In Analytics, you can build audiences that update dynamically based on their definitions. Use an Include filter to set conditions for when users are added to an audience. Use an Exclude filter to set conditions for when users are removed from an audience. When you use an Exclude filter, you have an additional option to specify whether users are removed temporarily or permanently.
This article shows 3 examples of when you would want to remove users either temporarily or permanently from your audiences.
Limitations
If you created an audience before the feature appeared in your Analytics account, you cannot edit that audience to make it State Based.
If you save an audience without an Exclude filter, you cannot subsequently edit the definition to add an Exclude filter. If you want to maintain the option to edit the definition to create a State Based audience, then incorporate an Exclude filter when you first create the audience.
Audiences using permanent Exclude filters are not eligible for Google Ad Manager or Display & Video 360. Audiences using temporary Exclude filters are not eligible for Display & Video 360.
You might want to remarket to users who abandon items in their shopping carts. You could build your audience by including users who click Add-to-Cart or who view the cart page, but excluding users who view the order-confirmation page. Rather than remove users permanently when they complete their orders, you might want to add them back to the audience the next time they add items to their carts but don’t purchase.
Include users who viewed the cart page, and exclude users who viewed the order-confirmation (thank-you) page:
👁 Image Condition builder: Include /cart, Exclude /thankyou
Click Apply.
Clear the check box that permanently removes users so that they get added back the next time they leave items in their carts but don’t purchase.
👁 Image Permanent-exclude option off
Never purchased
If you want to focus your marketing on users who have never purchased from you, then you include the ones whose transactions equal 0, and permanently exclude users when their transactions are greater than 0.
Include users who have no transactions, and exclude uses whose transactions are greater than zero.
👁 Image Condition builder: Include 0 transactions, Exclude greater than 0 transactions
Click Apply.
Select the check box to permanently remove users who conduct a transaction.
👁 Image Permanent-exclude option on
Reached a specific level
Include and exclude statements combined with temporary or permanent exclusion let you configure audiences with any level of granularity. Some other common examples include:
Audience based on users’ current lifetime value or loyalty status (tracked by a custom dimension)
Example: High LTV
Include users whose LTV = High
Exclude users whose LTV = Medium or Low
Permanent removal disabled
Audience based on the the maximum LTV or loyalty status users achieved
Example: Was ever High LTV
Include users whose LTV = High
Example: Was never High LTV
Include users with page regex matches .*
Exclude users whose LTV = High
Permanent removal enabled
Audience based on users’ current level (e.g., in a game)
Example: Currently Level 5-10
Include users whose Level >= 5
Exclude users whose Level < 5 or > 10
Permanent removal disabled
Audience based on the maximum level users achieved
Example: Never exceeded Level 5
Include users whose Level >= 1
Exclude users whose Level > 5
Permanent removal enabled
Configure the include and exclude conditions:
👁 Image Condition builder: Include Lifetime Value exactly matches High, Exclude Lifetime Value exactly matches Medium or Low
Clear the option to permanently remove users who do not meet the include criteria:
👁 Image Permanent-exclude option off
Check out google.com/analytics/learn, a new resource to help you get the most out of Google Analytics 4. The new website includes videos, articles, and guided flows, and provides links to the Google Analytics Discord, Blog, YouTube channel, and GitHub repository.
