Analysing Site Activity in SharePoint 2013

Tracking site usage is a very important method of identifying and helping sustain user adoption of a SharePoint 2013 site. Using site usage statistics can help prove the take up of a new SharePoint site, identify shortfalls in the design, and indicates how searches are being used and whether they are effective and optimised. There is a usage report available in SharePoint 2013, which shows historical usage information about the site, such as the number of views and unique users.

Use this report to identify usage trends and to determine times of high and low activity. The usage report, when generated, displays within an Excel spreadsheet, showing Daily and Monthly statistics and line charts, split by Hits and Unique Users. The screenshot of a portion of a Usage Report being displayed in Microsoft Excel 2013. The screenshot shows Day, Hits and Unique usage statistics, and is represented graphically by a Line Chart

Usage Detail Report in Excel

The usage report is available to site owners and site collection administrators. There are other reports which are available only to site collection administrators. These are Usage and Search analytical reports. Table 2.3 shows the Usage Reports and what they are comprised of. Table 2.4 shows the Search reports.

Table 2.3: Usage Reports

Report Type	Description
Usage	This report shows historical usage information about the site collection, such as the number of views and unique users. Use this report to identify usage trends and to determine times of high and low activity.
Number of Queries	This report shows the number of search queries performed. Use this report to identify search query volume trends and to determine times of high and low search activity.

Table 2.4: Search Reports

Report Type	Description
Top Queries by Day	This report shows the most popular search queries. Use this report to understand what types of information visitors are seeking.
Top Queries by Month	This report shows the most popular search queries. Use this report to understand what types of information visitors are seeking.
Abandoned Queries by Day	This report shows popular search queries that received low click-through. Use this report to identify search queries that might create user dissatisfaction and to improve the discoverability of content. Then, consider using query rules to improve the query’s results.
Abandoned Queries by Month	This report shows popular search queries that received low click-through. Use this report to identify search queries that might create user dissatisfaction and to improve the discoverability of content. Then, consider using query rules to improve the query’s results.
No Result Queries by Day	This report shows popular search queries that returned no results. Use this report to identify search queries that might create user dissatisfaction and to improve the discoverability of content. Then, consider using query rules to improve the query’s results.
No Result Queries by Month	This report shows popular search queries that returned no results. Use this report to identify search queries that might create user dissatisfaction and to improve the discoverability of content. Then, consider using query rules to improve the query’s results.
Query Rule Usage by Day	This report shows how often query rules fire, how many dictionary terms they use, and how often users click their promoted results. Use this report to see how useful your query rules and promoted results are to users.
Query Rule Usage by Month	This report shows how often query rules fire, how many dictionary terms they use, and how often users click their promoted results. Use this report to see how useful your query rules and promoted results are to users.

Usage Reports can be accessed in the following ways:

By accessing a Document Library and using the Most Popular Items feature (shown in the screenshot below). This feature provides a full analytics page for the document library, listing the documents and showing the most recently accessed, links to each document, Popularity Trends for each document (so that statistics concerning each document can be shown in Excel, the format identical to the Usage report). Additionally, refinements are displayed so that the display can be filtered by application type, content type, author, and modified date. Note that you must have Edit permissions to View Popular Items. Note that those who have Read permissions against the document library will find no information displayed.

Option to View Document Usage Statistics

View Document usage statistics via the Ribbon in SharePoint 2013

By accessing the Popularity Trends feature in the Site Settings page. This is available to the site owner so that site Usage reports can be delivered.
By accessing the Popularity and Search Reports feature in the Site Settings page. This is available only to the site collection administrator and provides site collection based Usage and Search reports.

Steps to view SharePoint usage reports

To view the usage reports for a document library

Navigate to the document library that you wish to obtain Usage statistics.
On the ribbon, in the Share & Track section, click Most Popular Items

The Most Popular Items page is displayed.

To view the usage log for the current site

1. Navigate to the home page of your SharePoint site.

2. Click Site Actions, Site Settings to display the Site Settings page.

3. Click Popularity Trends in the Site Administration section.

The View Usage page is displayed.

4. In the Usage Reports section, click the Usage link.

SharePoint then generates an Excel spreadsheet which you will be requested to download. Download this spreadsheet, and then open it in Microsoft Excel 2010 / 2013 to view it..

To view the usage log for the site collection

1. Navigate to the home page of your SharePoint site.

2. Click Site Actions, Site Settings to display the Site Settings page.

3. Click Popularity Trends in the Site Collection Administration section.

The View Usage page is displayed.

4. In the Usage Reports section, click the Usage link.

SharePoint then generates an Excel spreadsheet which you will be requested to download. Download and then open the spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel 2010 / 2013 to view it.