How to Set Up a Time Spent Goal in Zoho PageSense

Time Spent Goal


What is a Time Spent Goal?

A Time Spent Goal allows you to track conversions based on how long a visitor stays on a page or a group of pages on your website.

Even if the same visitor qualifies multiple times during a session, it is counted as one conversion per visitor, ensuring accurate and non-inflated reporting.

This goal type is ideal when the action you want to measure is based on content engagement rather than interaction.

When are Time Spent Goals Most Effective?

You should use a Time Spent Goal when:
  • You want to measure engagement on blog posts.
  • You want to track how long visitors stay on landing pages.
  • You want to evaluate content performance.
  • You are running an A/B test and want to compare engagement time.
  • You want to identify highly interested users.
  • There is no direct CTA click, but engagement itself matters.

Goals Dashboard Overview

When you open the Goals tab under the Track module, you’ll see a complete overview of all the goals created for your project. This view helps you quickly understand goal performance and manage tracking efficiently.
Here’s what each section shows:

  • Goal Name
    Displays the name of each goal, making it easy to identify what action is being tracked.

  • Status
    Indicates whether the goal is currently running or inactive.

  • Visitors
    Shows the number of visitors who were eligible for the goal during the selected time period.

  • Conversions
    Displays how many visitors successfully completed the goal action.

  • Average Conversion Time
    Represents the average time taken by visitors to complete the goal after landing on the page.

  • Created Date
    Helps you track when the goal was set up, useful for audits and performance comparisons.

  • Sorting and Filters
    Allows you to sort goals by name, visitors, conversions, average conversion time, or recently created goals for quicker analysis.

How to Set Up a Time Spent Goal

Step 1: Click New Goal
  1. In the Track module, click New Goal.

  1. This opens the goal configuration setup.

Step 2: Choose Time Spent as the Goal Type

  • Enter a clear and descriptive name for your goal.
    Example: Engaged visitors – 30 Seconds.


  • From the list of goal types, select Time Spent.


  • Click Next to proceed.



Step 3: Define Pages to Track
  1. In this step, you define where the time condition should apply.

  1. PageSense provides an Advanced option that allows you to choose from 8 URL match types to precisely control page targeting.

Below is the explaination of each:



 URL Match Type
When to use
Example
What it tracks
Simple URL
When tracking a single static page
https://zylkerautomation.zohoecommerce.com/services
Only that specific page 
Exact URL
When the URL must match exactly
https://zylkerautomation.zohoecommerce.com/pricing
Tracks only the exact URL entered
URL contains
When tracking multiple related options
https://zylkerautomation.zohoecommerce.com/product
Tracks all URLs containing “/product”
Starts with
When tracking a section or a folder
https://zylkerautomation.zohoecommerce.com/blog/
Tracks all blog pages
Ends with
When tracking pages with a common ending
https://zylkerautomation.zohoecommerce.com/thank-you
Tracks any URL ending in ''thank-you''
Matches with
For flexible partial matchinghttps://zylkerautomation.zohocommerce.com/offer
Tracks URL matching similar patterns
Regex
For dynamic or complex URL structures
https://zylkerautomation.zohoecommerce.com/product/[0-9]+
Tracks product pages with numeric IDs
Page GroupsWhen tracking a predefined group of URLsZylker – Marketing Campaign Pages
Tracks all URLs inside the defined group

How to Configure

  • Select the appropriate match type.

  • Enter the corresponding URL value.

  • Add multiple conditions if needed.

Choose carefully to avoid over-tracking or missing valid engagement data.




Step 4: Add Pages Not to Track (Optional)

If the time condition should not apply to certain pages:

  • Use the Pages Not to Track option.


  • Apply exclusion rules using the same URL match types.

  • This prevents unwanted or misleading engagement conversions.

Example: You may want to exclude short utility pages like login or contact pages from time tracking.



Step 5: Define the Time Condition

Here, you define how long a visitor must stay on the page for it to count as a conversion.


How It Works:

  • Enter the time threshold in seconds.

  • Example: 30 seconds.

  • Once a visitor stays on the defined page for 30 seconds or more, the goal is triggered.

Important Notes:

  • The timer begins when the visitor lands on the defined page.

  • The time is calculated while the page remains active.

  • Each visitor is counted only once.

  • If a visitor leaves before the defined time, it will not count as a conversion.

Best Practices:

  • Avoid setting extremely low durations (like 5–10 seconds).

  • Set realistic engagement thresholds based on content length.

  • For blog articles, 45–90 seconds is common.

  • For landing pages, 30–60 seconds may be ideal.



Step 6: Review and Launch


Before launching:

  • Confirm page targeting rules.

  • Check exclusion rules.

  • Reconfirm the time threshold.

Once everything is correct, click Launch.

PageSense will begin tracking engagement time immediately after activation.





We’ve designed this documentation to guide you every step of the way. If you need further assistance or have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us at support@zohopagesense.com - we’re always here to help!