Document engagement analytics: what the numbers mean
What time per section, read depth, active reading time, click maps and replays mean for a shared document, and how to act on each one.
The short answer
Document engagement analytics show who read your document, how far they got and where they spent time. Use them to decide who to follow up with, what to answer and what to fix.
A view count alone does not help. The useful numbers are about each reader and each section.
The core metrics
- Opens: a reader loaded the link. This proves interest, not reading.
- Visits: each separate session. Two or more visits from one reader is a strong signal.
- Active reading time: time with the page in focus and the reader active. Idle tabs do not count.
- Read depth: how far the reader got, as a share of the page or a count of slides.
- Time per section: active time on each section, or on each slide in a deck.
Behavior signals
- Click map: where readers clicked. Shows which links, tabs and charts they used.
- Copied text: the exact text a reader copied. Readers copy what they plan to reuse.
- Rage clicks: many fast clicks on one spot. Often shows a broken control or a thing that looks like a button.
- Replay: a playback of one visit with scroll, cursor, clicks and slide changes.
How to read time per section
Compare each section to its length. A long section that gets a long time is normal. A short section that gets a long time is a point of interest or confusion.
Look at the pattern across readers. If one reader stays on pricing, that is their question. If most readers stay on pricing, your pricing section needs work.
Look for the drop point. Read depth often falls at one section. Readers who leave there did not see the rest. Move your key point above that section, or shorten it.
How to use replays
Do not watch every replay. Watch replays for three cases: your most important readers, readers with rage clicks and readers who left early.
A replay shows what a number cannot. For example, a reader may scroll up and down between two sections. That often means they compare two numbers. Make that comparison easy for the next reader.
Act on the numbers
- Each morning, check who opened a link for the first time and who came back.
- Follow up with return readers first. Mention the section they read most.
- Once a week, look at read depth across all readers. Fix the section where most readers stop.
- Check rage clicks. Fix the control or remove it.
- Check copied text. Make that content easy to find and easy to copy.
- Push the fixed version to the same link.
An example
A team sends a product proposal to eight people at one company. After three days, the report shows six readers. Four of them stopped at the implementation section. Two of them spent most of their time on pricing. One reader copied the security paragraph.
The team acts on each signal. They shorten the implementation section and move the timeline to the top. They send the two pricing readers a short note with a pricing option. They send the security reader the full security summary. Then they push the new version to the same link and watch the next visits.
Common mistakes
- Counting opens as reads. Use active reading time and read depth.
- Using an open link and expecting names. Use an email-based door to see who read.
- Judging from one reader. Look for patterns across five or more readers.
- Changing many sections at once. Change one, then watch the next readers.
Where to get these metrics
ArtifactSend gives every metric on this page for free. This includes replays and the click map. It works for HTML files, Markdown files and Claude artifacts. You also get an alert email on first open and a weekly reading report.