Head, Exact & Regular Expression Match Goals

What the Different Match Types Mean

I Google Analytics there are 3 ways to track your goal funnels. Head match is probably the most commonly used but the real power is in regular expression match. You may also find the exact match option useful in some goal funnel configurations.

Head Match

In head match the beginning of the URI you enter into the form is matched to what appears in the browser. If the goal URI in the browser was “/cart/receipt/invoice.php?ID=123456″ then you can enter it like this “/cart/receipt/invoice.php” and it will work just fine.

Exact Match

Just like the name the URI you enter into the form must match exactly. If your goal URI is

/cart/receipt/invoice.php?ID=123456 and you entered “/cart/receipt/invoice.php”… sorry to say this step in the goal will not count because this method of goal tracking matches exactly what you input.

Regular Expression Match

This matching option is for advanced users. It’s handy if you have regular expression knowledge as well. Regular expressions are incredibly versatile. This is a world within a world and you can actually obtain substantial information on this option alone. To keep it simple you can use special characters to help produce custom goal URI’s.
For example a take a look at a website that tracks 2 goal funnels:

1) Home- English or French

2) Auto- English or French

Funnel Visualization For Above RegEx Goal Settings

Note: In the Google Analytics interface this goal displays as one goal (one web page).

Test your regular expressions here

The above goal is created using regular expression match and utilizes the maximum number of steps (web pages) allowed in Google Analytics. Regular Expressions are for advanced users. The most common type of goal used in Google Analytics is head match.

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