Data Discrepancies

Why is the data on Visibl different from other tools?

In most cases, any difference between Visibl and other analytics tools should be minimal. However, discrepancies can appear depending on how certain metrics are defined and calculated. Below are some of the most common differences and what causes them:

🕒 Time Spent vs. Engaged Time

One of the most common sources of confusion comes from how time on page is measured.

• Time Spent (Visibl): This is the total time a user has a page open and in view, regardless of whether they are constantly interacting with it.

• Engaged Time (Other tools): This typically refers only to the time when a user is actively interacting with the page — scrolling, moving the mouse, or clicking.

At Visibl, we prioritize Time Spent over Engaged Time because we’re built specifically for publishers and bloggers. On content-heavy sites, users often spend several minutes reading without interacting — and that shouldn’t be ignored.

How we calculate Time Spent:

• When a user lands on a page, the timer starts.

• As long as the user is interacting with the page, the timer runs.

• If there’s no activity for 60 seconds, the timer pauses.

• If the user resumes activity (scrolling, moving the mouse, etc.), the timer continues.

This approach captures more accurate reading behavior, which is why time spent on Visibl may appear higher than on platforms that only track active engagement.

👥 Live User Count

In some cases, you may see the number of live users and pageviews being significantly different. This is usually because of the duration given to consider a user as live.

• On Visibl, a user is live as long as they perform an action (like a pageview or scrolling on a page) within 90 seconds.

• Most other analytics tools consider a longer time period of 120 seconds or 5 minutes (300 seconds).

While each method is valid, Visibl’s 90-second window aims to be closer to real-time activity, giving you a more truthful snapshot of current engagement.

🤖 Bot Traffic

Another reason for discrepancies is how bot traffic is handled.

• Many analytics tools don’t filter bot visits separately, meaning your traffic numbers may include non-human activity.

• Visibl automatically detects and hides bot traffic from your dashboard so you see only actual user data.

This ensures your traffic insights are clean, accurate, and not inflated by crawlers or automated scripts — a crucial difference if you’re making editorial or business decisions based on the data.