in the comments below and we will help you out!

• Posted on October 20, 2011 by Adam Schoenfeld
• Categories: Facebook, Social Measurement