# Dimensions

A dimension is an attribute of a single row, such as a visit's channel, its landing page or the time it started.
You use dimensions to group, filter and sort your results.

When you add a dimension to a query, Kontala groups the rows by its values and returns one row per value, with your metrics calculated for each.
Add a second dimension and you get one row for each combination of the two.

In the Explorer, dimensions are listed under **Dimensions** in the field list, and shown in blue in the results table.
Hover over one to read its description, which says exactly what it holds.

## Dimension types

Every dimension has a type, which decides how it is filtered, sorted and formatted.

| Type | What it holds | Examples in the Visits explore |
| --- | --- | --- |
| String | Text | Channel, Landing page, Country |
| Number | Numbers | Pages in visit, Visit number, Days to convert |
| Date | Calendar dates | Date, in the Trends explore |
| Timestamp | Dates with a time of day | Visit start |
| Boolean | True or false | Converted, Engaged, Signed in |

## Dates and time intervals

Date and timestamp dimensions appear in the field list as groups, with one field for each time interval.
Pick the interval you want to group by: **Week** puts every visit that started in the same week into one row.

Which intervals you can pick depends on the dimension.
Many offer **Raw**, **Day**, **Week** and **Month**.
**Visit start**, in the Visits explore, also offers **Hour**, **Quarter**, **Year**, **Hour of day (number)**, **Day of the week (index)** and **Day of the week (name)**.

- **Raw** is the exact date and time, without rounding.
- **Day of the week (name)** puts every Monday into one row, whatever its date, so you can see which day of the week brings the most visits.
  **Hour of day (number)** does the same for hours.
- Weeks start on Monday.

In the results table and in filters, an interval field is named after its dimension and its interval, for example **Visit start week**.

## Filter on a dimension

A filter on a dimension removes rows before your metrics are calculated.
You can filter on any dimension in the explore, even one that is not in your query.
Select **Add filter** in the **Filters** panel, or open the dimension's menu in the field list and select **Add filter**.

The operators you can use depend on the dimension's type.

| Type | Operators |
| --- | --- |
| String | is, is not, starts with, ends with, includes, does not include, is null, is not null |
| Number | is, is not, is less than, is less than or equal, is greater than, is greater than or equal, is between, is not between, is null, is not null |
| Date and timestamp | is, is not, is before, is on or before, is after, is on or after, is between, in the last, not in the last, in the next, in the current, not in the current, in all periods to date, is null, is not null |
| Boolean | is, is not, is null, is not null |

Relative date filters, such as **in the last** 30 days or **in the current** month, move with the calendar, so a saved chart always shows recent data.
The **in all periods to date** operator trims every period to the same point as today, for like-for-like comparisons such as month to date.
With weeks selected on a Thursday, for example, it keeps Monday to Thursday of every week.

## Group numbers into bins

Bins turn a number dimension into ranges, such as days to convert of 0 to 7, 7 to 14 and so on.
A bin is a custom dimension: it is saved with your chart, listed under **Custom dimensions** in the field list, and does not change the explore for anyone else.

1. In the field list, hover over a number dimension, such as **Days to convert**, select the three dots, then select **Add custom dimensions**.
2. Enter a **Label**.
3. Choose a **Bin type**:
   - **Fixed number of bins** splits the range from the smallest to the largest value into the number of bins you choose.
   - **Fixed Width** makes every bin the same size, such as 7.
   - **Custom range** lets you set the start and end of each range yourself.
4. Select **Create**.

Some explores already include banded versions of common numbers, such as **Visit depth** and **Time to convert** in the Visits explore, so check the field list before you make your own.

## Related

- [How explores, dimensions and metrics work](/docs/analytics/explores-dimensions-and-metrics): the three building blocks and how they fit together.
- [Explores](/docs/analytics/explores): build a query and filter your results.
- [Metrics](/docs/analytics/metrics): what you calculate for each group of dimension values.