Creating a Report for Tracking Session Starts with Specific Events
Question: How do I create a report that shows me how many people started their session with a particular event?
Question: How do I create a report that shows me how many people started their session with a particular event?
https://community.mixpanel.com/x/questions/gbtx3gvq9mfc/how-to-identify-first-event-in-m[…]elated_discussion_autoresponse&utm_term=1744139278.897219 this was helpful but I want to see 1st event in a session. not a certain event as their 1st event ever. kapa.ai
To identify the first event in a session in Mixpanel, you can use the $event_count reserved event property that Mixpanel automatically tracks for session events.The $event_count property represents the number of events during a session, and you can use it to filter for the first event in a session by setting it equal to 1.Here's how you can do this: 1. In your Mixpanel analysis (Insights, Funnels, etc.), add a filter to your query
2. Select the property $event_count
3. Set the filter condition to "equals" and the value to "1"This will filter your results to only show events that were the first event in their respective sessions.Additionally, you can also look at the $origin_start property, which shows the original event name that triggered the Session Start event.These properties are part of Mixpanel's reserved event properties that are automatically tracked when sessions are enabled in your project.Reserved Event PropertiesIf you're specifically interested in analyzing first-time users' behavior in their first session, you might also find Mixpanel's first-time user analysis capabilities helpful, though this is more focused on the first occurrence of an event for a user rather than the first event in a session.Analyzing First Time Users
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It sounds like you're having an issue with the session-related properties not being properly set in your Mixpanel implementation. This could happen for a few reasons: 1. Sessions might not be properly enabled in your Mixpanel project
2. The events you're looking at might not be part of a recognized session
3. There might be an issue with how your SDK is configuredHere are some things to check: 1. Verify that Sessions are enabled in your Mixpanel project settings
2. Check your SDK implementation to ensure it's properly tracking sessions
3. Confirm you're using a recent version of the Mixpanel SDK that supports session trackingThe $event_count, $origin_start, and $origin_end properties are reserved event properties that Mixpanel uses for session tracking. These properties are automatically populated when sessions are properly configured and working.Reserved Event PropertiesIf you're using the JavaScript SDK, you might want to check if you're using the Session Replay feature correctly, as this could also affect how session data is tracked.Session Replay Tips & TricksIf you continue to have issues, you might want to look for Session Recording Checkpoint events ($mp_session_record) in your project to verify that session recording is working properly.Would you like me to provide more specific troubleshooting steps based on which SDK or implementation method you're using?
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I'll help you check if sessions are enabled in Mixpanel and provide information about the SDK versions when using Google Tag Manager.
Step-by-step guide to check if sessions are enabled in Mixpanel
1. Log in to your Mixpanel account 2. Navigate to your project settings (usually found in the bottom left corner of the interface) 3. Look for "Project Settings" or "Advanced" 4. Find the "Sessions" section in the settings 5. Verify that the sessions feature is toggled on 6. Check the session timeout settings (default is typically 30 minutes)
SDK Version Information
For Google Tag Manager implementations, you're using the Mixpanel GTM template rather than directly implementing an SDK version. The GTM template interfaces with the latest version of the Mixpanel JavaScript SDK automatically.The Mixpanel GTM template is designed to work with the Mixpanel JavaScript SDK, and when properly implemented, it should handle session tracking correctly.
Google Tag Manager Implementation Check
Since you mentioned you're using Google Tag Manager, here's how to check your implementation: 1. Open your Google Tag Manager workspace
2. Verify you have the Mixpanel GTM Template installed
3. Check your Mixpanel initialization tag:
- Make sure you have a tag with the "Tag Type" set to "init"
- Verify your project token is correct
- Check if you have any session-related configuration options set4. For session tracking, you may need to add specific configuration options:
- In your initialization tag, under "Initialization" choose "Set Options Manually"
- Add options like persistence set to "localStorage" (recommended for web)
- You can also set track_pageview to "true" to automatically track page views5. Make sure your initialization tag fires early in the page load sequence (typically with an "All Pages" trigger)If you're interested in implementing Session Replay through GTM, you can follow the instructions in the Session Replay with GTM documentation.Let me know if you need more specific guidance on any of these steps!
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I'll help you verify if your Mixpanel initialization tag is running correctly in Google Tag Manager.
How to verify your Mixpanel init tag is working correctly
1. Use GTM Preview mode:
- In Google Tag Manager, click the "Preview" button
- This will open your website with the Tag Assistant debugger
- Check if your Mixpanel init tag is firing correctly on page load
- Look for any errors in the console related to Mixpanel2. Check for Mixpanel events in the Events page:
- Go to your Mixpanel project's Events page
- If initialization is working, you should see events coming in (especially if you have track_pageview: true enabled)
- Look for "Session Recording Checkpoint" events ($mp_session_record) if you've enabled session recording
3. Use the Mixpanel Monitoring Dashboard:
- Mixpanel provides a Monitoring Dashboard that you can copy to your project
- This dashboard helps track key statistics about your events, properties, and identity management
- It's useful for a higher-level data audit of your implementation
Mixpanel Monitoring Dashboard4. Check browser console for Mixpanel object:
- Open your browser's developer tools (F12 or right-click > Inspect)
- In the console, type window.mixpanel and press Enter
- If initialized correctly, you should see the Mixpanel object with various methods5. Enable debug mode:
- In your init tag configuration, make sure to set the debug option to true:
debug: true,
// other options
});
```LBKS - This will output detailed logs to the browser console
[Google Tag Manager Integration](https://docs.mixpanel.com/docs/tracking-methods/integrations/google-tag-manager)LBKS6. **For Segment integration users**:
- If you're also using Segment, you can use the [Segment Source Debugger](https://segment.com/docs/connections/sources/debugger/) to validate what data is being sent to Mixpanel
[Segment Debugging](https://docs.mixpanel.com/docs/tracking-methods/integrations/segment#debugging)LBKSRemember that the init tag should fire early in the page load sequence, typically with an "All Pages" trigger, to ensure proper tracking of all events on your site.LBKSLet me know if you need more specific guidance on any of these verification methods!LBKSNote: If you're still having issues with session tracking specifically, make sure your init tag includes the proper session configuration options.
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I understand you're having an issue with the Mixpanel GTM template editor where the save button gets disabled when you set the tag type to "init" and run the code.This typically happens when there's a validation error or missing required field in your configuration. Here are some steps to troubleshoot this issue: 1. Check required fields: Make sure you've filled in all required fields, especially the Project Token field which is mandatory for initialization.2. Initialization options: When using the "init" tag type, verify that you've properly configured the initialization options. If you selected "Set Options Manually," ensure all option keys and values are properly formatted.3. Validation errors: Look for any red error messages or highlighted fields in the template editor that might indicate what's causing the validation to fail.4. Browser console: Check your browser's console for any JavaScript errors that might be occurring when you try to save.5. Template version: Ensure you're using the latest version of the Mixpanel GTM Template. The template might need to be updated if you're using an older version.6. Clear and restart: Sometimes, clearing the form and starting over can resolve unexpected UI issues in the GTM interface.7. Different browser: Try using a different browser to rule out browser-specific issues.If you continue to experience issues, you might want to try the manual installation method described in the Mixpanel documentation, which involves downloading the template file and importing it directly into GTM.Let me know if any of these steps help resolve the issue or if you need more specific guidance!Google Tag Manager Integration
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I understand your concern about the message you saw when saving the template. This is actually normal behavior with Google Tag Manager templates.When you modify a community template in GTM (like the Mixpanel template), you'll see a warning message indicating that your customizations will prevent automatic updates from the template gallery. This is GTM's way of letting you know that once you customize a template, it won't receive automatic updates from the original template publisher (in this case, Mixpanel).Since you're seeing a success message when you run the code and there are no validation errors, your template modification appears to be working correctly. The save button being disabled after running the code successfully is expected behavior - it means there are no changes to save at that moment.To verify your Mixpanel initialization is working properly: 1. Use GTM Preview mode to confirm the tag fires correctly 2. Check your browser console for Mixpanel-related logs (especially if you enabled debug mode) 3. Verify events are appearing in your Mixpanel project's Events pageIf you need to make future updates to the Mixpanel template, you'll need to manually implement them rather than receiving them automatically from the template gallery. This is the trade-off for having a customized template that meets your specific needs.Is your tag firing correctly in Preview mode? Are you seeing any events in your Mixpanel project?
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I'm glad to hear you restored the original template and that you're seeing the auto page view tracking working. Testing on your staging environment first is an excellent approach before making changes to production.When you're only seeing page views but no other events, there are a few common reasons: 1. Event tracking tags: You may need to create additional Mixpanel tags in GTM with the tag type set to "track" for specific events you want to capture beyond page views.2. Autocapture configuration: If you want to automatically capture more user interactions, you can enable autocapture in your initialization options: LBKSmixpanel.init('YOUR_PROJECT_TOKEN', { autocapture: true, });LBKSThis will automatically track clicks, form submissions, and other user interactions Autocapture.3. QA and testing: When testing your implementation, use the Events page in Mixpanel to see incoming data in real-time. You can also use GTM's Preview mode to verify your tags are firing correctly.For a thorough testing approach, consider setting up the Mixpanel Monitoring Dashboard in your staging project to help track the overall health of your implementation.Using a separate staging/development project is definitely the right approach. This helps keep your production data clean while you test: Separate Development DataLet me know how your testing goes or if you need help with setting up specific event tracking in GTM!</user_question>
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