---
title: Understand your retention analysis
slug: analytics/docs/understand-your-retention-analysis
docTags: 
createdAt: 2026-07-20T15:44:26.027Z
---

Understand how the different modules of the retention analysis chart work and how you should interpret the data it contains.

## Template structure[​](http://localhost:3000/documentation/docs/Explore%20Data/interpret_retention_analysis#template-structure)

The retention template consists of the following six modules:

- [Measures module](docId:9XTMHm_U42oFmBuTHIU1D)
- [Events module](docId:9XTMHm_U42oFmBuTHIU1D)
- [Segmentation module](docId:9XTMHm_U42oFmBuTHIU1D)
- [Filters module](docId:9XTMHm_U42oFmBuTHIU1D)
- [Visualization module](docId:9XTMHm_U42oFmBuTHIU1D)

## Measures module[​](http://localhost:3000/documentation/docs/Explore%20Data/interpret_retention_analysis#measures-module)

The selector in the measure module lets you choose a retention measure to analyze based on the selected event pattern and actor segments.

![opti-ret-2.png](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/K-JjHuNT1Vn-IUk6upjA6-20260720-144843.png)

Running a retention analysis helps you measure the following:

- **Retention** – The fraction of actors retained.
- **Retention trend** – The fraction of actors retained after a specific period.

:::hint{type="info"}
**Note**

The **Retention Trend** measure lets you see the fraction of users retained after a specific time interval. For example, this measure can spur interest in a product manager who is involved in feature development and concerned about retention. Any product is dynamic with changes coming in every single day. Instead of seeing a cluttered graph with hard-to-read data, product managers can choose a time interval as small as 7 days or even 1 day and see the retention plotted over that period. This way, they can measure the retention at every step and see if the product performs better by the day.
:::

## Retention module[​](http://localhost:3000/documentation/docs/Explore%20Data/interpret_retention_analysis#events-module)

Within this module, you can specify the preferred events to determine the result. Analytics calculates retention information based on these conditions.

If you want to use a **Timestamp** instead of an **Event**, click the **Timestamp** icon in this section.

![opti-ret-4.png](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/VlrX5B0k6_0qj1pQ96taK-20260720-144843.png)

You can set the event occurrence in this section. You can specify whether you want to start the analysis before or after the event's first or last occurrence. There are three options to choose from: **for the first time in the time range**, **for the first time ever**, or **for the last time**.

![opti-ret-3.png](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/EfyomT-Td9xAlRtous17r-20260720-144843.png)

- **Users who performed** – Lets you specify an event stream or a set of corresponding event types that users perform.
- **And returned to perform** – Lets you specify an event stream or a set of corresponding event types that returning users perform.

![opti-ret-1.png](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/RL7LJ1HWXLNTZJaMFdZbM-20260720-144843.png)

Analytics also lets you choose **JSON** columns in this module. When you click a JSON column, it expands to display the keys available for that particular column. You can choose a key and click **Apply**, which chooses the selected end key as the display name for that column.

You can also set some advanced options, including retention criteria, event type, event occurrence, and cutoff, in this section.

![opti-ret-3.png](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/T6TNiH6Lk4nSkGlkXQ1yI-20260720-144843.png)

- **Retention criteria** – Lets you specify to start the analysis before or after the specified start condition. It has two options: **On or after** and **On**.
- **Cutoff** – Lets you define the cutoff using a drop-down list.

## Segmentation module[​](http://localhost:3000/documentation/docs/Explore%20Data/interpret_retention_analysis#segmentation-module)

This module lets you choose a cohort of actors, such as users, or one or more attributes to include in the analysis. It has two sub-sections: **Segment by Cohort** and **Group by Property**, which let you add cohorts and attributes. You can choose to create a cohort by choosing an existing cohort from the drop-down list or use the **+ New Cohort** option to create a behavioural cohort block in one click.

![opti-ret-5.png](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/-BNcq3K8sWuK05OyUTGQG-20260720-144843.png)

## Filter module[​](http://localhost:3000/documentation/docs/Explore%20Data/interpret_retention_analysis#filters-module)

You can use filters to narrow down data in a visualization. They make it easier to answer exploratory questions. For example, if you want to see results for a specific region, you can define a region filter and see the narrowed-down data.

![opti-ret-6.png](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/NNmWItwJDvh7pHF2ESvkQ-20260720-144843.png)

Analytics lets you choose **JSON** columns in this module. When you click a JSON column, it expands to display the keys available for that particular column. You can choose a key and click **Apply**, which chooses the selected end key as the display name for that column.

## Visualization module[​](http://localhost:3000/documentation/docs/Explore%20Data/interpret_retention_analysis#visualization-module)

This module lets you run and view the analysis in a chart format. It lets you edit the visualization, examine the underlying SQL query, and add the chart to a dashboard.

The following features are available in this module:

- **# and %** – Switch between numbers and percentage values on your chart.
- **Top 'N' segments** – Choose the number of top segments to display in the visualization.
- **Time Range and Time Grain** – Configure the time range and time grain for the analysis.
- **Sampling** – Configure sampling and responses for the analysis.
- **Edit visualization (Other actions)** – Inspect a query, edit a visualization, add an analysis to a dashboard, and download files in Excel or CSV format.

### Switch between numbers and percentages

These options let you switch the values on the Y-axis from absolute values to percentages and vice versa. This feature is particularly useful when dealing with multiple segments, as using absolute values lets you see a clear breakdown of how many individuals are in each segment.

### Top 'N' segments

To choose the number of top segments you want to display in your retention analysis, click the **Show top** drop-down list and enter the required number. You can also use the **+** and **–** symbols to enter your input. The total count of selected events defines the top attribute values. You can also set the number of top 'N' segments when you create beelines.

### Time range and grain

- **Time Range** – The complete period during which events are considered for the analysis. Examples include the last 2 years or the time range between two specific dates.
- **Time Grain** – The granularity of analysis, such as daily (1 day), weekly (7 days), and so on.

You can set the time range using a drop-down list or choose from the quick options and iterate through different choices of time range and time grain without leaving the chart. It is also possible to set a lag using the **Ending** option.

![opti-ret-7.png](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/rZugyiz5t838b9NeGVBVP-20260720-144843.png)

### Sampling

In the visualization module, you can configure sampling modes for your exploration by clicking the lightning icon. A drop-down list displays two sampling modes: **Enabled Faster Response** or **Enabled Higher Precision**.

### Edit visualization section

- **Inspect Query** – Click this option to open a query inspector. It has three tabs, **SQL**, **Warehouse SQL**, and **NetScript**. You can change the **SQL** and **NetScript** queries by clicking the **Open as SQL Explore** and **Open as NetScript Explore** buttons in the respective sections.
- **Add to Dashboard** – Add the exploration you created to a dashboard. You can choose from two options: **Pick a dashboard** or **New Dashboard**.
- **Edit visualization** – Edit the chart settings. It has two sub-sections: **Visualization** and **Sorting**.
  - Under **Visualization**, you can configure
    - Automatic refresh for your chart.
    - Chart type.
    - X-axis and Y-axis configuration.
    - Tooltip.
    - Size configuration.
  - Under **Sorting**, you can
    - Enable the sorting option on the graph.
    - Configure sorting rules and the limit.
- **Download As** - Download your analysis in either **CSV** or **EXCEL** format. The system preserves the column formatting for the downloaded files as well.

![opti-ret-8.png](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/DwMCe2ixCE79g3Nfyjv5u-20260720-144843.png)