Understanding MAU Discrepancies: Unique Customers vs. Metrics

What is the correct way to query your MAU? I have tried 3 ways of report setup and they have different results. Why is it?

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When breaking down by month, selecting Unique customer and MAU are slightly different (1732 vs 1726)
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Average number of line graph breaking down by month is different from selecting Metrics (1726 vs 1646)

2 comments

kapa.ai
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Hi Yanisa S., Please stand by as I search the Mixpanel knowledge base for an AI-powered answer. I normally take about 15 seconds or so. In case AI cannot answer your question, feel free to reach out to Mixpanel support at mixpanel.com/get-support. If you have follow-up questions for this thread, please tag me again with your question: @kapa.ai <follow-up question> 👋
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kapa.ai
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To answer your question about querying Monthly Active Users (MAU) in Mixpanel and the discrepancies you're seeing, let's break down the information from the knowledge sources: 1. Regarding the slight difference between Unique customers and MAU (1732 vs 1726): This discrepancy could be due to how MAU is calculated in Mixpanel. According to the Mixpanel Docs on Insights, MAU is calculated as follows: - For each month, Mixpanel looks at the last date in the time frame and counts 30 days back from that. - A user is counted as part of the MAU if they perform the defined action at least once within that 30-day period.This calculation method might result in slight differences compared to a simple unique user count, especially at the edges of each month.2. Regarding the difference between the average number in a line graph and selecting Metrics (1726 vs 1646): This discrepancy could be due to several factors: a) Different calculation methods: As mentioned in the Mixpanel Blog on MAU, MAU can be calculated in different ways depending on how you define an "active" user and the specific time frame you're looking at.b) Time zone differences: According to the Mixpanel Docs on Debugging, different time zones can cause discrepancies in data. Make sure both queries are using the same time zone settings.c) Query result caching: The Mixpanel Docs on Query Result Caching mention that Mixpanel caches query results for different periods depending on the date range. This could potentially lead to differences if one query is using cached data and another is not.To resolve these discrepancies and get the correct MAU: 1. Ensure you're using the same definition of an "active" user across all queries. 2. Check that the time frames and time zones are consistent. 3. Use the MAU function in Mixpanel's advanced settings for the most accurate results, as described in the Mixpanel Docs on Insights. 4. If discrepancies persist, try refreshing the data to ensure you're not using cached results.If you're still seeing significant differences after trying these steps, it might be worth contacting Mixpanel support for a more in-depth investigation of your specific setup and data.
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