Understanding Filters in SegMetrics
SegMetrics gives you four types of filters, and each one works at a different stage of your report's data pipeline. They can look similar on the surface, but they answer different questions — so using the wrong one for the job can leave you with numbers that don't match what you expected. Here's how each one works and when to use it.
1. Cohort Filters
What they do: Define which contacts are included in your report. A cohort filter acts as a gate — if a contact doesn't match, none of their data appears anywhere in the report.
Use it to:
- Analyze contacts who purchased a specific product
- Look at leads who came in during a specific date range
- Focus on customers on a particular plan
Note: Cohort filters are applied before any other calculation. A cohort of "Purchased Product X" shows only contacts who bought Product X — but once they're in, you see all of their data, including revenue from other products and their full touchpoint history.
2. Report Filters (Date Range & Dimensions)
What they do: Control the time window and the dimensions shown in your report — they change your view of the data, not who's included.
Use it to:
- Set the date range for your analysis
- Break data down by source, campaign, or medium
- Focus on specific channels or campaigns
Note: Report filters don't remove contacts from your cohort. Setting a date range of "Last 30 days" shows the last 30 days of activity for everyone in your cohort, even if they entered your funnel months ago.
3. Attribution Filters
What they do: Control which touchpoints get credit for a conversion. They redistribute credit across channels rather than removing data.
Use it to:
- See how a specific source or campaign contributed to revenue
- Compare performance across channels
- Understand the impact of one marketing effort
Note: Attribution filters don't remove contacts or revenue. Filtering to "Source = Google Ads" with a first-touch model shows the revenue credited to contacts whose first touchpoint was Google Ads.
4. Post Filters
What they do: Applied last, after all calculations are complete. They filter which rows show up in your final output — the underlying numbers don't change.
Use it to:
- Hide rows with no data (e.g., $0 revenue)
- Focus on top or bottom performers
- Set a minimum threshold for display
Note: A post filter of "Revenue > $100" hides rows at or below $100, but totals and calculations stay the same underneath.
How they work together
Filters apply in this order:
- Cohort Filter → who's included
- Report Filter → the time window and dimensions
- Attribution Filter → how credit is assigned
- Post Filter → what's shown
Think of it as a funnel: cohort defines who, report filter defines when and what, attribution filter defines how credit is assigned, and post filter defines what to show.
Quick reference:
| I want to... | Use this filter |
|---|---|
| Analyze only customers who bought Product X | Cohort |
| See data from the last 30 days | Report filter (date range) |
| See how much revenue Facebook drove | Attribution filter |
| Hide rows with zero revenue | Post filter |
| Compare performance across all sources for VIP customers | Cohort (VIP customers) + no attribution filter |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why do my numbers change when I add an attribution filter?
A: Attribution filters redistribute credit among touchpoints. Without one, you see total revenue. With an attribution filter for a specific source, you see only the portion credited to that source by your chosen attribution model.
Q: What's the difference between a cohort filter and a report filter?
A: A cohort filter selects which people are included — it removes contacts entirely. A report filter controls the time range and dimensions shown for the contacts already included.
Q: Can I use multiple filter types at the same time?
A: Yes — most reports do. For example: a cohort filter for webinar attendees, a date range for Q1, an attribution filter for Facebook, and a post filter to hide sources with fewer than 10 leads.
Q: Why does my revenue total change when I switch between filter types?
A: Each filter type acts at a different stage. Cohort filters change which contacts are counted, so totals change. Attribution filters redistribute credit, so source-level numbers shift but the total may stay the same. Post filters only hide rows — the visible total may look different, but the underlying data hasn't changed.