Clariti's performance chart gives you a clear, interactive view of how your traffic is trending over time. You can quickly set a time period, compare it against a previous period or past year, chart a single traffic source, and mark important moments with annotations.

The performance chart appears in two places and works the same way in both:

Click the time period picker above the chart to jump straight to the window you want. No need to set start and end dates by hand. Your options are organized into four groups:

You can also pick a custom date range. The chart and the statistics cards below it (Page Views, Sessions, and Users) update to match your selection. Use the arrows on either side of the picker to step back or forward one period, or press Opt + , and Opt + . on a Mac or Alt + , and Alt + . on Windows.

Once you have set a time period, you can overlay a comparison to see how it stacks up against another stretch of time.

1. Click Compare (or the comparison label, such as "vs 2025") to the right of the date range.

2. Choose your comparison. Prev Period compares against the stretch of time immediately before your selected window. When you have picked a month, quarter, or week, it reads Prev Month, Prev Qtr, or Prev Week instead. A year option, like vs 2025, compares against the same dates in that year. The menu lists up to five earlier years, and years without data are greyed out.

3. To remove a comparison, open the dropdown and select Clear.

Comparisons are not available for All Time. When you pick a whole year, the menu offers only other years.

When a comparison is active, two things happen. A second, dashed line appears on the chart so you can see the difference in shape and direction at a glance, and each statistics card shows the comparison total along with the percent change. Green means you are up over the comparison period, and red means you are down.

By default the chart shows your total traffic. To focus on a single channel:

1. Click the Sources selector above the chart.

2. Choose any source from the list, such as Google, Pinterest, Direct, or your email provider.

The chart redraws to show only that source's traffic for your selected time period, and the statistics cards update to reflect that source. To return to total traffic, open the selector and click Clear Source.

Source charting works alongside comparisons. Select a source and then add a comparison to plot that source against the same source for your comparison period, like Pinterest this quarter versus Pinterest in the same quarter last year.

On the Performance tab of a post, you can also plot a keyword's search position directly on the chart. Click the chart icon to the right of a keyword in the keyword table to see it appear as an orange line, with its own scale on the right where position 1 is at the top. Charting a keyword turns off any active comparison, since both use the right side of the chart.

For more on setting and tracking keywords, see How to Track Keywords and Set a Focus Keyword.

Annotations let you mark important dates on your chart, such as a site change, a promotion, or a Google core update. They appear on the chart as flags. Hover a flag to see its details, or click one of your own to edit it.

Use the annotations icon next to the Sources selector to choose which types are shown: Sitewide, Content, and Google Core. Turn them all off for a clean view of the trend line, and back on when you want the context behind the spikes and dips.

For the full walkthrough, see How to Use Annotations on Your Performance Charts.

How far back can I compare?

As far back as Clariti has Google data for your site, which is usually around two years. The comparison menu lists up to five earlier years and greys out the ones without data.

What's the difference between Prev Period and a year comparison?

Prev Period compares against the time window immediately before your current one (for example, this quarter versus last quarter). A year comparison lines up the same calendar dates from a past year (for example, this quarter versus the same quarter last year).

Can I chart a traffic source and add a comparison at the same time?

Yes. Select a traffic source first, then add a comparison. The chart will plot that source against the same source for your chosen comparison period.

Can I chart a keyword and a comparison at the same time?

No. Charting a keyword turns off the comparison. Hide the keyword line to bring comparisons back.

Does the performance chart work on individual posts?

Yes. The time period picker, comparisons, source charting, and annotations are all available on the Performance tab of the Content Detail View, as well as on the Home Dashboard.

Reach out anytime and we will help you sort it out. Email us at [email protected].