: How can I track "user returns after X days" as a goal in Google Analytics? I would like to set up goals that track specific cases of user behavior that we have decided are interest to us,

@XinRu657

Google Analytics already tracks this information, so, if you want more granular reporting, this would be an ideal use case for Advanced Segment reporting:


Create a New Custom Segment
Enter a name for the segment (e.g. "Recency: 1wk+") so you can save and refer to your report in the future
In the first filter, specify:

Include
Days since last visit
Greater than
... and the value you would like as a lower bound

Repeat the process and specify "Less than" to set an upper bound
Save your custom segment


If it would be more convenient for you to simply track return activity as a goal, you might do so using an event or session-level custom variable (or virtual pageview) - in which case you would need to author a Javascript which checks whether user has an existing timestamp cookie and, if timestamp cookie is greater than (specified interval) and no "already reported" cookie exists, issue a virtual pageview.

Edit:


... since Events can now be tracked as goals, this is probably the
preferable solution in order to avoid spurious false page views,
right?


Sure enough, amended answer accordingly - virtual page views have historically been the only option (and they carry the same disadvantage of bounce rate deflation) but you could even use a custom variable to track this information if you have a free slot for it.

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