Analysis
View
Also called reporting view.
View is a reporting lens over a property with its own filters and settings. The same hits can look different in two views.
How it is measured
A view is created from a property and carries filters, goals, and settings of its own. Hits flow in from the property; the view decides which ones to include and how to label them.
Always keep one unfiltered view as a safety copy. Compare a filtered view against it to confirm the filters exclude what you intended.
Worked example
A school district site has one property and three views: all data, staff-excluded, and a view for the admissions pages only. The raw view shows 22,400 sessions in September.
The staff-excluded view shows 19,100 and the admissions view 3,800. When a filter typo in the staff view wipes out the Monday count, the raw view lets them repair the report without losing data.
How it differs
A view is a lens over data. A property is the container that collects it. Changing a view does not change what was collected, only how it is presented, unless a filter has been applied.
Common errors
Deleting the raw view. Applying filters directly to the only view. Mixing goals between views. Forgetting which view a report came from. Trusting a view no one has audited.
In practice
List your views and their filters. Confirm one is unfiltered. Name each view for its purpose and keep an eye on who can edit them.